Trinity College National Drum and Dance Troupe toured to Malaysia on the 27th November 2022 to represent Sri Lanka at the Petaling Jaya International Folklore Festival. The following 10-member crew along with the 2 Officials took part in the tour. After a day of rest the Dance Troupe performed in two pocket shows in two shopping malls with the following dance items on 29th and 30th November 2022, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall 1 Utama Shopping Centre After the subsequent two days of rehearsals, the troupe performed a Wes Dance mixed with Traditional Drums and Gini Sisila at the International Cultural Show which took place in Dataran PJ on the 3rd of December 2022. This successful tour also provided an ample opportunity to our dancers to interact with the other international performers. In addition to this we were also provided with an enriching city tour in Kuala Lumpur which included a memorable visit to the Twin Towers of Malaysia. The troupe returned to Sri Lanka on the 5th of December 2022. Review by Jeywin Samarakoon (National Drum and Dance Troupe) Watch on YouTube:
The College had 28 young talented Kandyan dancers inducted as “Ves Dancers” at the Natha Devale and College premises on 9th January 2020. It was the 12th Induction Ceremony organised by the National Drum and Dance Troupe and is considered one of the most sacred events of their calendar. The Ves Dancers – an expression of Sri Lankan culture There is something intensely thrilling in the movements of the Ves dancer; the bracelets on his feet and the shimmering ornaments on his headdress create the most rhythmic tinkling accompanied by the sound of drums. The Ves dance is an ancient dance ritual that was performed in a purification ceremony known as the Kohomba Kankariya. Only men perform this dance. The Ves dancer has to traditionally don a costume of 64 ornaments, believed to be a replica of the attire worn by the associated deity, god Kohomba. This attire is unique to the Ves dance recital, the upper body is bare, except for a web like apron made of shells and beads. The pleated white cloth covering the lower torso is draped around the waist and tucked in. The silver head-dress characterises the Ves dancer: from the conical top of the headdress, spreads seven spokes that look like rays, sometimes similar to flames and even leaves. From the seven corners dangle little shining trinkets. The head-dress also has silver forehead plate. With mango-shaped ornaments for the ears and cobra shaped sheaths over the arms, the ensemble is complete, and the Ves dancer is ready to dance to the beat of the drum.
Following their spectacular win at the Inter school Shakespeare Championship earlier this month, the Trinity College Literary Association (TCLA) returned to Kandy to perform for their home crowd alongside several other College societies and clubs by organizing a completely new event: ‘A Cultural Evening at Trinity College.’ The event, held on the 20th of October at the College Main Hall, comprised performances by the Sinhala Drama Troupe, the Oriental Music Society, the Drum and Dance Troupe, the Trinity College Choir and of course, the TCLA’s very own Drama Troupe. Opening the event the Sinhala Drama Troupe performed a street drama revolving around Sri Lanka’s most famous theatrical character, ‘Mahadenamuththa’. This drama was notable by its integration into the rest of the evening, livening up the proceedings. The Oriental Music Society performed an orchestral piece followed by a traditional Sinhala song, entertaining the crowd with the sounds of Sri Lanka. The Drum and Dance troupe performed their own drama, presented through dance and music rather than words and conventional dramatic effects. The Choir of Trinity College was in excellent form, treating the audience to several songs, including Billy Joels’ ‘For the Longest Time’, and ‘Edelweiss’. The Trinity College Literary Association closed the evening by presenting their championship winning performance of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, notable for its minimalist approach, being presented without any costumes and precisely one prop. The TCLA would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this event a reality. Notably, the Principal, Mr. Andrew Fowler-Watt, the Head of Administration, Mr. Ravi Amarasekara and the senior management; the teachers and masters in charge of each society and the directors of each production for their hard work in shaping fabulous performances; Mrs Umanga Bandara and the College Media Unit, and Mr Chethaka Athukorala for their professional work controlling lighting and sounds; Mr Sheshan Abeysekara for his excellent work in promoting the event and managing its social media coverage; Mr Nissanka, Mr Jayamanna and the College maintenance team for ensuring that the facilities were in prime form for the event; and of course, each and every participant of the event, without whose dedication and sacrifice none of this would have been possible. All things considered, we believe that this event achieved its goal; to provide an arena for the students of College to show their skills, talents, and their pride in their cultural heritage. We hope that it sets the stage for future events of the same nature and inspires more people to focus their attention on Arts and Culture, both within Trinity and out of it, and wish them the best of luck for the future!
