A Night of Legends, A Night to Remember: Kathak & Kandyan dance evening in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Nritya Samrat 2025 Last night, I had the profound honour of witnessing some of the world’s legendary dancers come alive on stage. And why am I so proud? Because they were two extraordinary women. The first was Srimati Aditi Mangaldas , the renowned Kathak dancer from India. A living legend at 65, she carried the stage with an energy that was nothing short of poetic. At the end, she told us something along these lines: “ We will all get lost in the forest of dance & find something beautiful there ” And indeed, she swept us away into that forest, where time stood still and movement spoke louder than words. It was like watching poetry unfold before my eyes. Surreal. It must have been a dream... Then came Dr. Waidyawathie Rajapaksha , the rare gem of Sri Lankan Kandyan dance, the ninth generation of the renowned Amunuguma dance family in the Kandy region. Over 80 years old, and yet she radiated such strength, grace, and vitality. To see her perform was not only inspiring, it was humbli...
