A rare blend of dance and medicine

By R.S. Karunaratne

There are medical men who dabble in journalism, play various musical instruments, act in films and write poetry. However, we rarely come across a doctor who has taken to classical dancing in a big way.

Dr. Udumbara Sevwandi Kumari is a unique personality. She works as a doctor at the Paediatric Cardiology Unit, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo. She is also a Visharad in Bhartha Natyam. She received her Visharad degree from Bhathkanda Sangeeth Vidyapith, Lucknow, India recently.

Dr. Sevwandi Kumari received her primary education at Welimada Primary School. Even in her childhood she showed extraordinary talents in dancing. She always participated in school concerts and cultural shows.Having passed the Grade Five Scholarship Examination with flying colours, she was admitted to Welimada Central College where she completed her secondary education.

Awards

A brilliant student she carried away many awards at the annual prize-givings regularly. She won the first place in the all island poetry competition, essay writing and lyrics. She excelled in Sinhala and English. One of her songs was selected as the theme song for the National Heroes' Day ceremony organised by the Cultural Department in 1997.

As a student of Welimada Central College she won the first place in song writing continuously for five years. She also won the all-island music and drama competitions. In 2004 she received two awards for her lyrics composed for a children's song and musical drama in an all island competition.

As a creative writer she won an award for the best English poem in a competition organised by the Canadian International of Toronto in 1996. She received the first place in an essay writing competition organised to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Independence in Sri Lanka in 1998. She also won the first places for oratory and recitation competitions held in the English medium and represented her school in national competitions.

Exam success

Having passed the GCE Ordinary Level examination with distinctions in all subjects she later passed the GCE Advanced Level examination in the Bio-science stream creditably. Then she gained admission to the University of Ruhuna.

During her university days she participated in cultural shows as a dancer. She won the first place for dancing, song writing and poetry at the Sithum Siyawel cultural show organised by the Faculty of Medicine, Karapitiya.

In 2007 she joined Mirenda Hemalatha's Kala Ashramaya and learnt Bharatha Natyam. As a student she participated in many dance programs such as Narthana Rekha, Nruthyanjali and Chalana Mudrava. She also choreographed dance items for the annual academic sessions of the Galle Medical Association in 2009 and 2010.

As a university student she won the Gold medal for 400 metre event in inter-batch sports meet of the University of Ruhuna. She was also an active member of the Students' Union and the Art Circle of the Faculty of Medicine.

She earned her MBBS degree in 2012 and in the same year completed her Visharad Final Examination in Bharatha Natyam. She is perhaps the first Sri Lankan to have a medical degree and Visharad degree in Bharatha Natyam. She also learnt Latin American and Ballroom dancing during her university career. She holds a Bronze medal in ballroom dancing. She has also learnt Kathak and Kandyan dances.

A doctor at the Paediatric Cardiology Unit, Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo, she uses dance therapy for children suffering from Down's Syndrome in association with Dr Miranda Hemalatha and Consultant Paediatrician Prof Manouri Senanayake.

Dr. Udumbara Sevwandi Kumari is the daughter of Herath Bandara M. Chandrarathne and the late Mrs Chitra Malyani.