Chitrasena

Deshamanya Amaratunga Arachige Maurice Dias, (26 January 1921 – 18 July 2005), popularly known by his mononym Chitrasena, was a Sri Lankan dancer. He established the first school of National Dance, in Colombo Kollitiya, in 1944. He later moved to India to study other dance forms. Chithrasena has danced before maharajas, Queen Elizabeth II, dukes and duchesses, prime ministers, princesses, and kings. He was awarded the Deshamanya award by the Sri Lanka government in 1998. In 1951, Chithasena married his pupil Vajira, who went on to become a fine performer. He died in 2005 at the age of 89. He is buried at the Colombo Museum of Fine Arts, next to his wife, who he married in 1951, and their daughter, who is also a dancer. For more information, visit the Chitasena Dance Company website. For further information on Chitasa Dance Company, visit its website. for more information about Chitasha Dance Company click here.