Heshma Wignaraja

🪔 About

Heshma Wignaraja is a distinguished figure in Sri Lankan traditional dance, serving as the Artistic Director and choreographer of the Chitrasena Dance Company and School, and a Director of the Chitrasena Vajira Dance Foundation (CVDF). As a third-generation artist, she upholds the profound legacy of her grandparents, Guru Chitrasena and Vajira, who were instrumental in transforming Sri Lankan traditional dances from village rituals into a theatrical art form and pioneering dance theatre in the country. Wignaraja's early training began at a young age at the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya, primarily under the tutelage of her aunt Upeka, and she also learned from her grandmother Vajira. The school's syllabus, developed by Vajira, incorporates techniques from both Kandyan and Kathakali dance forms. Her career highlights include a pivotal collaboration in 2012 on the critically acclaimed production “Samhara” with Nrityagram, India’s celebrated Dance Ensemble, which significantly elevated her choreographic skills under the guidance of Surupa Sen, Artistic Director of Nrityagram. In 2018, Wignaraja spearheaded the Guru Gedara Festival, recognized as Sri Lanka's first immersive traditional Arts Festival, aimed at preserving and showcasing traditional arts. She is deeply committed to perpetuating the arts through people, having initiated a scholarship program to support dancers in pursuing traditional dance as a full-time art. Wignaraja is also featured in the documentary 'The Same River Twice,' which reflects on the Chitrasena Dance Company's 75-year creative journey and the preservation of Sri Lanka's traditional art forms. She emphasizes that Kandyan dance is a living art form to be experienced and understood deeply, rather than merely for grades or competitions.