Sri Lankan dances to be performed by Indian girls

by Lakmal WELABADA

The fame and popularity that traditional Indian dancing be it, Bharatha Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Kuchchipudi, or the contemporary Indian film dance has gained with Sri Lankans is just tremendous. However, sometime it’s a misfortune that we, Sri Lankans have given less priority in popularising our own traditional dances with international audience.

Visha de Silva, veteran traditional dancing Guru in Sri Lanka who has nearly 30 years of experience as a dance teacher has seized the opportunity to mark the history of Lankan traditional dance by accepting to display a ravishing Lankan dance item before an International dance enthusiastic audience in New Delhi. Titled as the `International Children’s Festival of Performing Art 2008’ is organised by Ryan International Schools of India for the end of November.

The special feature of this forthcoming event is that the Lankan dance item will be performed by Indian dancers. Visha will be training 300 Indian girls of the age of 14-16 years for the opening ceremony of the event. This is the ninth consequent year for this grand event which has carries the theme of `World Peace’, and also with an intention to render a cultural exposure to the children of the world. Children’s dance troops from 28 countries of many parts of the world including Asia and Europe have been taking part in this.

“I have been taking part in this series of session for the past eight years since the beginning, representing Sri Lanka,” says Visha. “All these years, they had their own Indian dances as the opening ceremony, and it’s a great pleasure to acquire such an opportunity to perform Sri Lankan dances this time. I hope to add traditional Lankan dance forms like `Lee Keli’, `Raban’ (drumming) and Harvest dancing (such as `Kulu’) to the traditional Lankan drum beat for the opening session. Indians love our traditional dances and we have been getting tremendous ovations at this event throughout the past eight years. However, it will be a challenge for me as I’m going to train the Indian girls for this session. I hope they will pick up the steps and give an exquisite performance of the traditional Lankan dances,” says Visha.