ABOUT

Chathuri Nirosha is a Sri Lankan - American dance performer and choreographer based in Houston, TX. She has formally trained in Kandyan dance, a classical dance form of Sri Lanka, from Guru Ritani Solanga at Ritani Dance Academy and Guru Ravibandhu Vidyapathy. Chathuri's performance style is informed and influenced by the Chitrasena dance tradition that is in her Guru lineage. As a torchbearer of the next generation's Sri Lankan dance artists in the U.S., she intends to continue presenting Kandyan and other Sri Lankan forms of dance in the modern context while preserving its essence as an intricate classical art.

 

Chathuri discovered her love for Sri Lankan dance at age 7 after learning and performing the Hanuma Wannama, taught by Ms. Nilanka Edward, for a production called, “Lak Daruwo." She began learning music through a variety of instruments, including piano with Ms. Karen Fisher at Karen Fisher studios, tabla and guitar with Guru Dr. Suren Lewkebandara, and viola through her middle and high school orchestras. She also received Hindustani Classical vocal training under the renowned Guru Pandit Suman Ghosh. In 2009, Guru Ritani Solanga, former dancer and instructor at the Chitrasena Dance Company, moved to Houston and began providing structured Kandyan Dance lessons at Ritani Dance Academy, where Chathuri eagerly embarked on her official dance training at age 14. Over the years, Chathuri has had the opportunity to perform at many Sri Lankan cultural and multicultural events in Houston and across the United states. In 2021, Chathuri had her Kala Eli Mangalya- a rite of passage ceremony, in which Guru Ritani deemed her a fully cultivated dancer. Her debut concert that followed showcased various forms of Sri Lankan classical dance and arts.

 

Her multifaceted musical background provides Chathuri a deep understanding of the rhythmic and musical concepts necessary to become a well rounded Kandyan dancer, and her years of training from renowned artists of the dance form has allowed her to build the technical prowess necessary to perform its age old tradition. Chathuri hopes to continue on a lifelong journey of soulfully learning, performing, and sharing the classical arts of her heritage.