1938, a star is born
Both Kumudini and Paikiasothy danced too but invariably the conversation veers towards the achievements of Oosha, their mother on whom has been heaped laurels and honours. The leap into stardom came at 7 for Oosha, when her teacher, Marjorie Sample, took her students onto the Royal College stage on November 10, 1938 with ‘Dancing Display’. The programme is a revelation – while the older children did group dancing, one name pops up in solo on seven items. ‘Little Angeline’, ‘A Hornpipe with Syncopation’, ‘The Poppy’, ‘Ukelele Baby’, ‘Trepax’, ‘Rumba’ and ‘ Valse’ by seven-year-old Oosha.
There was no turning back for little Oosha. Greatness did not await her in the wings but on the main stage itself. While formally studying classical ballet she had also studied and performed contemporary dance, tap, modern dance, fusion, acrobatics and Kandyan dance and as Manique Gunesekera states: “Oosha the dancer represents an eclectic blend of all that dance has to offer in the 21st century, from classical to contemporary.” According to Manique: Oosha’s dancing career, her training, and her performances are entirely Sri Lankan and she was proud to call herself “completely made in Sri Lanka”……but she took pride in absorbing influences from the east and the west in creating dances for Sri Lankans. Her career in dance symbolized the sociopolitical changes Sri Lanka has undergone.
And her productions have included dances based on the legends of Saradiel; Rama & Sita; Saliya & Asokamala; and Vijaya & Kuveni performed to the music of Bach, Beethoven, Borodin, Bartok, Chopin and Tchaikovsky.
Her children recall ‘An Ode to Youth’ held at the Ladies College Hall in 1966 – husband Bhaskaran mooting the idea of a ballet of four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter), both Kumudini and Paikiasothy (role of spring) as well as Oosha (as the spirit of winter) herself taking part.
Drums is another production, they talk about. Designed to the rhythm of Ravibandu’s drumming, it had been very innovative – the first time Sri Lankan drumming had been combined with barefoot and pointe dancing.
Many more followed – Joie de Vivre which included The Sun Dance, Thumbelina, and Wild Swans; Les Couleurs de la Vie, Rhapsody in Blue, Les Jeunes, Adam and Eve, Les moments Musicaux, My Fair Lady, Cabriole et Entrechat, Giselle………the list seems endless.