Traditional Dancer

Kandyan wes dancer

Pahatharata dancer 

Sambaragamuwa dancer

Kandyan, Pahathara and Sambaragamuwa dancers 

Dancing performance from Malayasian 

Udarata wes pooja dance

Sabaragamuwa Dance

Sabaragamuwa Dance

Much like the pahatharata natum (low country dances) of the coastal region and the udarata natum (up country or Kandyan dances) of the hill country, the Sabaragamuwa dance tradition is thus named because it originated in the Sabaragamuwa Province. The Sabaragamuwa dances, however, don’t get as much recognition as the up country or low country dances.

According to Yohan Punchinilame, a lecturer of the Department of Sabaragamuwa dance at the University of Visual and Performing Arts in Colombo, there are four territorial divisions in terms of Sabaragamuwa dance; namely that of the Ratnapura, Kalawana, Balangoda, and Badulla divisions. Each area has a slightly different version of the ritualistic dances that make up the Sabaragamuwa tradition of dance, but Ratnapura has been historically celebrated as the heart of Sabaragamuwa dance in Sri Lanka.

“While the district of Kegalle now falls under the Sabaragamuwa province, during the olden days of the kings, Kegalle was a part of the Kandyan Kingdom. This is why even today the people of this area still widely practise Kandyan dance and the rituals that are a part of this tradition of dance,” stated Punchinilame.

Costumes, Movement, and Rhythm in Sabaragamuwa Dances

The dawul beraya is the drum used in accompaniment to the Sabaragamuwa dances. Image courtesy lanka.com

As Punchinilame noted, the manner in which the Sabaragamuwa dancers position themselves and move when these dances are performed is a distinct factor of this dance form. The dancers never raise their hands above their heads; instead, their arms are extended backward at an angle to their bodies. On the other hand, the mandiya is a commonly used position in this dance form, like in the Kandyan and low country.

Pahatharata Dance

Pahatharata Dance

Shanthikarma
Three different types of rituals (shanthikarma) can be found in the Low Country tradition of dance—the madu shanthikarma, bali shanthikarma and thovil shanthikarma. The madu shanthikarma are performed to venerate the gods—of these rituals the gammaduwa, a ritual devoted to the Goddess Pattini, is the most famous. The bali shanthikarma are rituals which are performed to ward off  the negative effects on people’s lives, caused by planetary movements (graha apala). On the other hand, thovil shanthikarma rituals are performed to ward off demons and evil spirits from an individual or place.

Three different types of rituals (shanthikarma) can be found in the Low Country tradition of dance—the madu shanthikarma, bali shanthikarma and thovil shanthikarma. The madu shanthikarma are performed to venerate the gods—of these rituals the gammaduwa, a ritual devoted to the Goddess Pattini, is the most famous. The bali shanthikarma are rituals which are performed to ward off  the negative effects on people’s lives, caused by planetary movements (graha apala). On the other hand, thovil shanthikarma rituals are performed to ward off demons and evil spirits from an individual or place.

Dances in Sri Lanka states that of the thovil shanthikarma, the daha ata sanniya is the most famous. These are exorcist ritual performances, and each sanni depicts an incurable disease or ailment, and a different mask is worn by the dancers to represent each one. According to beliefs found in the Pre-Buddhist folk religion of Sri Lanka, these ailments are said to be the work of sanni yakku (devils) and can only be healed by invoking the devil responsible for each ailment and appeasing it with offerings. The different masks of the daha ata sanniya are carved out of wood and depict the craftsman’s visual conception of each ailment. For example, kana sanniya (blindness) is represented by a mask that has an expressionless face with vacant eyes.

The Kandyan Dance

The Kandyan Dance

 

The Kandyan, or up-country (udarata natum), dances, are regarded as the classical dance tradition of Sri Lanka. Kandyan dancers are traditionally performed only by male dancers. The technique, partly derived from South India, focuses on dynamism, powerful footwork, leaps and whirls. It has a vast repertoire, partly originating from an ancient indigenous ritual dance, partly influenced by South Indian dances.                      

The history

It is generally agreed that the roots of Kandyandances lie in an ancient village ritual, called kohomba kankariya. It has been an important folk ritual of the regions of the Kandyan kingdom. It combined dance, music and dance

Like most of the birth legends of Sri Lankan theatrical traditions, the story of the origins of kohomba kankariya also tells us about the intervention of supernatural beings to cure a king. The original ritual is rare nowadays, but some of its dances are included in the repertoire of Kandyan dances.

The South Indian form, and particularly the influential form of Kerala (read more about the traditions of Kerala), is said to have arrived during the early 18th century, when the King of Kandy invited dancers and musicians from Kerala to his court.

Hishi 2018 from Malayasian 

In 1916 the Kandyan dances were added to the annual Perahera procession of the holy Tooth Relic. Thus Kandyan dances were performed outside the court and temple context for the first time.