Know about Sri Lankan Culture

Sri Lanka is a diverse nation with individuals from diverse religions and backgrounds. The

strategic location of this country makes it perfect for business purpose and beauty of island

makes it ideal for travelers and traders. Sri Lankan people are helpful, friendly and warm with

everyone even who are not aware of their customs. They are open-minded, empathic, shy and

polite. Not just people, but Sri Lankan culture is also very rich and reflects on their activities,

food, dance and education.

Sri Lankan people are patriotic and strive to promote their culture globally. Sri Lanka Cultural

Dance School in California is providing its constant support in promotion of Sri Lankan folk

dance and music among people in US. Here we will talk about the most popular Sri Lankan

traditional dances.

Kandyan Dance

The name of this dance form is inspired from Kandy, Ceylon’s last capital. It is a classical dance

and considered as Pure Dance (Nrtta) in Sanskrit language. It features an extremely advanced

method of Tala or rhythm that is given by cymbals termed thalampataa. There are five different

types of this dance form.

Pasadena Sri Lankan Community in California is providing classes on weekends to help

people from Sri Lankan in CA to learn their conventional dance form.

Ves Dance

Ves dance is invented from an earliest purification procedural called as Kohomba Kankariya or

Kohomba Yakuma. Ves is performed by men only with ves costume and headgear. It is

considered holy and is supposed to related with deity Kohomba.

Uddekki Dance

Uddekki is a very admired and respected dance form in Sri Lanka. The name of this dance is

taken from uddekki, a tiny lacquered drum in the form of an hourglass, supposed to have been

gifted by the god Iswara and Vishnu. It is very hard musical instrument to play. It is believed that

this musical tool is built according to the commands of Sakra.

Sri Lanka Traditional Drumming Center in Los Angeles guides people in learning drum playing

skills.

Naiyandi Dance

This dance is performed during the preparations of the festival called Kohomba Kankariya. In

this dance, performers wear a white colored cloth and turban with beadwork decorations on

various parts of body. This is an elegant dance form that is also performed in temples of Maha

Visnu (Vishnu) and Kataragama Devales on various ritual and festive occasions.

Vannams

The name of this dance is taken from Sinhala word varnana. The earliest Sinhala scripts refer to a

significant amount of vannams that were presented in vocal form only and later changed into

solo dances. Every solo dance expresses unique idea.

Pantheru Dance

In this dance form, pantheruwa is a musical device devoted to the divinity Pattini. It looks like a

tambourine and includes little cymbals involved at intervals around its border. The dance is

supposed to have invented at the time of Prince Siddhartha, who converted Buddha later.

Sri Lanka Foundation of Los Angeles has started its culture and performing art classes on every

Saturday and Sunday where people in LA can learn their favorite art like dance, music and

languages.

Address- Sri Lanka Foundation,

1930 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100

Los Angeles, CA 90057

Phone : (213) 483 0126

Fax : (213) 413 1233

More info- http://www.srilankafoundation.org/pac-classes/

Email : info@srilankafoundation.org