• Capturing artists’ struggles through dance

Dance has always been about expressing emotion through movement and melody. Throughout the world, various types of dances, from classical ballet to modern hip-hop, have been about self-expression.

The Daily Morning Brunch recently took in ‘PAATA’ – a 50  minute dance-theater performance which explored our society through dance. ‘PAATA’ was staged on 18 October at the Kamatha New Theater at BMICH. The performance was brought alive by the Vibe Dance Academy and was supported by a number of cultural and hospitality partners including Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka and Alliance Française.  

A mix of East and West 

Many aspects of Sri Lanka, from its food to its language often have both Eastern as well as Western influences. Echoing this pattern, ‘PAATA’ put forward a mix of Western hip hop mixed with traditional Sri Lankan dances such as the low-country dance in order to echo the mixed cultural and social influences that this country is made up of. 

The unique display of low country dance mixed with western contemporary styles and hip hop was truly mesmerising and brought a unique take to dance that we had not seen before. This style of choreography brought to life the souls and struggles of Sri Lankans as they navigate through both Western and Eastern influences as they try to find their identity.

Props such as ropes, masks, and tables echoed the colours used in conveying these themes. ‘Paata’ is the Sinhala word for colour and the various props, costumes, and paints used in this performance showed the diversity of colour in this performance, grabbing the audience’s attention and keeping them hooked from the very first beat.

What struck us most is how they managed to incorporate traditional Sri Lankan culture and heritage into the props, especially the masks, while also retaining a modern feel with their innovative Eastern and Western dances.

A vital message 

Many of us have often grown up with artistic dreams. While artistic talents such as painting, writing, and the performance arts have often been encouraged by schools and at home, they have often been seen as an extra-curricular activity or a hobby instead of a prospective career choice. 

Many professional and aspiring dancers have had their fair share of discouragement, criticism, and dismissal when it comes to their dreams of showcasing their work on stage.

The play manages to convey the hardships that artists face through every move and expression the performers engage in. However, what is perhaps most unique and intriguing about ‘PAATA’ is that it incorporates recorded audio clips of comments that the dancers have heard in real life. 

The comments included people, including friends and loved ones, dismissing dancing as a waste of time as well as employers calling the dreams of a dancer impractical and dismissing it as a hobby or as something that isn’t lucrative. 

The performance manages to strike at our heartstrings as many of us have felt the pressure of finding a lucrative career by those around us. The play really pulls the audience in to think about how we, as a society, value the arts and our culture, and yet those who pursue the arts often get discouraged and often criticised for following their passion. It also manages to sympathise with the dancers as they face criticism, dismissal, and skepticism as they express their love for performance and dance. 

While the performance mainly consisted of a fusion of dances, it also included several spoken monologues by the performers which discussed the feelings of the dancers and the experiences they faced as they expressed their passion. This mix of theater and dance further intrigued us as an audience and helped us feel a sense of kinship with the dancers as we cheered them on. 

A hope for the future

While the mix of dance truly had us intrigued, it was the messages of hope that echoed through the performance that really made us want to watch more. A monologue that explored the journey of growing up with artistic ambitions in a home really resonated with us and was a struggle that many of us can relate to.

Meanwhile, the fact that the dancers continue to train and perform despite the criticism, was empowering and inspired each and every one of us in the audience to stay true to ourselves and follow our dreams despite the obstacles.

With its intriguing mix of modernity, colour, and cultural exploration, ‘PAATA’ presents the viewers with a journey of what it means to be an artist in Sri Lanka.