National Trust lecture on traditional dance costumes

The National Trust of Sri Lanka’s lecture on Thursday, November 28, will be on the “Traditional dance costumes of Sri Lanka and the art of Somabandhu Vidyapathy” by Kala Keerthi Ravibandu Vidyapathy.

This will be the 122nd session of the Trust’s monthly lecture series. It will be held at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 at 6.30 p.m.

A costume is an outfit designed and fashioned for a specific and exclusive purpose that is performance. Performances of different types such as dance, opera, ballet, theatre and traditional ritual call for different styles of designs. The new dance forms of the 1940s created by pioneers like Chitrasena, Premakumara, Vasantha Kumara, Nimal Velgama and Shesha Palihakkara demanded a fresh form of décor art for the theatre.

Somabandhu Vidyapathy introduced a unique style and grammar of costumes, décor and make- up with a modernistic approach, yet keeping a traditional undertone. This talk will discuss the historic, visual and pragmatic aspects of the traditional costumes and the art of Somabandhu Vidyapathy.

Acclaimed Sri Lankan drummer, dancer and choreographer Ravibandu Vidyapathi, was trained from his childhood in traditional Sri Lankan dance forms by the guru Chitrasena, and later travelled to India to the Kerala Kala Mandalam for formal training in the Kathakali dance form. Upon his return, he established his own dance school, the Ravibandu-Samanthi Narthayathanaya, with his wife Samanthi, also a dancer and dance teacher.

The Ravibandu Vidyapathi Drum Ensemble has toured across the world, and is widely regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s finest drum ensembles.

Further information can be obtained from the Trust Office Tel. 2682730 / 0778081214 at the Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology, 407 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7. Those attending by vehicle, please give the vehicle number, if not given previously.