Mrs. Saranya Satharasinghe
Senior Lecturer (Grade II)
Qualifications:
- BPA (Hons) in Kandyan Dance, University of the Visual and Performing Arts (UVPA),2013
Awarded the Performing Arts Gold Medal for highest GPA (First Class Honours) - MA in Dance, University of Kelaniya
- Diploma in Choreography, Sri Lanka Foundation (SLF)
- Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (CTHE), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Profile:
Senior Lecturer Saranya Satharasinghe is an accomplished academic, performer, and researcher affiliated with the Department of Kandyan Dance at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts, Sri Lanka. With a deep specialization in Kandyan Dance, Choreography, and Modern Theatre Arts, she brings both traditional mastery and contemporary critical insight to her teaching and research. She holds a BPA (Hons) in Kandyan Dance from the University of the Visual and Performing Arts, where she graduated with First Class Honours and was awarded the Performing Arts Gold Medal for achieving the highest GPA in her cohort. She further pursued her MA in Dance at the University of Kelaniya successfully completing it with a Merit Pass, alongside professional training in Choreography from the Sri Lanka Foundation and a Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (CTHE) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Her academic and artistic inquiries center around cultural anthropology of dance, ritualistic traditions, gender and identity in performance, and postcolonial choreography, with a particular focus on the evolution of Kandyan dance in modern contexts. Her recent presentations have examined topics such as the semiotics of gender in Kandyan women’s dance, the intersection of postcolonial identity and performance, and ethnographic approaches to ritual dance. Through her scholarly and artistic contributions, Senior Lecturer Saranya Satharasinghe continues to play a vital role in advancing the study and practice of Sri Lanka’s rich performing arts traditions within both national and global academic discourse.
Educational Background:
- BPA (Hons) – University of the Visual and Performing Arts, 2013
Graduated with First Class Honours and received the Gold Medal for Highest GPA in Performing Arts - MA in Dance – University of Kelaniya, 2019
Merit Pass, Completed with a commendable GPA - Additional professional training in Choreography and Higher Education Teaching
Research Interests:
- Cultural Anthropology of Dance
- Ritualistic Dance Traditions in Sri Lanka
- Gender and Identity in Dance
- Contemporary Choreography and Performance
- Modern Theater Arts and Postcolonial Performance Studies
Publications:
- my;rg Ydka;sl¾u ikao¾Nfhys rSß hla ixl,amh”
(Exploration of Cultural Representation in Kandyan Dance)
ISBN: 978-624-5726-59-2
Published by k¾;k .fõYS
Conference Presentations / Seminars:
- International Conference on the Humanities (ICH) – 2023
Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya- isxy, Ydka;sl¾u wka;¾.;fhys m%;Shudk iuld,Sk ia;%S mqreI iudcNdù ixl,am ms<sn`o wOHhkhla
- 24th International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPRC) – 2024
Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya- Y%S ,xldfõ wd¾Ól ixj¾Okhg iy ixialD;sl rdcH;dka;%sl;ajhg Wvrg k¾;kfha odhl;ajh
- 4th International Conference on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICICH) – 2023
Department of Anthropology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura- isxy,hkaf.a ck k¾;k ixialD;sh iy ia;%S mqreI iudcNdjh”
- International Research Conference on Gender Studies – 2023
Gender Equity and Equality Center, University of Sri Jayewardenepura- mYapd;a hg;ajscs; hq.fha idïm%odhsl Wvrg k¾;kfha ia;%S mqreI iudcNdjh
- Movement Rhizome 2024.02: International Conference on Dance Studies
University of Peradeniya- “Kandyan Dance and Gender: A Historical and Dance Ethnographical Study in Postcolonial Sri Lanka”
- 4th International Conference – Faculty of Music (ICFM) – 2023
University of the Visual and Performing Arts- “A Semiotic Study of Gender Identity in Kandyan Women’s Dance Form”
- International Performing Arts Conference (IPAC) – 2025
Faculty of Dance and Drama, University of the Visual and Performing Arts- Wvrg k¾;kh kùlrKh( iuld,Sk Ys,amSh jHjydrh ms<sn`o isoaê wOHhkhla
Awards / Scholarships:
- Performing Arts Gold Medal, University of the Visual and Performing Arts (2013)
Awarded for achieving the highest GPA in the Faculty of Dance and Drama - Subasinghe Scholarship 2009/2010, University of the Visual and Performing Arts