'Mehefil' (a gathering of entertainment), a Kathak dance recital, presented by the Guru Wickramasinghe Sangeeth Mandhir, will be held today Sunday, June 13, at 3.30 p.m at the Hindu Cultural Hall, Kandy and on Friday, July 2 at 6 p.m. at the John De Silva memorial theatre, Colombo.
This programme has been organised by Nrithya Nipun Duleeka Dharshanie Wickramasinghe, the founder of Guru Wickramasinghe Sangeeth Mandhir.
She obtained her Nrithya Nipun Degree from Bathkande Music College, Lucknow, in 1999 and has also trained at the Kathak Kendra, affliated to Uttar Pradesh Sangeeth Natak Academy, India, for seven years.
Ms. Wickramasinghe began under the late (Mrs) Sirimathi Rasadari in Sri Lanka and at the end of five years went to India where according to "Guru Shishya Parampara Krama" for two and half years she learned under the late Pd. Subhash Dixit, and for seven years under Sri Surendra Saikia. Interestingly, all three of her teachers have been disciples of Late Guru Wickramasinghe, a Sri Lankan who has done a great service to Kathak dance in India.
She has represented the Kathak Dance troupe of Uttar Pradesh Kathak Kendra, a rare opportunity for a non-Indian and danced in several famous Kathak ballets. She has also performed in many festivals in India, such as Lucknow mahothsaw, Taj Mahothsaw, Jaipur kathak mahothsaw, Lachchu maharaj Jayanthi, Laxman Mela, Utthar Pradesh Diwas, Awad awards ceremony and Indian independence Day celebrations. She has also taken part in many TV programmes.
Returning to Sri Lanka in 2003, she established "Guru Wickramasinghe Sangeeth Mandhr". Eight of her disciples will be performing in the "Mehefil" programme. They are: Nrithya Visharad Thanuja Smamanmali Ranaweera, Prarthana Abeyweera, Iroshika Hasangani Karunanayaka, Thishani Apsara Gunathilaka,Virochani Neehara Perera, Tharindi Dhanushika,Thashindra Michelle Dunumala and Samadhi Chaturika Bandara.
Visharad Hasika Deepa Damayanthi who plays the tabla at this event, is the only woman who plays the tabla with Kathak dance in the country. |
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