Lenaduwa Lokuge Rangana Navodini Ariyadasa is currently attached to the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, as a Lecturer in Classical Bharatha Natyam. Below is a detailed description of her and how she progressed in her career as a Fine Arts Instructress for your information and kind consideration.
Her mother, Kalasuri and Kala Bhushana Mrs. Padmini Manel Dahanayake Ariyadasa, is the first Sri Lankan woman who brought great fame to Sri Lanka as a renowned dancer of Bharatha Natyam. As a child, she was immensely inspired by her. Her first contribution to the field of Fine Arts was made at the age of 4½ years when she invented and presented a dancing performance to the song “Anothaththa Vila Neluma Nelala.” Her grandmother was also a well-known singer in that era, and her grandfather was a Tower Hall actor. Dr. W. Dahanayaka, a former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, was her great-grandfather. As such, she obviously descends from a generation of artists.
She is a past pupil of Musaeus College, Colombo, and as a schoolgirl, she studied Up-country, Low-country, and Sabaragamu dancing forms with much dedication. She further studied Kathak dancing under the renowned expert dancer, Mrs. Srimathi Rasadari. After Mrs. Rasadari’s demise, she continued studying the same form of dancing under Mr. Jayasena Kottegoda, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the University where she currently teaches. Having studied under such great scholars, she went to India and joined the “Kalakshetra” Institute of Fine Arts in Chennai, where she studied Classical Bharatha Natyam, Kathakali dancing tradition, Karnatic Music, and played the musical instrument Thambura for five years before graduating. During her stay there, she acquired a fair knowledge of Tamil and Sanskrit languages as well. As an undergraduate, she had the rare privilege of meeting great personalities and artists like Bismillah Khan, Ravi Shankar, Latha Mangeshkar, and Yesudasan. She has performed before the renowned guru Sathya Saibaba and met His Excellency R. Venkataraman, the then President of India.
She humbly recollects the first occasion when she performed on the same stage with a troupe of famous veteran artists of Sri Lanka during the launch of ITN Channel in 1978. At this celebration, she presented a performance of classical Bharatha Natyam alongside her mother. She reminisces about presenting a dancing performance called “Thillana” at a ceremony held to celebrate the retirement of Mr. Thevis Guruge, the then Chairman of the Independent Television Network. Mrs. Srimathi Liyanage, then Director of Children’s programs at the Rupavahini Corporation, having identified her talents, introduced her to the Sri Lankan audience through her “Lama Huruwa” program.
From then onwards, she had the privilege to showcase her dancing skills on TV programs such as “Nandana Vindana,” “Sarangi,” “Sava Sangeetha,” and “Manohari.”
Her career as a Teledrama actress began when she played the role of the swan in the teledrama “Swan and Prince,” directed by Mr. Titus Thotawatta, based on a Jataka Story. Next, she took part in some English teledramas directed by Mr. Ananda Sirisene. Further, she played the role of a dancer named “Nirmala” in the stage play called “Flying Horse” (Piyambana Ashwaya), which was awarded second place at the State Drama Festival held in 1984.
Her career as an actress in foreign films began in 1985 when she joined the Urdu film “Hamse Natakarana” at the invitation of Mrs. Anoja Weerasinghe, who produced the film, a co-production involving countries like Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In this film, she was chosen to play the role of the sister of the main actor. Subsequently, she was invited to act in a number of foreign films, all shot in Pakistan, which she considers a unique achievement.
The greatest landmark of her dancing career, her inaugural public performance ceremony, “Arangetram,” was held on December 24, 1984, under the patronage of the then Hon. Minister of State Dr. Ananda de Tissa de Alwis, who is also a relative. An individual dancing show was held by her in 1985 in aid of the State Defence Fund, and the money was handed over personally by her to Hon. Minister Lalith Athulath Muthali, then Minister of Defence. She proudly mentions that she was the only dancer up to now in her field to dance in aid of the defence fund at a very tender age for a duration of three hours.
She has contributed as a dancer at almost every State Festival Ceremony held in the country at the district level. Apart from that, she has entertained audiences by dancing at Presidential Award Ceremonies, Vijaya Rupavahini Award Ceremony, and Sarasavi Award Ceremony. She has often been invited to present her dancing performances at various functions held at Foreign Embassies, especially at the Embassies of Japan, Russia, and the High Commissions of India and Great Britain, where she entertained gatherings of VIPs with her performances.
At the invitation of Mr. Tilak Atapattu, she contributed to the song “Matha Matha” of the local film “Sathara Maha Nidanaya” by presenting dancing visuals to accompany the song.
After returning to Sri Lanka with the postgraduate diploma awarded by “Kalakshetra,” she worked for a period of five years at the National Youth Council as a Fine Arts Instructress. Subsequently, she was engaged at the University, Tower Hall Foundation, Mahaweli Centre, and the Cultural Troupe of the Armed Forces as an instructress.
In the year 2000, she started her own dancing academy, which was registered at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs under the name “Sri Padma Ranga.” Presently, about 200 students undergo training under her, and around 52 students who excelled in dancing have held their inaugural dancing performances (Arangethram).
She married Shalith Udaya Kumara, an accountant by profession, in 1995, and she is blessed with a baby daughter, Thorashee Thiloththama, who is currently attending Musaeus College, Colombo-07.
Her father, L.L. Ariyadasa, is a graduate in Agriculture, and her brother, Chandreen Jayawanth Ariyadasa, presently domiciled in Australia, is an Executive Chef by profession.