The Ves dance has its roots in the traditions of the Temple of the Tooth and has been an integral part of the annual Dalada Perahera.
The Santani Foundation is delighted to announce the Samūla Festival 2024, a grand celebration of Sri Lankan dance, drumming, and craftsmanship scheduled to take place from August 2nd to 4th in the picturesque city of Kandy. This year’s festival promises to be a remarkable event, showcasing Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage and bringing together artists, performers, and enthusiasts from around the world.
Hosted by the Santani Foundation, the charitable arm of the Santani Resorts group, Samūla will feature the last remaining Gurukulas (traditional schools of the Art) of Kandy, who have preserved and passed down their unique approaches to Kandyan dance through 17 generations. The festival will also highlight artists from various regions of Sri Lanka, showcasing our nation’s diverse and vibrant cultural heritage.
The festival is curated by Heshma Wignaraja, the Artistic Director of the Chitrasena Dance Company, with advisors Ravibandu Vidyapathi and Waidyawathie Rajapakse Amunugama of the Amunugama Gurukula.
Santani foundation’s initiative aims to promote conscious tourism, foster talent, and provide scholarships through this event. They seek to revive dying traditional art forms and offer economic alternatives for practitioners, educating attendees about the meaning and evolution of these arts while adapting them to modern needs without losing their essence.
Highlighting the incredible heritage of Kandyan dance, passed down through 17 generations, and preserving this vital cultural art form.
The traditional Kandyan drummers have an extraordinary style of drumming.
The costume and the head covering of the Ves dancer is sacred and the rhythmic tinkling created by the ornaments worn by the dancer is accompanied by the sound of drums, adding to the enchanting experience.
The thrilling and vibrant dance movements of Ves Dance include powerful footwork, leaps and whirls.
The full panoply of the Kandyan dance is witnessed each year during the Esala Dalada Perahera.
Kandy’s distinctive dancing and drumming spread from the temple into the cultural mainstream, making them an expression of Sri Lankan culture.
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