Jazzamatazz, a show produced
and directed by Sureka Buell
founder/artistic director of
Danceworld School of Modern & Jazz Ballet, will feature contemporary, modern and jazz dances performed to well known songs inspired by Broadway, Musical Theatre and ’60s style jazz. The show is co-produced/directed by Jith Pieris, a veteran in the world of theatre.

The great jazz musicians of yester-year almost come to life, as their music accompanies entertaining ’40s and ’60s style dances that are pure jazz from the very roots of the exciting style that sets America apart from the rest of the dance and musical world.

The programme will also include amongst others strikingly beautiful dances choreographed to the songs Shadow Land and Reflection which blends the vocabulary of jazz, ballet and modern styles, performed by the senior and intermediate students.

Broadway, Musical Theatre and ’60s style jazz have been the inspiration for the choreography of three of the main items. The finale is inspired by Broadway’s dramatic style of Chicago in the 1920s. This highly energetic dance performed to Steppin’ To The Bad Side is guaranteed to have the audience jumping off their seats with contagious excitement.

In keeping with all the items, the fabulous costumes are created by Mitabi Gunawardena.

Danceworld School of Modern & Jazz Ballet was founded in September 2005. The school provides its students a comprehensive and complete jazz dance programme based on classical technique, built on ballet exercises which address line, placement and aesthetics.

 The school has grown from 10 students at its inception to 58 students at its first show last year, to over a 100 this year. However, Sureka says that she prefers to keep her school small and not overcrowd the classes to ensure a high level of performance.

She says that "it has been both challenging and exciting putting this show together within six months, with so many new students to train. They have achieved a very high standard in a short period of time through an organised and systemised programme of weekly practices.

"The programme was created to instill the choreography, develop the stamina and strength of the students while minimising the strain on both students and parents. Some of my seniors have been very supportive and their commitment and enthusiasm have been a great strength to me."

"If there is ever a motto for my school it will have two distinct words i.e. commitment and consistency."

"Damn good for the ba...rds!"

Jayantha said softly to himself as he watched the smoke. The smoke, dark and grey, rose like great furry balls from the flames that sprouted from the top of the roof of the house down the road. It fascinated him how they appeared as if conjured by magic at the tips of the flames, fully formed, huge balls of fluff. He marvelled at the sight of the balls packing on top of each other as they rose in to the evening sky, as if jostling each other in a race, albeit unhurried, to reach the sky.

He had been waiting for this moment for the last few hours. Ever since he heard that the Tamil shops and homes were under attack that morning he had wanted to see this — the house down the street on fire.

It would not have been an exaggeration to say that he had been waiting for a moment like this for the last couple of years — from the time a Tamil family had moved into that house. Every time the woman walked past dressed in her finery, head held high, eyes fixed directly in front of her without so much as acknowledging their presence, he had wanted to see some calamity befall them.

Bloody Tamils, he had told his wife who hated them equally strongly. Bloody Tamils showing off to us. They shouldn’t be here in the first place.

A few times he had seen the man at the bus stand, some files in his hand, obviously on his way to work. He had tried a few times to smile faintly with Jayantha — faintly — like someone who did not want to bother with something more substantial. Not at all like the man who mended shoes and slippers at the top of the road.

That Tamil had always smiled broadly and respectfully when Jayantha walked past even though Jayantha never gave him anything to mend. The obnoxious neighbour simply attempted to smile, without any effort. And Jayantha had always responded by looking away, feeling pleased with himself that he had given the pompous Tamil his due treatment.

And now their house was on fire, sacked by the gangs of marauding youth. Jayantha had seen them walk past, crowbars in hand, some carrying wooden chair legs obviously picked up from their previous target, laughing raucously and whistling and jeering.

He had smiled knowingly at them as they went past, instinctively closing the latch in the gate at the same time at seeing such a gang for the first time that morning. He had heard a lot about how such bands of men went on the rampage. But he had not seen any until then, having stayed home from work that morning due to a slight back pain he was having and missing all the sights and sounds of the mayhem unlike many of his friends who had rung him excitedly since morning to give news of sweeping destruction to Tamil property.

Now when they were in such close proximity he felt slightly taken aback, seeing the weapons in the hands and the fire in their eyes and even as he smiled at them he was glad that they were passing. And they had gone straight to the Tamils’ house as if they knew exactly where they were going and what they were looking for.

Within minutes he had heard the sound of glass breaking and soon the smoke had begun to rise, thin strands of grey before the big balls of fluff emerged from the flames.

