A collaboration of Indian and Sri Lankan traditions performed through dance

HSBC became the principal sponsor of the Sri Lankan Tour of ‘Samhara: the Braid’ a traditional dance performance by the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with the Chitrasena Dance Company.  

An exclusive performance of Samhara: the Braid was staged on 11 May for over 600 of the banks’ customers at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, while two public shows were held on 12 and 13 May, respectively.  

Samhara: the Braid, explores the meeting point between the sensuousness of Nrityagram’s Oddissi and the masculine dynamism of the Chitrasena’s Kandyan Dance. It brought together two dance traditions, Oddissi from India and Kandyan dance from Sri Lanka, both of which began in temple courtyards as ritual performance.  The innovative show which premiered in Bangalore earlier this year arrived in Colombo following a successful tour of the US and Mexico.

Samhara: Braid is Nrityagram’s first international collaboration choreographed by Surupa Sen. Heshma Wignaraja of Chitrasena Dance Company served as the choreographer for the Sri Lankan cultural segment.  

HSBC’s sponsorship of Samhara: the Braid is part of the Bank’s Corporate Sustainability efforts in supporting the arts, culture and heritage in the country. In 2010, the bank partnered with the Chitrasena-Vajira Dance Foundation to foster traditional dance. Through the partnership, HSBC supported two scholarship programs for undergraduate students and school children.  Subsequently, HSBC sponsored the new production by the Chitrasena Dance Company ‘Dancing for Gods’, which earned widespread recognition and became an immense success locally and internationally.