Sandika Madushan

Presenting The Stars...

TAST night was presentation night for the Oriental "star" artistes got together by Mr. Daya Hewavitarne at the Town Hall, Colombo. Nearly every aspect of Oriental dance, music and song, except Sinhalese folk-songs was represented. (What has happened to our carters and harvesters' songs by the way?-they were such a craze- some years ago).

Those who missed Premila in her Manipuri item some weeks ago had another opportunity of seeing this talented dancer in an exquisite performance. Last night she showed much maturity and was pleasingly effortless in her lasya movements. There was nothing outstanding about Vivienne Seneviratne's Dance of Kuveni. Ganga Nath and Rupa Lekha of the Chitrasena School combined well again-graceful and attractive-in the Lasya Nritya which roused much appreciative comment last time.

Sunil Shanti was much called for and responded with two popular songs, rendered in a cleverly modulated voice. He was obliged to bow to the call of the audience a third time at the end of the show. "Seela" put in the required pathos and feeling in her Sinhalese song which was also well received. The Bharata Music Society Orchestra, and the Y.M.B.A. Orchestra (led by Lionel Edirisinghe) embellished the programme.

The whole show was, I think, a triumph for Mr. S. P. Sakalasuriya, the stage decor, whose novel and pleasing settings heightened the performances. The Maligawa Courtyard setting for the Kandyan Ves and Pantheru dances (both well done by unnamed per- formers) was his piece de resistance, helping to capture the spirit of the Hill Capital. One question lurked in me: Have we found in Sakalasuriya another J. D. A. Perera?

М. М. Т.

15. 12.46