He wondered where the Tamils were, the man and the woman and their son, the boy who went to school past their house with his eyes cast on the ground. Walks like a mouse but I am sure he will grow into an arrogant ba...rd like the parents, his wife had said more than once and Jayantha had nodded in agreement adding that it was young ones like that that were killing their soldiers in Jaffna. They all need to be taught a lesson he had thought.

And now as the lesson was being taught he wondered where the family actually was. He had not seen the man walk past their house that morning and he had also not seen him return from work. Perhaps he stayed home too. Perhaps, the cunning Tamils had some information that something was going to happen. But he had not heard anybody screaming or running away from the house. Did the mob kill them?

He had heard that in some places mobs threw Tamils in to burning fires. Did they do that to those Tamils too? That would be a little too much he thought. It would be taking it just a bit too far. He hoped it had not happened and that the Tamils had simply fled somewhere. Destitute and scared out of their wits, yes, but with their lives intact.

"Are you trying to get burnt? Come inside!" He heard his wife call from the front door. Jayantha smiled at his wife’s propensity for drama. How could one get burnt by a fire two hundred metres away?

"I will come in a minute", he said, glancing at her. His wife made a face and went inside the house.

Just then he heard a noise to his right. He turned and saw someone, a boy, in a pair of shorts, struggling over the side wall. As he watched in surprise the boy lost his grip and fell among some bushes at the foot of the wall, letting out a slight shriek as he fell. Then as he rose and looked at him Jayantha recognised the features of his Tamil neighbour’s son in the dusty face.

"Uncle……." The boy said in a small voice. Jayantha could now see the stains of tears smudging the dust on his cheeks. The body, bare and thin, was also covered in dust and bruises. He must have run and crawled all the way across the gardens that separated his house from mine, Jayantha surmised as he stared at the slender chest heaving violently. The boy sniffled loudly while his eyes darted around, looking out for danger.

Jayantha stood rooted to the ground unable to say or do anything. He simply could not think what he should do. This was a totally unexpected turn of events. Was the boy alone? Where were his parents? Were they climbing the wall behind him?

— Channa Wickremesekera

Vijitha Yapa Bookshop wins World Bank award

Vijitha Yapa Bookshop has been awarded the Best Overall Performance for sales in South Asia by the World Bank. 

For the first time, Sri Lanka beat other south Asian nations, including India, to achieve the best sales record for 2007. World Bank books will be on sale at the World Bank stall at the BMICH during the Colombo International Book Fair which began on September 20.

Farewell Ralf and welcome Udo

Mount Lavinia Hotel bids farewell to Director Kitchens Ralf Vogt and welcomes another German Chef, Udo Gross.

Chef Udo takes over the kitchens to continue to produce the culinary masterpieces that have become synonymous with Mount Lavinia Hotel over the last decade.

Udo was born in the quiet countryside near Frankfurt in Germany. He apprenticed in a well known family hotel where the owner was very much from the old school. He then went on to serve in the military for two years as a corporal only to return to hoteliering.

He spent four years in Switzerland honing his skills and absorbing the high standards of Switzerland.

He went onto Southern Sun Hotel in South Africa where he also learnt English. He travelled onto Syria and joined Sheraton as sous chef.

He was the youngest executive chef in the Sheraton chain at 28 years old in Abu Dhabi. The hotel boasts large state banquets, and a very popular seafood dinner, well known in the region. Chef Udo’s record of 623 covers in one night still stands. Here he received two Presidential Awards during his five years of service.

Soon after, he moved to Brisbane Sheraton, Australia for two years and received yet another Presidential Award. Udo felt homesick thereafter and returned to Germany. Five years later, he once again joined the Sheraton in Yemen. His move to Bahrain Gulf Hotel thereafter for almost six years was a highlight in his career.

He managed large banquets, nine restaurants, outdoor catering etc. He then moved onto the very similar Sheraton Doha for two years again with large banquets, five restaurants etc. His next destination was Egypt as corporate chef to transmit his experience to a local company.

Next stop was Pakistan and Avari Hotels, setting standards in hygiene and service and training the local staff in continental cuisine.

He believes in the old German saying "the guest is the king’’ and his hobbies are reading, chess and swimming.

He likes to focus on solutions and not problems. He considers himself easygoing, flexible and fair.

He helped bring Bahrain Octoberfest from 400 covers to finally 1200, the best and biggest in the Middle East. Udo also lays claim to cooking the biggest rice dish in the world in Bahrain (12.5 tonnes).

Udo is married to a Sri Lankan lady — a pastry chef who has worked overseas for 17 years.