nATANDA is a modern dance troupe based in Colombo, founded as a non-profit organization by Kapila Palihawadana in 2002, trained in Germany for Modern Dance.The nATANDA dance troupe is trained in modern and classical Sri Lankan dance, showcasing their work in Sri Lanka and Thailand. nATANDA has also provided dance workshops to over 1500 young people so far. It pushes the boundaries of dance theatre, looking beyond form, physicality, culture and geography, to richly and vibrantly portray aspects of life and nature.

 

nATANDA is Sri Lanka’s first contemporary dance company. Its choreographic style is distinctive not only in how it fuses traditional Kandyan dance, Ballet, yoga and Bharatha Naatyam in its creation of contemporary Sri Lankan dance theatre, but also in the way it challenges its dancers to express their individual personalities and bodies in a collective process.

nATANDA investigates the potential of dance for personal development, social inclusion and peace-building. Before commencing each youth workshop series, a particular in need of opportunities for creative expression is identified. During workshops nATANDA’s dancers learn about the capacities of social disaddvantaged youth, while providing them with unique opportunities to express themselves and gain in self esteem..

 

Yet beyond its innovative contribution to contemporary art in Sri Lanka lies the social value of nATANDA’s work. Unlike most dance companies in the country, nATANDA has actively promoted community dance education by conducting workshops in schools, often among low-income communities, and it attempts to bridge certain boundaries of ethnicity, religion and class by seeking to involve dancers of various social backgrounds. The company has had to establish itself without external funding (in part, due to Sri Lankan society’s limited knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art), and it succeeds to function through the sheer dedication of its founder, core dancers and volunteers.

 

The Dancers: Malith Upendra Dakshika Bandara Hasani Wijebandara Kalani Sachithra Harsha Kumara   Tanuja Senanayake Lekha Edirisinghe Lasanthi Dilhani Lasantha Niroshan G. Jayakrishna Mohan Aravindh Jeevidan Manoharan Selvaraj Saran Mohammad Rashan Malinda Madushan Dilip Kumar Mohamed Shiyan Doole

 

 

nATANDA:

- does not press the dancer to a pre-choreographed mould, but strives to combine the body and the personality of each individual.

 

- trains its dancers in fundamentals of the Classical Sri Lankan Dance, as well as Western Ballet and evolves its choreography through a process.

 

- develops a new mode of expression through this long process, the journey being its aim.