We had two dancers and one drummer participating at this year’s Kandy Esala Perahera festival: Shakya Senanayake Uvindu Sathsara Dumidu Karunasena We congratulate these three students from the National Drum and Dance troupe who had the opportunity to be a part of this historic and sacred procession. Kandy Esela Perahera The Esala Perahera in Kandy is the oldest and grandest of all Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka. The festival lasts for ten days while various festivities can be witnessed right throughout. The Sinhalese term ‘perahera’ means a parade of musicians, dancers, singers, acrobats and various other performers accompanied by a large number of caparisoned tuskers and elephants parading the streets in celebration of a religious event. The Sacred Tooth Relic The perahera procession is held annually to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, which is kept at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. The Dalada Perahera is believed to have begun when the tooth relic was brought to Sri Lanka from India during the 4th century CE, eight hundred years after the passing away of Lord Buddha.
Master in Charge: Mr R N Jayaratne Instructor: Mr S N S Chandrasiri The Trinity College National Drum & Dance Troupe participated several activities inside and outside the College including the Sportsmeet, Prize Giving, Big Match, Bradby, and many other special occasions such as the Teachers’ Day program. The Troupe also performed to welcome the President of Sri Lanka, Hon. Maithrepala Sirisena who was the Chief Guest of Upper School Prize Giving 2018. “Ves” Induction ceremony A Ves induction ceremony was organized by the troupe on 16th of March 2018. On this day 23 young talented dancers were inducted as Ves Dancers in front of a huge gathering at the Natha Devela and Trinity College premises. It was the 11th Ves induction Ceremony organized by the Troupe. Competitions The troupe showcased their talents by winning 1st place at Zonal and Provincial levels, and finally the ‘All Island 1st runner up award for Drum Orchestra’ item organized by the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka. The troupe also participated in “Rajjaya Narthana Ullela” open competition organized by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka. They won the 1st place in District level and 2nd Runner up award in National level for ‘Drum Orchestra’ item. The troupe also participated in the All Island Drum and Dance Competition held on the 3rd of June 2018 at St. Joseph’s College, Anuradhapura and emerged Runners-up. The troupe participated at a special pooja held in Katharagama as a fulfillment of Ves Ceremony. Tour to China We had the privilege to represent Sri Lanka at the ‘2018 Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival “which was held in Chengdu, China’ from 24th July to 1st August 2018 with more than 30 international delegates. It was a wonderful opportunity and an honour for our young dancers to represent the country and College. We gathered glory and pride along with wonderful experience, and indeed the year 2018 was another successful year for the Trinity College National Drum & Dance Troupe.
On 23rd February 2019, we had our members of the National Drum and Dance troupe participating at ‘Kailasa 2019‘, an annual event organised by S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia. The word Kailasa originates from Indian culture – a place where which brought together many cultures and musical formats to bring out a unity in the diversity of music. The following embers of Trinity’s Drum and Dance troupe performed at the event: Thammattama Thisal Moragoda Tharindu Perera Asiri Kodithuwakku Yasas Gunarathne Dawul Asel Jayabahu Minidu Jayasundara Shakya Senarathne Bihimuthu Jayasena Gata bera Uvindu Liyanage Dumindu Karunasena Yak bera Devinda Jayasundara Thalampota Jeywin Samarakoon Jalitha Kuruppu Chamod Dehigama Horanawa Sachintha Jayalath Isula Chandrasena Hasala Nawarathne hak gediya Sachintha Jayalath The troupe performed a traditional rendition of drum orchestra at the event. The event took place on open grounds in front of the S. Thomas’ College library and is famously known to be one of the biggest outdoor band concerts in Sri Lanka. All the performances were well appreciated by all those who were present. The music of the entire event was mainly focused on the Sri Lankan eastern music culture but also featured fusions of different types of music. Many invited schools showcased the best of their talents.
