My introduction to the Chitrasena world of Dance was when I was invited by the maestro to attend a performance of his latest creation (at the time), Kinkini Kolama. Having lived for several years abroad, I had no idea of the endemic dance forms of Sri Lanka except for what I had seen at the Kandy Perahera as a child. The production was simply stunning to me, with all the elements of theatre-artistry that included the surrealistic opening with a Kavi-kola Karaya accompanied by a dwarf and a stilt-walker and quickly went on to include some characters in traditional masks. The music was haunting, the lighting was near perfect and the choreography and dancing had me watching in awe. I had seen musical and dance theatrical productions in the USA and UK and so had a good idea of what quality productions were all about, so to say I was gob-smacked would have been an understatement.

Then there was Upeka, who played the lead and from the time she appeared, had me transfixed, not only by her beauty, but also by her acting and most of all by her grace and superb dancing. I was smitten by the sheer artistry of the creation that contained all the elements that dance-drama required, as well as an exhibition of all the endemic dance forms of the country in a seamless production of unremitting quality.

This experience was my introduction to Chitrasena, which developed into a relationship that soon included his family. In time I became a frequent visitor to his iconic home that also served as his School of Dance and as a result often watched the daily evening dance practice-sessions. As time passed, I was also involved in assisting in some of the pre-production work that included work on programs, sets and promotional elements. All this gave me ample opportunities to get to know Upeka and to see the extent of her dedication to her parents’ world of Dance. She was tireless in her application to what was required to achieve the finesse she displayed as a dancer and performer and, in spite of some of the setbacks that occurred, like the losing of the Chitrasena home and Dance School, she stood by her parents and, together with the other members of the family, helped with continuing the classes and rehearsals in a variety of rented spaces and at different locations.

Not long after Kinkini Kolama was produced, Upeka got married and had to balance marriage with her commitment to the Dance. This was especially difficult, as her husband was often away from home, occupied with his own career, first as a landscape consultant and later as the National Director and chief administrator of an International NGO. This meant him spending time setting up projects around the country and also visiting projects in Asia and Europe. Fortunately for both of them, he was not only supportive of Upeka’s dedication to her art but also assisted her in whatever way he could.

In time, as both Chitrasena and Vajira slowed down in their appearances on stage, the productions were centered around Upeka, who led the Dance Company in its tours to several countries, many of which she organized on her own, arranging rehearsals that were supervised by Vajira, with the final programs approved by Chitrasena. Financing these efforts was no easy task, but somehow, with assistance from those close to her, she managed. In this way, Upeka sustained the Dance Company and kept the Chitrasena/Vajira name and image alive both at home, as well as abroad. The reviews of the performances abroad describe the effect that she and the Company had on foreign audiences and knowledgeable critics. A comprehensive list of the productions and reviews, as well as those members of Royalty and dignitaries she performed for could be seen at the end of this post.

The prime consideration for Upeka, as she closed in on her career as the main dancer of the Dance Company, was passing the mantle to the next generation so that there would be a seamless continuation of the Sri Lankan Dance-Drama tradition conceived and realized by Chitrasena and Vajira. And to this end she was fortunate to have the next generation comprising of Heshma, (also a dancer, who decided to follow in the footsteps of her grandparents) for the creation of new work, choreography and direction, Thaji, who displayed ample promise as the main dancer to take over from her aunt Upeka and Umadanthi, (sister of Thaji) who danced, as well as was developing into a skilled administrator. Together, the three of them, assisted by Upeka and her sister Anjalika, took over the running of the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya so that the dance classes continued without abeyance. Both Chitrasena and Vajira oversaw the progress until the demise of the maestro and Vajira continues to teach and advise.

Upeka’s swansong was in the production of ‘Dancing for the Gods’ (Heshma’s second production with the Dance Company), in a mini-ballet depicting the legend of Kuveni, in 2011, her sixtieth year, after which she continued with her teaching classes and being a mentor to Thaji and other dancers of the Company. And now, in her twilight years, (she celebrates her 70th birthday on May 21st) she continues to stay in condition through daily workouts and spends much of her time in Kalayathanaya-related work.

Upeka was a brilliant exponent of what her parents conceived and produced, not only through her exquisite artistry as a dancer, but also as a faithful disciple of her parents. Long may she continue to inspire and be remembered for her excellence.

