Sri Lankan Traditional Dancing

Sri Lankan Traditional Dancing

Sri Lankan Dancing has close links with the village. Although dancing can be seen in the cities it has evolved around the villages and the folk community in Sri Lanka. Despite minor regional differences, dancing in Sri Lanka has come in to existence as a means of fulfilling social, religious and cultural needs of contemporary society. As such Shantikarmas (dancing rituals performed amidst singing and drum beating) can be identified as part and parcel of the Sri Lankan dancing tradition. For instance in an era when barren women had been intimidated and  thereby victimized by society, people of the south  performed Shanthikarmas like Rata Yakuma or Riddi Yagaya with the belief that it  would bring blessings upon childless woman making her a productive woman offering her a healthy and a successful pregency. In the central region and Nuwara Kalawiya or Anuradhapura and Pollonnaruwa districts this need was fulfilled by the performance of Kadawara Kankariya. In the Sabaragamuwa province people performed Kumara Samayama and Katina Baliya to allay this deference. All these Shantikamas with different names were performed to achieve the same purpose.

On the other hand a few centuries a go where there were on proper educational and awareness raising programs for women regarding their health, hygiene, reproductive capability, expected behavior and sensible ways to interact with them opposite sex and the society as whole people performed the Kotahalu Yagaya three months after a girls attaining of age to advise her in regard.