Sri Lanka Day Expo & Parade, a virtual Global Celebration, was launched in the United States on the Sri Lanka Foundation International Virtual Platform on August 13th and 14th, 2022. It showcased the rich artistic tradition, embracing the fine arts, including music, dance, and visual arts. 

Throughout the two-day festivities, the featured events staged from around the world when the sights and sounds and the unique taste of Sri Lanka virtually came alive. Mesmerizing dance and music performances were staged throughout the two days. In addition, it featured Sri Lankan traditional music, dances, art, and theatre produced in the USA, Sri Lanka, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K., and India. I hope you enjoyed the two spectacular performances featured in last week’s SLF News. This week we are featuring two more concerts to appreciate the arts and culture of Sri Lankan traditional Dances. 

This dance performance will explore the visual, rhythmic, and kinaesthetic similarities between the dance forms of the two countries as dancers engage and complement each other through the movements and rhythms of their native dance styles. This performance is a collaboration between dancers from three countries, Vithya Arasu, an Indian dancer, a student of Shamitha Hettige from Sri Lanka, and students of Akila Palipana, Isuru, Dulana, Poorna, Julia, Sapna from Sri Lanka and Kishani from Australia.  Choreography by Vithya Arasu and Akila Palipana.
Music credit: Lasya by Anoushka Shankar.
Click the link to watch the performance.
https://youtu.be/4m5R1tEkxl4

Rosaria Dance was founded by Nilanth Karunarathna in 2009 and is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and education of Sri Lankan culture through the ongoing development of Sri Lankan Traditional dance, Indian Classical dance, and creative and innovative styles of contemporary dance. Based in Toronto, Canada, Roosara Dance provides an excellent opportunity for many Sri Lankan students to learn exemplary traditional, innovative dance from Nilantha Karunarathna, the Artistic Director/ Choreographer of Roosara Dance. Rosaria Dance’s intent is to maintain the highest level of excellence in dance, to train future generations of dancers, and build local, national and international community support for classical and contemporary Sri Lankan dance.
Click the link to watch the performance.
https://youtu.be/kZGiUWSZ3Wo