 In her father’s words:

“My daughter Upeka has all the qualities and attributes of an exceptional dancer. Being a third-generation artist and having grown up with the dance she has naturally absorbed it in its widest sense. She is on par of her own amongst the younger generation of artists and is a typical product of the new generation, skillfully blending the traditional style with a more modern interpretation which she has developed into a style uniquely her own. Moreover, she has an extraordinary sense of drama and has proved herself a very dramatic artist as evidenced in her portrayals in KINKINI KOLAMA and DANCE OF SHIVA. She is also endowed with a keen intelligence and sensitivity which are invaluable assets for an artist”. 

Chitrasena – 1986

HIGHLIGHTS OF UPEKA’S DANCE CAREER

1958First stage appearance in Vanaja (Children’s Ballet) 
1963First lead role as “Rankikili” (Children’s Ballet) 
1975Lead role in Ballets “Karadiya” and “Nala Damayanthi” 
1976Soloist for command performance for the Leaders of Non-Aligned Nations 
1978Lead role in Dance Drama “Kinkini Kolama” – created for her. 
1979Command performance for his Royal Highness Crown Prince Akihito of Japan 
1980Command performance for H.R.H. King Birendra of Nepal 
1981Command performance for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Duke of Edinborough 
1981Solo performance for opening of Rupavahini Television network 
1981First solo performance Navodha Ranga 
1985Lead role in Ballet “Shiva Ranga” – created for her 
1990 – 92 Soloist for opening of the Sarasaviya Film Awards 
1995Command performance for Her Excellency Khalida Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh 
1996Lead role in Ballet “Chandalika “- created for her 
1997Soloist with Jonathan Hollander’s Battery Dance Company of New York 
1998Special solo performance for Ustad Zakir Hussain 
1998Command performance of ‘Kinkini Kolama’ for Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka 
1999Guest appearance in the dance drama by differently abled youth ‘Flowers Will Always Bloom’, directed by Wolfgang Stange and Rohana Deva Perera, for by the Sunethra Bandaranaike Trust 
1999 Invited by Madame Ariane Mnouchkine Director of the Theatre du Soleil, to perform at the ‘Theatre de la Tempete’and conduct a series of workshops at ARTA (l’Association de Recherche des Traditions de l’Acteur) 
2001  Invited by Mdm. Arianne Mnouchkine to perform in the Festival de L’Imaginaire at the ‘Theatre du Soleil’ 
2001  Tour of London as Guest Artiste in the dance drama by differently- abled youth ‘Flowers Will Always Bloom’ 
2002  By special invitation – Delivered a lecture/demonstration at the “Performing Arts World Meeting – ECUM”, held in Belo Horizonte – Minas Gerais – Brazil 
2005  Invited by Mdm. Arianne Mnouchkine to perform at ‘Theatre du Soleil’ in aid of Tsunami victims in March 2005 
2005  Performed ‘Palace of the Winds’ (27 performances) at the Montpellier Dance Festival in June 2005, comprising troupes from 5 countries of the Indian Ocean 
2007  New Delhi – Invited by the Government of India to represent Sri Lanka at the SAARC Conference 
 Chennai – Invited to perform at the Music Academy of Chennai by the Academy as a ‘Tribute to Deshamanaya Chitrasena’ 
2008  Celebrated 50 years of Dance with “Guru Pooja” – a performance organized by the Chitrasena Dance Company as a tribute to her of this great achievement 
2009  New Delhi – Invited by the Government of India, through its cultural representative, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to represent Sri Lanka at the Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF). As part of its program, the DIAF had invited select dance companies from Commonwealth countries to celebrate the upcoming 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games 
2010  New Delhi- Invited by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to participate at the “International Cultural Festival” held on the sidelines of Commonwealth Games in New Delhi from the 3rd to the 14th of October 
2011  New York – Invited by the Permanent Mission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United Nations to perform at the 63rd National Day Celebrations of Sri Lanka 
2011  Final stage performance (In a mini ballet depicting the legend of Kuveni – “Dancing for the Gods”) 

 TOURS WITH THE CHITRASENA DANCE COMPANY

1970 West Germany Hamburg, Heidleburg, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Baden Baden, Hannover, Dusseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart, Essen &Wuppertal 
1970 Switzerland St. Mortiz & St. Gallen 
1970 Holland Amsterdam, Arnhem, Tilberg & Heerlen 
1970 France Colmar 
1971 England London & Sadler’s Wells 
1971 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 
1971 Singapore  
1971 Brunei 
1972 West Germany Frankfurt 
1972 Denmark Copenhagen 
1974 Denmark Copenhagen 
1994 Bangladesh Dhaka 
1995 England London – Sadler’s Wells & Birmingham 
1997 Singapore Asia Performing Arts Festival 
1997 Japan Tokyo, Takasaki, Gifu & Tokushima 
1998 India Chennai, Calcutta, Shanthiniketan, Delhi & Mumbai 

