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Chitrasena
What Wickramasinghe was to literature, Ediriweera Sarathchandra to drama, George Key to painting, Lester James Peiris to film, Amaradeva to music, Chitrasena is to dance.

Amaratunga Arachige Maurice Dias alias Chitrasena was born on January 26,1921 at Waragoda, Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. His father was late Seebert Dias, well known actor/producer of the 20s and 30s, founder and instructor for the Colombo Dramatic Club, producer of John de Silva plays and a luminary in the theatrical circles of the day. He was a pioneer actor/director of Shakespearean dramas in Sinhala and English. Chitrasena was encouraged by his father from a young age to learn dance and theatre.

In India, Tagore had established his Santiniketan. His lectures on his visit to Sri Lanka, in 1934 had inspired a revolutionary change in the outlook of many educated men and women. Tagore had stressed the need for a people to discover its own culture to be able to assimilate fruitfully the best of other cultures. Chitrasena was a schoolboy then. His father Seebert Dias’ house had become a veritable cultural centre, frequented by the literary and artistic intelligentsia of the time.

In 1936, Chitrasena made his debut at the Regal Theatre at the age of 15 in the role of Siri Sangabo, the first Sinhala ballet produced and directed by his father. Presented in Kandyan technique, Chitrasena played the lead role, and this made people take notice of the boy’s talents. D.B. Jayalilake, who was Vice Chairman of the Board of Ministers under British council administration, Buddhist scholar, founder and first President of the Colombo Y.M.B.A, freedom fighter, Leader of the State Council and Minister of Home Affairs, was a great source of encouragement to the young dancer.

Chitrasena learnt Kandyan dance from Algama Kiriganithaya Gurunnanse, Muddanawe Appuwa Gurunnanse, Bevilgamuwe Lnpaya Gurunnanse. Having mastered the traditional Kandyan dance, his 'Ves Bandeema' ceremony of graduation by placing the 'Ves Thattuwa’ on the initiate's head followed by the 'Kala-eliya’ mangallaya, took place in 1940. In the same year, he proceeded to Travancore to study Kathakali dance at Sri Chitrodaya Natyakalalayam under Sri Gopinath, Court dancer in Travancore. He gave a command performance with Chandralekha (wife of portrait painter J.D.A. Perera) before the Maharaja and Maharani of Travancore at the Kowdiar Palace. He later studied Kathakali at the Kerala Kalamandalam.

Some of his famous dance productions are: Rama & Seeta –1943, Vidura – 1944, Pageant of Lanka (Ramayana & Landing of Vijaya) – 1948, Ravana – 1949, Nala Damayanthi - 1950, Chandali – 1952, Kumudini – 1952, Himakumariya – 1953, Sepalika – 1955, Kindurangana - 1956, Sama Vijaya - 1957, Vanaja –1958, Karadiya – 1961, Nala Damayanthi (2nd production) –1963, Rankikili – 1965, Nirthanjali –1965, Gini Hora –1968, Nirasha –1972, Shadi –1972, Navanjali –1972, Anaberaya –1976, Kinkini Kolama –1978, Hapana –1979, Bera Pooja – 1980, Navoda Ranga – 1981, Shishya Pooja –1982, Dance of Shiva -1985, Nritha Pooja –1986, Chandalika (2nd production)

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