News
The Ballet School of Colombo making history in Sri Lanka

Text and pictures by PRIYAN DE SILVA
‘The Ballet School of Colombo’ the first Sri Lankan Dance establishment to be affiliated to the Commonwealth Society of Teachersof Dancing conducted its inaugural examinations in the fields ofClassical and Jazz Ballet on the 7th of August.
Thirty six students ranging from the ages of 5 to 34 presented themselves for the exam which was conducted online. They were the firstbatch of Sri Lankan students who took the test from CSTD syllabus.
After Covid19 pandemic changed the way of life, The Colombo Ballet School took the initiative to conduct lessons online afterwhich the final grooming for the examination was done in person adhering to current health regulations.
The Colombo Ballet School has a rich history as It was the ‘Oosha Garten of Ballet’ pioneered by the late Kalasuri OoshaSaravanamuttu-Wijesinghe that was instituted as the ‘The Ballet School of Colombo’ in 2016.
The present Directors of the school are TaraCooke and Romina Gyi.
The Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing with its origins dating back to 1933 occupies a unique position amongst the dancesocieties of the world, The Society is an authoritative examining body whose high standards are internationally respected.
All grades of examinations for amateur and professional dancers are conducted underseparate syllabi for: ‧ Classical Ballet ‧ Theatrical (Stage) Dance ‧ Tap Dance ‧ ModernJazz ‧ Contemporary.
With the CSTD syllabus, students can start with the Foundation level exams and progress to a Teachers Diploma in all the above mentioneddance disciplines and enjoy the opportunities of competing and participating at international dance festivals and programs.
“Having this unique affiliation to an International Examination body gives us the ability to further train our students to be on par with international standards and provide them with fantastic opportunities to not only take part in exams but also APCA and Global competitions that propel them to be the best they can be. Healthy competition is good motivation, especially during times like these where children and adults alike spend more time in front of computers and devices andslowly descend in to a sedentary lifestyle.
We see a significant change in the students who did the exams this time. They are moreconfident, outspoken and active and is very receptive to improving themselves further” said the directors of The Ballet School TaraCooke and Romina Gyi after the examination was concluded.
The Ballet School of Colombo will continue to train students for exams in the hope of encouraging and motivating them to pursue thiscenturies old dance style that is practiced the world over and celebrated for its precision technique and grace.
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“Improve the quality of infrastructure and services provided to tourists visiting the country.” – President

President Anura Kumara Disanayake emphasized the necessity of providing high-quality infrastructure and services for tourists visiting Sri Lanka, as the country has gained significant international recognition as an attractive tourist destination.
Accordingly, the President instructed officials to pay special attention to this matter and take necessary actions.
President Disanayake issued these instructions during a discussion held today (17) at the Presidential Secretariat with officials from the Ministry of Tourism.
During the discussion, officials briefed the President on the budgetary allocations designated for the Ministry of Tourism and the projects being implemented under those funds.
With the tourism sector taking a new step forward, Sri Lanka aims to attract three million tourists this year. The discussion also extensively covered the utilization of these budgetary allocations for the development of essential infrastructure to support this goal.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Foreign Employment Vijitha Herath, Deputy Minister of Tourism Dr. Ruwan Ranasinghe, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Aruni Ranaraja, along with a group of senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, attended this discussion.
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French Navy Ship PROVENCE arrives in Port of Colombo

The French Navy Ship PROVENCE arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on Sunday (16 Mar 25) morning.
She was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with the time-honoured naval traditions.
The 142.20m long Destroyer is Commanded by Captain Lionel SIEGFRIED and manned by a crew of 160 members.
During the stay in the island, crew members of PROVENCE will visit some tourist hotspots in the country and the ship is scheduled to depart the island on 20 Mar.
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