Kandyan Dance Today
Even though originally only males were allowed train as dancers, there are now several schools which also train women in the Kandyan dance form. However there is no definite Ves costume for women, and many female dancers have adapted the male costume in different ways.
There are only a few performances of the Kohomba Kankariya now due to many social, economic and political reasons. The dance in its traditional form is still performed each year at the Dalada Perhahera in Kandy.
The Kandyan Dance was adapted for the stage by Chitrasena Dias in the 1970s, in several Ballets he choreographed, he has used kandyan dance movements and features. In some ways his popularity also helped to reduce the caste barriers surrounding the dance, and made it more palatable to an urban, contemporary audience. To date one of the largest school for Kandyan dance is Chitrasena Dance School.
Many contemporary dancers in Sri Lanka have borrowed from the Kandyan form for their work.
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