Dancing their way …to fame

Melbourne, Australia, is certainly a happening scene for Sri Lankans, especially when it comes to entertainment.

Quite a few Sri Lankan bands, and solo artistes, now based in Australia, are turning out to be crowd-pullers, at various events.

I’m now told that a Sri Lankan dance troupe is also very much in demand and, before long, perhaps, no dance, in Melbourne, would be complete without a bevy of girls showing their dancing skills, on the dance floor.

The Tiya Dance Troupe & Academy Melbourne, conducts classes for the Sri Lankan and other community groups, living in Australia.

“Our classes are only for females,” says Tiya Baranasooriya, the dance teacher and choreographer, who is also the co-owner of the company, along with Sansindu Perera.

The Academy was established, in 2015, and is successfully continuing for the eight year.

Says Tiya: “We have performed at many Sri Lankan concerts and Sri Lankan New Year festivals, held in Melbourne, and interstate, as well.

“We work with many community groups, and now we seem to be a big hit with the India community, as well, and we are booked for their events, throughout 2022.

“We now do Australian community events, and community dance workshops, for all the nationalities living in Victoria, Australia.”

The Tiya Dance Troupe & Academy Melbourne, is mainly focused on providing high-quality Sri Lankan cultural and fusion, Bollywood and freestyle dance, and to impart to the Melbourne-born Sri Lankan children, and to the Australian community, about different Sri Lankan dance styles.

Their dance routines incorporate the three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance: The Kandyan dances of the Hill Country, known as Uda Rata Natum; The Low Country dances, of the southern plains, known as Pahatha Rata Natum, and the Sabaragamuwa dances, or Sabaragamuwa Natum.

“Our free style is an improvised lead-follow approach to dancing, to any style of music that does not have a strictly defined dance aesthetic. … By finding the commonalities between various dance styles, or creating new movements, dancers can actively adapt and improvise their dance style to music of all influences,” said Tiya, adding that their Bollywood dance style is a beautiful blend of all Indian dance styles, be it classical Indian dance, folk Indian dance, or the more current R&B, hip hop music.