Better late than never..

How Dance is Adapted 
Despite the universal language in Kandyan is the same, the adaptation has modified it (to be different)


Kandyan dane is a unique dance form. One of a kind that's predominately practised in it's origin country, Sri Lanka. The basic movements include a series of steps practised just with footwork followed by including arm movements. These are known as the absolute basic steps and there are no modifications to these steps. Various dance choreographies are created using these steps as the fundamentals and the focus on today's post will be how different yet similar in practise they are outside of Sri Lanka. 

The biggest change come with the language barrier - each step has a basic Sinhalese word(s) that go along to it that are also identified by the live drums which altogether becomes the complete step. This is easier to practise in Sri Lanka as all children understand and speak the national language of the country. However, these words and sounds become 'one.. two.. and three' when taught and practised outside of Sri Lanka. 

This is not because the practitioners and teachers don't want to pass on the knowledge as it is - this is because of the understanding of pupil. I know when I teach my students these steps in Sinhalese words, they repeat it a few times but tend to refer to them as 'Step 1 and Step 2 and so on' as time goes on. I've written it down on their weekly handouts, tell them how to pronounce these words but I can see how much ease it gives them when referring to these steps as 'steps' as the direct translation of the Sinhalese word 'Adi'. 

However, the execution of the dance movement still remains the same. There is no modification to the practise of the step itself. It is only when they address the series of steps or practise or discuss these steps, English words are involved. The examinations around the world do not focus too much on the words itself either - not every country anyway and because Kandyan is passed from generation to generation, a qualified dancer is able to teach and practise almost immediately after their Kandyan graduation. 

I personally don't mind my students identifying and connecting with the steps in whichever language they feel comfortable in, at the end of the day they still practise the same movement as every other student around the world. Traditional practitioners though, they may not feel the same way. As a teacher, my knowledge is reflected in my students: how I choose to teach them and how the student's learning process in which how they choose to learn. I can stand in front of the class until I'm blue in the face and say all the Sinhalese terminology, write them in big letter on the white board but if the learning process of this is to remember these information in the language that they understand, that's what they will take home.

Overcoming this is a challenge, weekly reminders and having the words written in English letters for readability definitely helps since Sinhalese writing is a whole different story. It's about catering to your students needs and facilitating them. If they're half Sri Lanka and half i.e. English then the parents may have decided not to practise Sinhalese at home so is it really my place to teach them Sinhalese at dance? 

Until next time.

Dils - The Kandyan Dancer