European circus fused with traditional Sri Lankan dance 

In an apparent first of its kind, fusing unique traditional Sri Lankan dance and music with European new circus, Cirque Lanka is set to present a show than will enthrall and entertain you. 

A collaboration between a group of performers and theatre personalities from the Czech Republic and the Rivega Dance Studio, Cirque Lanka is billed as an original performance combining the best traditions of Sri Lankan theatre and dance with European new circus. With over 15 performers on stage, live music, drummers, traditional masks, acrobats, aerial acrobatics and fire effects will be used to deliver the performance of a lifetime.  Having worked in North and South America, Africa, Europe and Asia the group from Czech Republic have extensive experience in this sphere. 

In an exclusive interview with Life Online, Jakub Vedral, Founder and General Director, Adam Renč, Art Director, Rangika Jeewantha, Co-Director and Petra Kejklíčková, PR Manager explain the concept behind this high adrenaline performance. 

What is this show about? 

Cirque Lanka shows a connection between our main programme parts. Lanka is obvious and cirque is from French term cirque nouveau – new or contemporary circus which is a form of new theatrical genre. It doesn’t use any animals but it is based on circus skills. Actors perform acrobatics, juggling or they perform on aerial silk. Combine it with classical theatrical acting and music and you get this fresh European type of play. 

Why did you decide to hold this event in Sri Lanka? 

Jakub spent a beautiful winter and part of spring in Sri Lanka and loved it. He was here with his family and they had a great time. 'Sri Lanka is a super place, full of life and energy; the country is fresh and quickly developing. We had a busy schedule through days but in the evenings…? Nothing much to do. It got me thinking. Coincidently I met Lukas, who is a managing director of Cirque Lanka, on a beach in S.K. Town. We know each other for ten years. But we weren’t in touch – until that sunny day on that beach. And when I came back to Prague he was of course the first person I went to.  But Sri Lanka is very popular among my friends and when I explained my plans, everybody was excited. 

Who are you collaborating with? 

We collaborate with Rivega Dance Studio. Its director Rangika Jeewantha is a co-director of our stage play. It is very important for us to create one piece with roots in both cultures. And we are happy that with Rivega Dance Studio this dream is coming true. We want to also collaborate with other local artistes and authors of local crafts. Right now we are in touch with them arranging details. 

What is the story based on? 

The story is remotely based on the Ramayana, one of the greatest stories of all times. Naturally we can't really perform story of tens of thousands of verses so we've focused on the love story of Rama and Sita. 

Why did you select this particular story to base the performance on? 

When we started all the preparations surrounding the show, we were looking for a tale, which could be universally understandable and Rama coming to Sri Lanka to liberate his beloved Sita instantly drew our attention. The story itself is deeply embodied in Sri Lankan culture, therefore needed little further explanations. 

How long is the duration of the performance and how long will the show run for? 

We play our interpretation of Ramayana story every single night from 1st December to 31st May – seven days of a week. And it is about 80 minutes long. But people can come to the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre every day from 2:00PM to our café where they can buy refreshment and tickets. 

What exciting elements are included in this show? 

From our point of view the most exciting part of the project is the co-operation with famous Rivega Dance Studio, because, frankly, their work, knowledge and class are rarely to be seen around the globe. For the Sri Lankan audience the most exciting part would be definitely so called "new circus" (cirque nouveau) bringing traditional circus acrobatics in fusion with drama. Aerial acrobatics, fire juggling, equilibristic skills of many kinds and extended performance of fire and light effects are all part of the show. I am really sorry I'm not sharing more details but our show aims to embrace the audience with wonders and surprises until the very last second. 

Why do you think school children should attend this show? 

It is a stage play for the entire family. It is targeting at right brain hemisphere and it helps to develop fantasy. There is a kid inside of everyone who works on that show. They should attend just to see with their own eyes a show of a kind that has never been in the country before. They should come to keep their eyes and hearts open and they will be rewarded with a breathtaking experience. 

What has been your experience of working with Sri Lankan artistes like? 

If there only would be a chance for me to spend more time with Sri Lankan art community! I found the Sri Lankan artists to be both, warm and open minded and also playful and very professional and Rangika Jeewantha of Rivega Dance Studio, co-director and a friend is the prince of all I've met, Prince Of The Dancers. Quite understandably we have had some challenges around the technical supplies and on other related fields but mainly due to our different cultural backgrounds - what do we expect from one another. But the artist themselves are on the worldwide professional level. 

After your run in Sri Lanka which country will you be heading off to? 

We don’t want to leave Sri Lanka and we hope this is just a beginning. Right after this season of Cirque Lanka we are going to work in Japan, Kazakhstan, England, Taiwan and of course in Czech Republic. 

What do you hope this collaboration will achieve? 

I'm quite certain this project can open much wider theatrical and cultural understanding and further collaboration of the Sri Lankan artists with the world. It may very easily be one these small steps on the journey to introduce Sri Lankan traditions worldwide, while keeping its uniqueness. Sri Lankan traditional culture is about to sprinkle the world culture with the elegance of its dancers. It is really big experience and challenge for both Czechs and Sri Lankans. But after 20 years in culture I know that if there is something what can bring together people no matter age, education, religion, opinion, its culture. It just connects people. 

How dangerous are the stunts you will be performing? 

Well, it's not easy to answer this one. I don't really consider these stunts extremely dangerous because I’m familiar how often and hard the artists train themselves. That being said, none of the stunts is 100 percent safe and aerial acrobatics, fire juggling or cirque wheel may easily end up pretty bad, but I am sure it won't happen. 

Cirque Lanka will present a daily performance from the 1st of December 2016 to 31st March 2017 at the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre at 7:30PM. For more information, please visit www.cirquelanka.com.