REMEMBERING KALASOORI S. PANIBHARATHA
The seventh death anniversary of legendary dancer and globally renowned versatile artiste Kalasoori S. Panibharatha fell in September this year.
Dr. Kalasoori Sithratchcharige Panibharatha was born on February 24, 1920 in Hathara Korale Algama. His father Pabanchi Gurunnanse wanted his son to study traditional medicine but an uncle of his who discovered his extra-ordinary dancing passion asked him to switch to dancing.
He studied dancing and drumming under his grandfather Algama Siriya Gurunnanse and Algama Kiriganitha Guru. He was barely 8 when he got an opportunity to play the Magul Bera at Radio Ceylon, and in 1937 he met popular artist J. D. Perera and his wife Chandralekha after coming to Colombo.
In 1940 he was dressed as a “Traditional Wes Dancer” at the Attanagalle Rajamaha Vihara Temple.
After associating with Mrs. Chandralekha from 1938 he got the opportunity to visit India as their Drummer. He met Shiri Gopinath in India and was invited by him to study Indian dancing. Then he was offered a scholarship in 1944 to study Indian Dancing Kathakali, Manipuri and drumming at theVishvabharati Shantiniketan.
Then he got the opportunity to act in a drama which was produced by Rabindranath Tagore.
He was recommended by M/s Mahathma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Neru, Kerala Maha Kavi, Walathol Narayan while he was in India and he arrived to Sri Lanka with a thorough knowledge in 1940. Then he was appointed as the Dancing Teacher at Royal College, Colombo and subsequently in several leading schools. Then he was promoted as the Dancing Instructor at the Teacher Training College, Mirigama.
1952 was a very significant year for Mr Panibharatha since he was selected as the Principal at Lalitha Kalayathanaya which is the State Institute for Artists (known as “Hewood”). In 1979 he was appointed as the Head at the University of Kelaniya. He married Mrs. Pramalatha Panibharatha in 1954 and his daughters were Upuli and Jayawanthi who are also popular dancing choreographers in Sri Lanka. Upuli married Channa Wijewardena and they have a daughter namely Aseka who is also a good dancer. Jayawanthi married Dayasiri Jayasekera who is a popular Parliamentarian in Sri Lanka and they have a son and a daughter - Kavin and Gihansi.