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.