THALAMPATA: WHAT IT MEANS
Akila Palipana presented Pata Thalam at this year’s Colombo Dance Platform, choreographing his dance around the thalampata, and built his performance around the hand movement and grip used to hold the instrument and its cultural symbolism.
A dancer and assistant teacher at the Chitrasena Dance Company, Akila, 25, hails from a traditional Kandyan dance background, which he has studied since the age of eight. He knew he wanted to dance from a young age, choosing it as a subject for his A’Ls and as a component of his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kelaniya. In his third year at university he won in the Creative Dancer category of the university level ‘Kavitha’ competition, and says that’s when he knew he loved choreography and wanted to dedicate his future to dance. “It was through this competition that I came into my own identity,” he says.
Following graduation he auditioned successfully for the Chitrasena Dance Company and in a whirlwind three months rose quickly to take part in a show, a privilege rarely afforded to a newcomer. It was through the academy that he took part in the Colombo Dance Platform as well. Akila didn’t make it through round one at first- “I hadn’t understood the concept of Transforming Bodies fully” he says but persevered, attending workshops until he was chosen by the panel.
At present completing his Masters degree in dance, and busy with his full time job at the Chitrasena company, on Tuesdays he conducts lessons at his own fledgling practice called ‘Alankara Narthana Asapuwa’. He is passionate about what he does, and how he does it, and wants to learn as much as he can from his peers and seniors. “I see myself doing this for some time to come,” he enthuses.
The Colombo Dance Platform was Eva’s first official outing with the Sri Lankan public as a dancer, and dancer alone. While she took part in the Live Art segment at the Colombo Art Biennale, Eva, who grew up in Germany, performed as an individual artist in an official dance platform for the first time at CDP. Her piece The Body is Present engaged with the notion of expectation. “I was interested in the actions of the audience,” she shares. “My performance explored space, and asked the question ‘how does the body feel’?” She is happy with the reception she received-“people were very curious and open to the new concepts and ideas at the Colombo Dance Platform.”