Breaking the Karmic Cycle

A retellinglli of fh the earlyl lif life off theh B Buddhaddh toldld i in contemporary and ballet dance form

On June 4, Nilan Maligaspe and his troupe of dancers from the Arpeggio Creative Dance Academy will return to a familiar stage, but on a different footing. The academy will present “Breaking the Karmic Cycle”, a retelling of the early life of the Buddha told in contemporary and ballet dance form.

For Maligaspe, who embarks on the 22nd year of his career as the academy’s founder and chief creative visionary, this is an opportunity to explore a very well-known story through the dance form. “I don’t think I’ve seen a production of this story using a classical western dance form like ballet,” he tells us over a short interview, before rushing to a rehearsal. “Come to think of it it’s unusual for this story to be told on stage, even using traditional dance techniques.”

Does it have something to do with the religious aspect of the story? Maligaspe thinks it might have more to do with its familiarity. “Most of us already know the story-at least the bare bones of it,” he says. “But just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean we know it well. I’d like for children to watch this especially, at least for a different perspective.”

Arpeggio will explore the story from the events leading up to Prince Siddhartha’s denouncement of the material life up to his return to the palace as the Buddha, and his son Prince Rahula choosing to become ordained as a monk. Maligaspe is far more interested in telling the story of Prince Siddhartha’s wife, Princess Yashodhara. “As artists we haven’t explored the depth of emotion there,” he says. “For a woman of Yashodhara’s status to go through life with a young son on her own, and then have her son leave her too; there’s a story there, and we’re interested in telling it.”

His chief dancers Pradeep Gunaratne and Chathuri Perera will take on the two lead roles, and as ever the expanding troupe of Arpeggio will take on various other roles. Maligaspe mentions in particular a troupe of dancers from Berawas College in Ampitiya; he has been on a continued mission to introduce contemporary dance and classical ballet to schools around the country. Other dancers from children’s centressome of whom have trained with him for almost five years-will also take part in the show. “Breaking the Karmic Cycle” will go on the boards of the Lionel Wendt at 7pm on 4 June. Tickets priced at 500, 750, 1000, 1500 are available at the venue.