The Sri Lankan tradition
of folk drama includes the kolam, a masked drama, and the sokari and nadagam,
stylized dramas with song and dance. Sinhalese classical dance includes the
highly athletic Kandyan form, which originated in the central highlands when
the region was part of the kingdom of Kandy from the ad 1500s to 1815. The
Kandyan performances include representations in dance of animals and birds, as
well as stories from the Ramayana, a Sanskrit epic of ancient India.
The dances
are accompanied by complex drum rhythms.
Tamil classical dance includes bharata
natyam, a highly stylized form that originated in southern India. Baila, a
style of song and dance introduced by the Portuguese in the 1500s, is widely
popular in Sri Lanka.
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