29 Facts About Chitrasena

Chitrasena was awarded the Deshamanya award by the Sri Lankan government in 1998.

Chitrasena later moved to India to study other dance forms.

Amaratunga Arachige Maurice Dias alias Chitrasena was born on 26 January 1921 at Waragoda, Kelaniya in Sri Lanka.

Chitrasena was encouraged by his father from a young age to learn dance and theatre.

Chitrasena was a schoolboy at the time, and 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.

Chitrasena learned 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.

Chitrasena established the first school of National Dance, the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya, in Colombo at Kollupitiya in 1944.

In 1945, Chitrasena studied at Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan in Bengal and had the distinction of dancing the lead role as Ananda in Tagore's dance drama 'Chandalika' opposite Nandita Kriplani, Tagore's granddaughter.

Chitrasena represented Shantiniketan at the All India Dance Festival in Delhi.

Chitrasena visited numerous dance centers in Lucknow, Lahore, and Uday Shankar's dance center in Almora, Assam.

Chitrasena performed in a Shantiniketan show in aid of Tagore's Memorial fund at the New Empire theatre in Calcutta.

Amaradeva, Sarachchandra and Chitrasena are some of those who did.

Chitrasena was breaking new ground, and there were instances of him being actually hooted off the stage.

Chitrasena saw in her the makings of an outstanding dancer.

Chitrasena made her debut as soloist in the role of Prakriti in the ballet 'Chandali' in 1952.

Chitrasena's rise to stardom was coupled with unswerving discipline and dedication both as teacher, performer, and choreographer, even as she illumined her husband's career.

Ananda Samarakoon lived and worked with Chitrasena and created the National Anthem whilst living in the school.

In 1984, the land on which the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya stood was acquired by the Urban Development Authority, and the school was razed to the ground.

Chitrasena is associated with the revival of the traditional dance in all its three major forms; Kandyan, Low-Country and Sabaragamu.

Chitrasena challenged the mood of the 30s and 40s and influenced the mind of a generation, establishing himself as an artiste unparalleled in the dance annals of this country.

Chitrasena was the pioneer of the modern dance theatre, which proved a viable alternative to the changing social milieu that sustained the traditional dance rituals.

Chitrasena steered the course of dance along uncharted paths infusing it with a dynamism that flowed from his visionary seal and dedication, creating a distinct yet meaningful medium of expression.

Chitrasena brought about an infusion of the Theatre, the Stage, the world of audience, confrontation and entertainment to the Sinhala Dance.

Chitrasena revolutionised and extended the scope of dance, forging a link between the traditional and contemporary with the vision of one who seeks to preserve whilst yet extending the horizons of his medium, always going back for inspiration to the roots of his rich heritage.

The first tour to Australia of the Chitrasena Ballet was in 1963 under the patronage of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, where after their initial performance at the Festival of Perth, they presented seasons in Sydney, Melbourne, Launceston and Hobart.

In 1972 the Chitrasena Ballet returned to Australia, as the Chitrasena Ceylon Dance Ensemble, supported by the Arts Council of Australia and the Ceylon Tea Bureau, to perform at the Adelaide Festival, the Festival of Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Besides spearheading the revival of indigenous dance forms, Chitrasena made his stage debut as Othello in the Ernest MacIntyre production of Shakespeare's 'Othello' and Emperor Jones in the late Karan Breckenridge's production of Eugene O'Neill's 'Emperor Jones'.

Chitrasena is one of the most best actors in sri lanka.