Mohan Sudusinghe

I was introduced to dance at D.S.Senanayake Vidyalaya where I had my education. At that time my interests were in Athletics, Rugby and Football. I excelled in them and represented my school in these events. In 1986 I began my career in Kandyan Dancing with the school-dancing troop. Our troop won many awards at all Island Dance and Ballet competitions.

A year later in 1987, I had the rare privilege of representing Sri Lanka at the world students’ youth festival in Korea. Since then dancing has become an all encompassing passion to which I found myself devoting more and more of my time, and I was motivated by a burning desire to succeed in my new hobby

In the space of two years, in 1988 my hobby became my profession and I embarked on a career as a professional dancer. A further stint of training at the Heritage Foundation gave me greater exposure and insight into all forms of traditional Sri Lankan dance, and other contemporary form of dance.

I was fortunate to have been taught and influenced by some of Sri Lanka’s prominent dance teachers, among them Mr. Nandana Balasuriya, Mr. S. Welabadage, Mr. K.S.Fernando, Mr. Herath Banda, Mr. Herbert Dayaseela, Mrs. Khema de Costa, Mr. Tony Fernandez and Ms. Niloufer Peiris, who inculcated in me a love for all types of dances.

My ever-growing passion for learning all forms of western and oriental dance and traditional and contemporary indigenous dances created wider horizons for me. It also brought opportunities to perform. I was figured in many dance recitals and performances. To name a few “Khema & Mohan in Dance’’, “Uruma Ranga’’, “Heritage in Dance’’, Shades of Sri Lanka and “Heli Rangara’’- all successful performances which were well received in Sri Lanka and overseas. With success came rapid progress and I was fast acquiring greater skills and a wider repertoire of dances.

Meanwhile I was learning yoga under the guidance of Mrs. Ouida Keuneman. It wasn’t long before I started teaching and has today established myself as a successful teacher of dancing and aerobics. I teach dancing and physical education at the British School in Colombo and work as a Physical trainer and instructor in my own gymnasium and dance studio, which I started in 1998.

My dream of establishing an institution to preserve and promote the Sri Lanka’s traditional dances and rich cultural heritage came into reality with Lak Uruma Arts Foundation in 1999.