Nalin Maligaspe and his Creative Dance and Drama Academy students performed at the International Yoga Festival in India held from 21-27 June

Nilan Maligaspe receiving a token of appreciation in the presence of Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre President Ven. Bhikkhu Sanghasena at the International Yoga Festival in India

Maligaspe being appreciated for his work, after his students performed in Punjab, India in 2022 at programmes for International Day of Persons with Disabilities

• Dancer Nilan Maligaspe on keeping craftsmanship within the family and the resulting threat of extinction

Nalin Maligaspe is a dancer and choreographer as well as the founder of the Creative Dance and Drama Academy. He recently took Sri Lankan talent and traditional dance with yoga to India, participating in the International Yoga Festival held at the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC) in Ladhak, India.

The festival took place from 21-27 June, and Maligaspe said they performed several times and received positive feedback. In addition to receiving a token of appreciation in the presence of MIMC President Ven. Bhikkhu Sanghasena, former Lt. Governor of Puducherry Dr. Kiran Bedi, who participated in the event, thanked Maligaspe and his troupe, commending their performance. “It was so steady, so spiritual, so calming, and so entertaining.”

Also participating in the yoga festival was former Director of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation Dr. D.R. Karthikeyan, who said: “We saw your performance, and it was beautiful… Both programmes that I saw were amazing – very gracious, and very powerful.”

Prior to leaving for India, Maligaspe spoke to The Daily Morning about his work, concerns about the continuance of traditional crafts, and what must be done to save them from extinction.

Tell us about yourself.

I am not a traditional dancer, and I don’t come from a family of dancers, but one of my relatives was interested in dancing, and it was seeing her dance that drew me to this field. I was mainly interested in acting, however, and won all-island awards for miming. And so despite liking dancing, I entered the arts through acting.

I trained under people like dramatist Dr. Salaman Fonseka and filmmaker Nishantha De Alwis as well as at Disidasuna, where I learned about filmmaking, scriptwriting, lighting, and filming. These three places nurtured me, but at the time, there was a perception that an actor must look a certain way: doll-like, with curly hair. Thus, regardless of your efforts, you didn’t get any publicity if you didn’t fit this description.

Realising that this wasn’t a conducive environment for me as an actor, I looked at how I could develop my dancing skills. I had emerged as a dancer in the acting classes I attended, so I changed direction and decided to go forth in dancing.

I started with disco and was drawn to it by my father’s friend who, when I was a child, set a record by dancing for seven days straight. When I was just eight years old, I started disco and breakdancing. I eventually got the opportunity to practice other Western dances, like ballet and rock and roll. Through a friend, I got to know an American master named George, who added some stability to my work. While studying dancing, I was introduced to the film industry.

I later met Shashi Wijendra, a former actor. I stayed at his house and would train him during our free time. This was at the height of his career and he would take me to various filming locations, where I met many of the best actors and filmmakers and was greatly influenced. Having come from a very small place, I was able to associate with many great actors during the height of their careers.

In the meantime, I started working at M.D. Gunasena and Lake House Bookshop, where I got to meet several authors and artists. This led to the opportunity to be a dance director for a stage play, through which I was connected with actor Deeman Hettiarachchi, who I consider a guru in my acting career.

How did you move towards ballet?

I continued my work in stage plays, teledramas, and film, and later got drawn to ballet. Despite having studied ballet, no one really brought it out in me. Wanting to put up my own ballet production, I inquired about the music and was quoted a large amount, which I didn’t expect. I didn’t have much knowledge about making music for a ballet production, which is usually performed live.

I then met Soma Wijesekera, a writer and dance tutor, who was at the time doing the Sigiri Apsara classical ballet, and asked if I would like to work with her. This kick-started my ballet career, and she suggested I do something by myself. So I produced my own ballet, Kadatholu Nimeshaya, in 1998. At the time, Sri Lanka had a good audience for ballet, which is the equivalent of what opera is to music.

Kadatholu Nimeshaya became a finalist in the State Ballet Festival, but we were required to make our own music for it, which we couldn’t do. I made a request for the use of a compilation of music from other ballets, which isn’t easy, but we were able to get it done. We placed alongside some of the greatest names in the industry, like Basil Mihiripenna and Soma Wijesekera. Eight ballets were selected for the final round, and I got recognised for modern ballet.

