A Rite of Passage for Kandyan Dancers

7/15/2014 3:10PM     

The National Women’s Dance Troupe of Sri Lanka practices for their performance of an extremely rare Pahim Path Mangalya dance on Aug. 9. Photo: Natalie Keyssar for The Wall Street Journal



Dancers from the National Women's Dance Troupe of Sri Lanka have been rehearsing the intricate steps of Kandyan (CAN-dee-an) dance, a traditional art form in Sri Lanka, at this dance studio in Staten Island. The young dancers are preparing for their Pahim (PAH-him) Path (PAH-th) Mangalya (man-GAH-lee-ya), which is a rite of passage and an opportunity for Kandyan dancers to showcase their talents after years of training. The performance is scheduled for August 9 at the College of Staten Island Center for the Arts, and it is believed to be the first documented Pahim (PAH-him) Path (PAH-th) Mangalya (man-GAH-lee-ya) in the United States. The dancers have been preparing for this special performance since last October. Every Saturday and Sunday, they practice for six hours each day, fine-tuning the steps of nine routines to the thunderous percussion of geta (GAY-ta) drums. But the young women must do more than just perfect the energetic, acrobatic dances. They recently visited a local Buddhist temple and Catholic Church to dedicate themselves to the performance. They also became vegetarians, and they will remain so until the day of the recital. All of these dancers have spent a decade or more training in this ancient art form. So for them, the upcoming performance is not just a chance to revel in their heritage, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.