Degree Programs

Staff

Department of Sabaragamu Dance

The field of Sabaragamuwa dance is a prominent dancing style in the Sri Lankan dancing culture as it exhibits the esteemed and proud Sri Lankan heritage to the world. This program has been designed as a four-year special degree to produce resourceful graduates with a theoretical and practical knowledge of Sabaragamu Dance. Department of Sabaragamu Dance equipped with professionally qualified four Grade I Senior Lecturers, one Grade II Senior Lecturer, one (Probationary) Lecturer and an Accompanist.

The Sabaragamuwa Department, UVPA was established in 2005. Senior Lecturer Wickramasinghe Bandara was appointed(2005 – 2008 and 2011 – 2013) as the first Department Head who had done an immense work in bringing up the Department. He successfully organized and monitored ‘Saman Pahana’ in 1987, ‘Saman Sesath’ in 1988 that were held in the John De Silva Memorial Hall, Colombo 07. These ceremonies gave Sabaragamuwa Dance country wide publicity. Dr. Gayani Maddumage and  Prof. Sriyani Rajapaksa who are currently working as senior lecturers of UVPA also took part in these events.

Mr. Wickramasinghe took the ritual conducting knowledge and the ritual literature from traditional aduras in preparing the Syllabuses.  With the well structured new syllabuses, the numbers of the students in the department gradually increased. The undergraduates were persuaded to do field research. Currently Dr. G. D. Maddumage is working as the Department Head (2008 – 2010 and 2017 – 2020) and had done workshops about syllabuses, editing conference about wannam in 2009,  workshops about Dramatic Events in Curative rituals and Sabaragamu Sokari Nataka field studies. The Department was further developed by adding subjects such as Ethnology and Literature Studies which requires the students to visit historical places and do field studying.

Research

  • Self Studies Research Project – DSAD32072 – 3rd Year
  • Dissertation – DSAD43076 – 4th Year Research Thesis
  • Studies of Experimental Drumming and Singing – DSAD42022 – 4th Year

Awards

  • Madushani was awarded the best presenter medal for her research paper titled ‘Sathun Pilibanda athi Adhiwishwasa’ at the FDD 2nd Student Research Symposium held on 19 – 20 December 2019, at Paneebharatha theatre, Faculty of Dance and Drama, Colombo 07.
  • Jayalath was awarded the best presenter medal for her research paper titled ‘Aithihasika Kmbulumulla Pattini Dewalaye sathara mangalya charithra warithra’ at the FDD 2nd Student Research Symposium held on 19 – 20 December 2019, at Paneebharatha theatre, Faculty of Dance and Drama, Colombo 07.
  • M. Uthpala Theekshana Aththanayaka’s ‘Sabaragamu Natum mishra pattini Upatha’ dance item received the 1st Place award in the National competition organized by the National Youth Services Council held at Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre on 25th December 2018.
  • Neel Senanayaka was awarded the ‘Nirmanathmaka Wadana Shilpiya’ 1st place award at Kavitha 2012 which was held at Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre on 23rd February 2012.

Facilities

  • Two rooms for dance practical sessions.
  • There is a very small room for the Department Head which isn’t spacious enough to have the department’s assets(It’s very packed and unprofessional).