• Exploring how dance shapes our culture with the Chitrasena School of Dance

Dance has always been a way of expression. Throughout the ages Sri Lanka has witnessed countless dance traditions such as Kandyan dances, Barathanatayam and low country dance. 

“Traditional dance is a living art form and its meaningful evolution matters deeply to us,” Creative Director at the Chitrasena School of Dance , Heshma Wignaraja, told The Daily Morning Brunch. 

In order to showcase their passion for dance and the traditional arts, the Chitrasena School of Dance will be presenting ‘Parampara;’ a showcasing of footage following the lives and performances of female dancers in Sri Lanka. 

A passion for movement 

Kandyan dance has always been a large part of Sri Lanka’s history and culture. The passion for dance is what made the students such as Wignaraja pursue dance throughout their lives. 

“Kandyan dance here isn’t treated as something symbolic or decorative,” she said. “It’s not about grades or competitions. It’s something that you live inside and slowly understand over time.” 

Wignaraja noted that her learning the true meaning behind traditional dance teaches one patience and humility while also giving joy and a sense of achievement to anyone with the right discipline to learn it. 

Discipline and training

The discipline required to master Kandyan dance is rigorous, often beginning at a young age. Training focuses on posture, footwork, rhythm and stamina, with repetition playing a central role in the learning process. For many practitioners, progress is measured internally rather than through external validation.

“Your body has to stay tuned, constantly learning, connected to the rhythm, space, community and the world around you,” she said. 

Wignaraja explained that this long-term engagement with movement allows dancers to develop a deeper understanding of the form. Over time, technique becomes instinctive, allowing performers to focus on expression and interpretation rather than mechanics.

Documenting process

Parampara documents this process by following three generations of female dancers through different stages of training and performance. The footage captures rehearsals, performances and moments of transition, offering a glimpse into how dancers negotiate continuity and change within traditional frameworks.

“For some of us art isn’t separate from life,” she said. “It’s how we understand and make sense of living.” 

The project prioritises process over outcome. Rather than focusing solely on staged performances, it records preparation and repetition, highlighting the sustained effort that underpins public presentation.

Dance training in Sri Lanka is largely transmitted through observation and imitation. Teachers demonstrate movements, which students repeat and refine over time. Written notation plays a limited role, placing emphasis on physical memory and sustained practice.

This method of instruction reinforces continuity within the form, allowing knowledge to be passed down through direct engagement. Parampara reflects this generational exchange by documenting interactions between teachers and students.

“Audiences can expect a layered, honest work that moves between past and present as well as from memory and experience,” she said. 

Women in practice

By focusing on female dancers, Parampara presents experiences that are often less visible within traditional performance histories. The presentation includes perspectives on training, performance, and professional commitment without consolidating them into a singular narrative.

The dancers featured represent different stages of practice, from students to experienced performers. Their inclusion reflects variation rather than hierarchy, allowing individual trajectories to remain distinct.

Continuity and change

Despite changes in context, the foundational structures of training remain largely unchanged. Instruction continues to rely on in-person mentorship and long-term engagement.

Parampara does not seek to redefine tradition but examines how it is maintained. By focusing on everyday practice and lived experience, the presentation situates dance within ongoing cultural processes rather than framing it as a fixed historical form.

“Arts Festivals like Colomboscope remind us that these forms aren’t frozen or stuck in the past,” she said. “They’re still alive and responding to the world around us.” 

Future plans 

When asked about her hopes and plans for the future, Wignaraja said her focus remains on working in ways that are grounded in existing practice. This includes continued engagement with the Academy’s archives and rituals, as well as maintaining close attention to practitioners and the conditions in which they work.

“I hope to keep working in ways that feel grounded, returning to our archives, our rituals, and staying true to our practice and practitioners,” she said.

She noted that revisiting these foundations provides clarity about what distinguishes the Academy’s work, while remaining attentive to the contemporary moment in which it operates. According to Wignaraja, this balance informs how new projects are developed and contextualised.

She also emphasised the importance of creating spaces where dancers are able to slow down and engage deeply with repetition and process. 

“I want to keep creating spaces and opportunities where dancers can slow down, repeat, listen deeply, and find meaning in the process, not just the end result,” she said.

Wignaraja added that her approach to dance is shaped by teachings that view artistic practice and everyday life as interconnected. As long as this relationship continues to guide the work, she said, the practice will continue to develop over time.

Parampara will take place on the 29 January at the Kamatha theatre at BMICH from 3 to 4.30 p.m. and 7 to 8.30 p.m.