One of the most anticipated events of the Junior School calendar, “Rangadara” was performed on 17th November 2018 at the College Hall. It was truly a memorable occasion for all those who were present, full of traditional dance and music. The programme began with welcoming the invitees and lighting up the oil lamp. The Guest of Honour for the evening was Mr Amitha Bandara Jayasundara, the Principal of the Giragama Aesthetic Teachers’ Training College. The programme commenced with a brilliant performance of the “Rangadara Theme Song” which was followed by many other items: Gajaga Wannama – Resembles the walk of the Tusker carrying the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha at the Kandy Esala Perahara. Raban Gee – Songs sung when performing with the hand drum. Semi Classic Indian Dance Hansa Dance – Symbolizes the movement of the swan. Game Asiriya – Scenic Beauty of the Village Eluvan Kama – A traditional game specially played during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Season. Flute Dance – performed by the Indian Dancing Troupe Leekeli – Folk dance performed using sticks Dasamaha Yodhayo – Ten giants of King Dutugamunu Udakki Pantheru Dance – Uddekki is a very prestigious dance. Its name comes from the uddekki, a small lacquered hand drum in the shape of an hourglass and the pantheruwa is an instrument dedicated to the goddess Pattini. It resembles a tambourine (without the skin) and has small cymbals attached at intervals around its circumference. Ves Dance – The most popular and typical Kandyan dance Performance By The Drum Orchestra After the final performance, the Principal Mr Andrew Fowler-Watt addressed the audience and commented how brilliant and a well-performed the event was, and thanked all those who organized the programme to such a high standard. We take this opportunity to appreciate the effort and the dedication of the Junior School staff members Mr T.Y.G. Nandasena (Head of the Aesthetic Faculty and the teacher-in-charge of the Junior School Drum & Dance Troupe) , Mrs E.M.J.K. Wijekoon and Mr M.L.C.P. Maddegoda (teachers-in-charge of Oriental Music Orchestra), and Mr I. Wasagaratne (teacher-in-charge of the Indian Dancing Troupe) who together orchestrated the proceedings of the show. We also extend our gratitude to all the boys who participated and their parents who assisted in numerous ways. View the full album on our Flickr site!
The National Drum and Dance Troupe of Trinity College Kandy participated in the All Island Drum and Dance Competition held on the 3rd of June 2018 at St. Joseph’s College, Anuradhapura. The 10 member troupe was placed second at the competition with a great performance, with first place going to St. Joseph’s College. The Troupe performed the item, ‘Rana Bima‘, using traditional drums depicting the way how soldiers in the past fought in wars. Following are the members of the troupe along with the instruments they played at the competition: Hak gediya – T. Bandara and A. Medagedara Thammattama – S. Danapala, K. Udawaththa, and T. Moragoda Dawla – P. Alahakoon, T. Bandara, and V. Wijekoon Gata beraya – M. Abeyratne and A. Medagedara Yak beraya – S. Palagasinghe and D. Jayasundara Horanawa – S. Danapala and V. Wijekoon Thalampata – S. Palasinghe and M. Abeyratne The Troupe performed the same item at the Upper School Assembly on 8th June 2018. A video recording of the performance is shown below: Being one of the most highly recognized organizations in the school and around the country, the National Drum and Dance Troupe continues to excel and develop with the support and guidance of their instructor, Mr. S.N. Chandrasiri and the Master-in-charge of the troupe, Mr. Ruwan Jayaratne. Review by Sheshan Abeysekara Picture and Video Recording credits to the Trinity College Media Unit
All Island Drum Orchestra Competition organised by the Ministry of Education was held on 30th July 2017 at Rathnawali Balika Vidyala, Gampaha. Trinity College was placed first under the theme “Poya Hewisi”. 10 Students participated in the competition along with 3 Instructors. 1. Bhagya Ranasinghe 2. Tharusha Perera 3. Hasith Dissanayake 4. Sachintha Kohona 5. Ravindu Wickramasinghe 6. Asiri Kodithuwakku 7. Minidu Jayasundara 8. Uvindu Sathsara 9. Yasas Gunaratne 10. Sachintha Jayalath The Drum Orchestra team was supervised by Sunil Chandrasiri, Nandasena Thalgahagoda and Imal Wasagaratne.