Until that point, most ballets in Sri Lanka were about kings or history. Mine was a novel concept, and everyone spoke about it. Someone on the panel of judges, who I didn’t know but had a very calm and elderly appearance, approached me and asked if I would like to work with him. I didn’t feel comfortable asking his name, but I said yes. Later I learnt that he was Shesha Palihakkara. I told him I practice in a Maligawatte, and he came by a few times and taught me everything from techniques to movement as well as the different types of ballet.

I continued with ballet, winning several awards, and also did breakdancing and miming. Later, I met Prof. Asoka de Zoysa and worked on some of his scripts. He played a role in changing me and I received a good training given his vast knowledge.

I also got the opportunity to work on Navarathna Gamage’s Panamure Kunchanada, as well as Sagara Wijesinghe’s Tharana Sigiri.

What went into starting your own academy?

I opened the academy with four students. More than earning money, I have always wanted to help children who are limited in their work and unable to go forward, just like I would have been if I had not received the support I did. I select talented students and train them for free. Whatever we do collect in the form of fees goes into the studies of those at the academy.

It makes me happy to work with these kids, and today, my students are trainers themselves, both in Sri Lanka and overseas. I used to work on various TV programmes but felt they were too commercialised.

If one of my students goes to university and can receive credit for the work they have done on one of my productions or if a certification from me helps them, there is value in that. This cannot be achieved by dancing to some song on TV or at a show. It must fall within a recognised category. Thus despite getting invitations to work on films, teledramas, and music videos, regardless of the pay, I accept very few projects.

You have performed overseas. Tell us about these opportunities.

I got the opportunity to visit the Attakkalari India Biennial and the Natya Ballet Centre, where I met Janet Lilly, a professor of dance from North Carolina, US, as well as Kamalan, a trainer from Laos. They taught me a lot, and India has gone on to play an important role in my life, as the country has given me the opportunity to meet trainers from various regions, especially Europe.

Institutions like the Indian High Commission, Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, India Sri Lanka Foundation, Goethe-Institut, and Alliance Française have played a significant role in my career, and so have individuals and organisations from countries like India, Malaysia, Nepal, and Italy. Locally, Sudarshi – Institute of Sinhala Culture, Tower Hall Theatre Foundation, and the Cultural Affairs Ministry have helped me a lot.

You work with both modern and traditional dance styles. What do you think about the state of traditional crafts and the arts today?

In the past, a lot of big productions were done, especially at a university level, but now, there is a drop in this and very few creations are being put up. What has happened in Sri Lanka is that certain traditional crafts that are passed down the generations and kept within the family are getting wiped out either because there is no one to take them forward or because people modernise these crafts to the point of destruction.

I believe all parties must come together to protect our crafts. Sri Lanka is a place that has a lot of tourism potential. If we, for example, have someone going to Anuradhapura or Dambulla, we should have an arts centre they can visit in the evening. Artists are very poor. A dancer may perform in a “perahara” and earn a bit of money and that would be it. We have talented dancers who come from a long line of dancers who still suffer this fate today. We can sustain our artists through tourism. In ancient cities, we can have a rotation of performers from nearby villages.

Subjects like ballet should be started along with our traditional dances in school. The reason is that there is a framework for various dance styles. Ballet can be used to take our stories through local productions to the world. India does this. Bangladesh and Nepal do this. In these countries, traditional dance is at another level, and they do not beat down the traditional craft.

With proper educational programmes, which should be prioritised over commercialised, shallow programmes, children can be directed towards the right path in life, without leaving room for deviations. Their critical thinking and concentration capabilities can be increased.

Everyone has a responsibility in this. Senior dance teachers have a responsibility. The Government has a responsibility. There must be an organised effort to ensure the protection of our artists, teachers, and students.

If only those responsible or in authority would think to promote something of value, but what has happened is that we are screaming from locked houses. There is no way to get our voices out. We have no platform.

You spoke about protecting traditional crafts. How important is it to pass these on to future generations?

There are some dancers who only perform at processions, even abroad, keeping to tradition, but their children are in completely different careers. This means that the craft, if it was to be passed down from generation to generation only, would go extinct.

I think this is wrong. It’s not about passing it from one generation to another but having a passion for the craft. If my kin don’t have a calling for this craft, I need to pass this craft down to those who have a passion for it.

Ancestry is not about being related by blood but having a strong connection. A dancer may have 20-plus relatives, but if none of them can dance, how does that craft get passed on? Isn’t it a waste of a craft that was passed down by ancestors? I think your craft should be taught to your best students.

When practising for a show, I study the steps and do my research, but imagine if the craft goes to someone who doesn’t do this. With crafts being passed down generations and teachers keeping knowledge from students (“guru mushtiya”), the dance craft will go extinct.