Maligaspe reflects on 31 years of dance in retrospect

For Nilan Maligaspe, arts was his first choice of preference since his childhood. Having tried and tested various art forms, from dancing to choreography, photography and even costume designing, Maligaspe underscores the need to add a touch of Sri Lankanness, each time he curates a performance. Over the course of three decades, he has not only inspired the younger generation to explore dance, drama and other forms of art but he has also made a change in conventional dance styles. This is Nilan’s story. 

Humble beginnings

Nilan had first seen a dancer at the tender age of eight. He recalls how a boy from Jaffna had come to Grandpass, Colombo and was dancing for seven days at a stretch to break a world record. “I watched his performance in amusement and I told about this to my father. This was perhaps my first inspiration to step into the world of dance,” he said in an interview with Daily Mirror Life. But he also had a cousin sister who was involved in Kandyan dancing and would escort him for various dance festivals when he would come to Colombo. 

Having grown up in his maternal hometown in Warakapola, Nilan lived in an environment that supported his developing passion towards dancing and other forms of art. Around the time he was sitting for his O/Ls he decided to contest at dancing and drama competitions because back then youth centres became a popular concept and there were various branches at rural level. However, he had no idea of becoming a dancing teacher later in life although he had an interest towards teaching. 

Exploring the world of dance

Nilan was keen to explore all aspects of any kind of art form, be it dance, modeling and acting. He was involved when break dance was first introduced to Sri Lanka. Subsequently, Nilan was introduced to Dr. Salaman Fonseka, a mentor to many actors and actresses in the country. “I studied under him for about a year and during this period he taught me the relationship between dancing and acting. I studied in three different classes and was exposed to a diverse range of subjects. I then got to know Malcolm from USA and we learned about modern dancing styles and modern ballet,” he recalled.

Nilan had the opportunity to observe Kandyan dancing while in the proximity of his house. This was because the dancing class conducted by a popular Kandyan dance teacher was a few blocks away from Nilan’s house. “His son was a good friend of mine. So during my free time I would go to the kalayathanaya (Sinhala term for a dance class) and watch other students practice. I couldn’t afford to pay for the class. But when I told Ranganatha sir about my difficulties he asked me to come and practice and that he doesn’t need money. But by this time he knew that I was into Western dance. At one point he encouraged me to do something new because I already had the knowledge about both western and local dance styles,” he recalled. Nilan had a dream to wear the Ves kit but he knew that it was a distant dream which he didn’t give up.  

Once he came to Colombo he had the opportunity to learn low country dancing under his guru Vidyarathne. Both of his dance gurus are no more. For Nilan, dancing was a kind of stress reliever but there were certain things that had to be corrected. One of them were the ethics of a dancer. “I realized that many people who got involved in dancing eventually ended up with other vices and went on a journey of self destruction. He was therefore determined to change people’s perceptions about dancers. 

“By this time conventional ballet was a trending dance form in the country and there was a different crowd for it. This was introduced through dance drama under the influence of veterans such as Chitrasena and Epitawela”.

Nilan slowly started shifting his focus towards ballet and somewhere around 1991 he was invited to perform in two ballets ‘Vijjulatha’ and ‘Seegiri Kassapa’ choreographed by veteran dance teacher Soma Wijesekara. The following year, she encouraged Nilan to do something of his own. 

“By this time conventional ballet was a trending dance form in the country and there was a different crowd for it. This was introduced through dance drama under the influence of veterans such as Chitrasena and Epitawela. Ballet is different from country to country. With that in mind I started going for ballet festivals. The following year I performed a ballet titled ‘Kadatholu Nimeshaya’ and by this time there were veteran directors who contested at the ballet festival. I was an amateur at the time and the ballet I performed was shortlisted as one among the four finalists. I grabbed the award for the Best Set Design, Award for Innovative Costumes and it was a topic that went beyond tales about kings and royalty,” he added. 

Many veterans at the time envisioned Nilan making a mark in the dance landscape in Sri Lanka. He further developed his skills under veterans such as Shesha Palihakkara and international dance teachers under whom he learned the art of classical ballet. Nilan subsequently incorporated a fusion dance style into ballet and dance drama. “People love to see our culture through conventional dance styles, and that’s what I like to do on stage,” Nilan further said. 

Birth of Nilan Creative Dance and Drama Academy 

Around 1994, Nilan initiated his own academy – Nilan Creative Dance and Drama Academy (NCDDA) with a vision to groom the next generation of talent. His students pursue lessons free of charge and auditions are open every six months. “I’ve groomed many students over the course of these years. I’ve also introduced an emotional dance style for deaf children since 2003 in addition to a fusion ballet style for Sinhala classical songs,” he explained. 

Over the past three decades, since the inception of his Academy, Nilan has choreographed many ballet performances from ‘Mata Ma Da Ahimiva Etha’ to ‘Ruhiru Pathana Kirula’, ‘Solace in Stone’, ‘Sudu Paraviyo’, ‘Vijaya and Kuveni’, ‘Black, White and Red’, ‘Seven Disasters’, ‘Sidurukala Piyapath’ among others. He has travelled to many countries including India, Nepal, Italy and Malaysia.

He also conducts body and mind relaxation programmes through dance and music. These programmes are being conducted in schools, private and public sector offices. Reflecting on the journey he had come thus far, Nilan said that he’s proud about where he is today. “With all sacrifices, dedication and effort I’ve achieved many milestones in my career as a dancer. When I get new students to my class I always tell them to have the interest and passion for dancing. Prior to teaching them the nitty gritty of dancing I teach them social skills, how to present themselves in society, the importance of understanding emotions and so on. They can develop skills later on,” he added.

Nilan has never forgotten those who have supported him along the way. “I remember everybody who helped from day one. Their blessings encouraged me to come this far,” he said. 

The latest production 

The students at NCDDA staged their latest performance ‘Mount Loveena Love Story’ at the Lionel Wendt on Wednesday (18). The idea was suggested by Nilan’s music master Sanjeewa Paranamana who passed away recently. This historic love story was brought to life marking another milestone in Nilan’s career. He thanked parents for their support and also mentioned sponsors who have helped him over the years. 

Even though he has reached a pinnacle of his career, Nilan believes that there’s much more to learn and that his journey is a work in progress. “I tell my students to have targets but not dreams. I wore the Ves kit when I was 49 or 50 but I had a target that I would wear it one day. I don’t consider myself a perfect dancer but I make sure I practice everyday,” he said in his concluding remarks.