Dancing to a different drum

Lanka's roving arts troupe of the physically and mentally handicapped heads for LA

By Ayesha R. Rafiq

They dance and sway, just like flowers in a field. Their heels tap out the rhythm of the drums in near perfect timing. Watching them smiling and so obviously enjoying themselves, it's hard to remember that they have had to go the extra mile to achieve what they have.

Deaf, dumb, blind and mentally handicapped are these performers of what is perhaps the world's first roving arts troupe of the physically and mentally handicapped.

Formed in 1989, this troupe which numbers 30 has many international performances in countries such as the UK, USA, Singapore, Bangkok, Germany, Belgium, Thailand, Taipei and South Africa, to their credit. They have also won first place at the 1989 Independence Day Parade of the USA.

The performers are selected from governmental and non-governmental schools and institutions in the island based on their performances at the National Festival of the Disabled held every four years. Once selected they are trained in mobility, orientation, social and communication skills so as to help them reach international levels.

They come under the guidance of the Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (ESCO) which is the national representative of the Very Special Arts International organisation , the Far East and South Pacific Games Federation of the Disabled and the OITA Association of Sports for the Disabled in Japan.

ESCO, in addition to cultural events has also participated in a series of world championships, Paralympics and World Cup Deaf Cricket.

A little known fact is that popular local magician Priyantha Gamage also belongs to this organisation, on account of his being deaf. Defeating 17 participants from countries such as USA, Canada, Germany, India, Hungary and Ukraine, he bagged first place at the 1990 World Deaf Magicians' Festival.

He has also won the Best Magician of the Year Award in Sri Lanka on six occasions.

The preview which the media was treated to went beyond the expectations of any of us. For them, being handicapped was no excuse for anything less than a perfect performance. The dance troupe could not hear the beat of the drums as they were all deaf. Hence they had to remember the number of steps and the timing and depend on their memory and not the beat of the drums, to see them through the performances.

No mean task considering that they performed no less than 10 dances as a preview.

But they were all executed with near perfection and as each dance came to an end it was easy to see how much the girls enjoyed themselves by the way they broke into smiles, when they did not hear, but saw us put our hands together for them.

Priyantha's performance too, with his wife, who is also deaf as his assistant, was fun-filled and drew plenty of laughs from the audience.

So deep is ESCO's commitment to their cause that no stone was left unturned in helping a 26-year-old paraplegic Tamil youth from Killinochchi participate in the marathon at the 1995 games for the disabled held in Japan.

ESCO has been invited to perform at the VSA festival in Los Angeles in May this year.

Around 850,000 physically and mentally handicapped persons will welcome their counterparts from all over the world, at the five day festival, after which Sri Lanka will be treated to a performance in June. And may the flowers blossom forth more beautiful than ever.

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