TOURS LEADING THE CHITRASENA DANCE COMPANY

1986 England London 
1987 Dubai 
1987 Abu Dhabi 
1989 Geneva 
1990 India Bombay, Madras, Bhopal, Trivandrum & New Delhi 
1994 USA New York, Washington & Michigan 
1994 Turkey 
1996 USA New York, Washington DC, Maryland, Massachusetts & Connecticut 
1998 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur – Guest appearance at the Commonwealth Games celebrations 
1998 Hong Kong Festival of Asian Arts 
1999 France Paris – Invited by Mdm. Arianne Mnouchkine of the Theatre du Soleil to perform at the ‘Theatre de la Tempete’ and conduct a series of workshops at the Cartoucherie
Performed at UNESCO, Paris, by invitation of the Sri Lankan Ambassador for France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO 
2001 France Paris – Invited by Mdm. Arianne Mnouchkine to perform in the Festival de L’Imaginaire at the ‘Theatre du Soleil’ 
2003 Taiwan (Taipei) 2003 Asia Pacific Arts Forum – Sponsored by the National University of Taipei 
2005 France (Paris) Invited by Mdm. Arianne Mnouchkine to perform at ‘Theatre du Soleil’ in aid of Tsunami victims in March 2005 
2005 France Performed ‘Palace of the Winds’, comprising troupes from 5 countries of the Indian Ocean (27 performances) at the Montpellier Dance Festival in June 2005 
2007 India New Delhi – Invited by the Government of India to represent Sri Lanka at the SAARC Conference 
Chennai – Invited to perform at the Music Academy of Chennai by the Academy as a ‘Tribute to Deshamanya Chitrasena’ 
2009 India New Delhi – Invited by the Government of India, through its cultural representative, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to represent Sri Lanka at the Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF). As part of its program, the DIAF had invited select dance companies from Commonwealth countries to celebrate the upcoming 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games 
  Kerala – Invited to perform at the Karthika Thirunal Auditorium Kerala
2010  India  New Delhi- Invited by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to participate at the “International Cultural Festival” held on the sidelines of Commonwealth Games in New Delhi from the 3rd to the 14th of October 
2011  USA  New York – Invited by the Permanent Mission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United Nations to perform at the 63rd National Day Celebrations of Sri Lanka 

PERFORMED AS SOLOIST FOR COMMAND PERFORMANCES FOR THE FOLLOWING

1976 Leaders of Non-Aligned Nations – Colombo 
1979 His Royal Highness Crown Prince Akihito of Japan at the request of His Excellency J. R. Jayawardena, President of Sri Lanka 
1980 His Royal Highness King Birendra of Nepal at the request of His Excellency J. R. Jayawardena, President of Sri Lanka 
1981 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Duke of Edinborough at the request of His Excellency J. R. Jayawardena, President of Sri Lanka 
1995 Her Excellency Khalida Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh at the request of Her Excellency Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka 
1997 Her Excellency Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka and Foreign Delegates on the occasion of Independence Day Celebrations 
2001 Her Excellency Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka and State Guests as Guest Artiste in the Dance Drama ‘Flowers will always bloom’ by differently-abled youth 
2003 Her Excellency Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka and State Guest Hon. Madanjeet Singh, President, South Asia Foundation 

MAIN SOLO PERFORMANCES FOR THE FOLLOWING

1981 at Opening of Rupavahini TV Network 
1990 at Opening of Sarasaviya Film Festival 
1991 at Opening of Sarasaviya Film Festival 
1992 at Opening of Sarasaviya Film Festival 

AWARDS 

1995BUNKA Award for Special Achievement in Dancing from the Japan – Sri Lanka Friendship Cultural Fund 
2000SAARC Women’s Association Award for Excellence for Woman Achievers – For Cultural Achievement 
2002ZONTA Award for Woman of Achievement for Creative & Performing Arts 
2008RANGABHIMANEE Award for the Contribution & Welfare of the National Oriental Ballet. Awarded by the Department of Cultural Affairs & The National Dance, Oriental Ballet and Puppetry Panel of The Arts Council of Sri Lanka 
2009Visakha Vidyalaya Platinum Award for outstanding achievements in Performing Arts