Gara Yaka - ගරා යකා | Chandana Dancers | LK

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Chandana Wickramasinghe, born Sri Lankan, learned his first steps of dancing from
Vajira Chithrasena at the age of six. He was then trained and given Ves by Kulasiri
Budawatta.
Chandana completed his secondary education in the science medium at Mahanama
College Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the end of his school career, he chased his passion
and joined the Sama Ballet Troupe as a dancer. In 1993, was awarded a Diploma in
Kathakali and Dance from the prestigious University of Visva Bharathi Santiniketan,
India. Today, Chandana is the President of Santiniketan Friends’ affiliated office in Sri
Lanka.
In 1998 Chandana and the Dancers’ Guild was established and today with a troupe of
almost 40 professional dancers train over 3000 students within Sri Lanka. The schools
groom dancers’ from the age of 4years and are located in Colombo, Kiribathgoda,
Gampaha, Nittambuwa and Kandy. The recent two concerts “Salamba” and “Kanya”
gave highlight to professionalism, bringing poetry in motion alive through a series of
Traditional and fusion dance and music recitals which left the audience in total bliss.
The troupe has travelled to almost 74 countries and performed before multi diverse
audiences in the cities of Europe, Asia, Middle East, Canada and Australia and received
great admiration for their unique style and exquisite dance rhythm.
Further from years 2001 to 2017 his creativity expanded on ballets viz. “Lanka Matha”,
“Sthree”, “Mayura Sandesha”, River Dance Opera, and “Story of Seetha” where box
office audiences left the hall with amusement and happy mementoes. Apart ballets
productions viz. “Nirthiyapuja”, Empress of the Monsoon, Under the Star, “Drushya
Sandya” and Drums and Dance made the Academy more vibrant.
Chandana has performed at the world famous Saddlers’ Wales Theatre, London in
1990 and at several dance festivals amidst distinguished guests. In 2013 Dancers’ Guild
performed in Kazakhastan and Belarus Bolshoi Theatre. The troupe is also called to
represent Sri Lanka at Overseas Promotion Campaigns coordinated by the Sri Lankan
Embassies.
Chandana an acclaimed dancer and founder of the Dancers’ Guild, has bagged many
local and international awards for outstanding choreography, rhythm, style and character. Though a traditionally trained Kandyan dancer, Chandana has brought in
innovations to the dance form, integrating it with modern beats, a bit of folk and a
combination of classical and traditional interventions.
Overseas cultural performances
Participated in trade fairs, cultural festivals, award ceremonies, beauty pageants,
Independence celebrations, Cultural nights, consumer promotions, and international
events like, performance at Lord’s Cricket Grounds, visits of VIPs to countries and many
other significant events sponsored by Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion, Sri Lanka Tea
Board, Export Development Board, Sri Lankan airlines, Sri Lankan Convention Bureau
and foreign missions viz. Theatre Peterborough, UK, Taichung Country Cultural Affairs,
Bureau, China, Concert with International Artists Bahrain, XIAN Horticultural Exposition,
China, International Cinnamon Hotels, Dance Drama & Cultural events in countries –
India, Singapore, Kuwait, and Doha.