Fragment No. 13

PATHINI

Culture; the tapestry that envelops the world to preserve its diversity, authenticity, and richness. Each of us a thread in it, weaving into each other as we share our lives, our stories with one another. Stories of who we are, where we come from, where we may go, those who came before us and those who will come after. As the thread weaves on, the countless stories too carried from one generation to the next, narrated through art; the greatest expression of culture.

PATHINI is my story, and the story of countless others like me. Presented in the form of dance theater, it is the lived experience of being a brown woman; proud of her ancestry, her roots, but demanding the choice to be more than what her culture and traditions expect of her.

Named after Paththini Maniyo (Sanskrit for “chaste woman”), who is believed to be a spiritual guardian of Sri Lanka and is the most prominent and widely venerated female deity in the island, she is a goddess held in high esteem by both Budhist and Hindu devotees as a “mesmerizing example of womanhood”. Encircling this idea of “the perfect woman” or what society deems as such, the performance PATHINI touched on the topics of societal pressures, colourism and beauty standards, sexual harassment and abuse, and the strength, resilience, and empowerment of brown women to rise above it all. The themes were delivered as a combination of dance, speech, text, and film and were conveyed in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, so as to better reach and resonate with the island’s multicultural populace.

The dance element in particular focused on the fusion of Kandyan (a traditional Sri Lankan dance style and a national symbol), Bharathanatyam, Commercial, and Dancehall; harmoniously tying together varying cultures to deliver one impactful message: “I am a woman, I am brown, and proudly so. But I am also whatever else I choose to be. My life is mine to live. My body and mind are mine to possess, love, and celebrate. My choices are mine to make.”

Thus, the piece was a celebration of culture while also questioning and challenging it. It was a reminder that culture is meant to evolve and merge, same as society. PATHINI was an embodiment of how contrasting cultures can be woven together for a shared purpose, and why unity between cultures is necessary for societal progress. Cultural collaboration is key to better understanding each other, connecting with each other, and finding beauty and acceptance in our diversity. There is much to gain and learn in those moments of fusion. This is the promise of cultural collaboration; infinite new possibilities and freedom.

Concept & Choreography: Sandarangi Perera

Dance film: Dimithra Sandarage

Performers: Thisuri Kariyawasam, Sinali Sankalya, Maneesha Sandarage, Sasuni Hewamallika, Julia Fernando, Mindi Karunaratna, Sahani Wijekoon, Sandarangi Perera