{{short description|Sri Lankan dancer}} '''Upeka Chitrasena''' is a Sri Lankan dancer and dance teacher.<ref name="danseuse">{{cite web |title=Upeka: Sri Lanka's Fiery Danseuse |url=http://serendib.btoptions.lk/article.php?issue=19&id=467 |accessdate=8 March 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Her parents Varija and Chitrasena pioneered the introduction of Sri Lankan ballet in the 1950s. Manori Wijesekera in 2011 called her "Sri Lanka’s finest female dancer", and described her relationship with the drums as unique.<ref name="danseuse"/> At the age of sixty she decided to retire from the stage and to teach full–time.<ref name="Feb 10, 2010 – Upeka Chitrasena – Sri Lankan Dance on the World ,Stage">{{cite web |title=Feb 10, 2010 – Upeka Chitrasena – Sri Lankan Dance on the World Stage |url=https://myexpressive.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/sri-lankan-dance-on-the-world-stage/ |accessdate=8 March 2019}}</ref>
==Early life== As a child, her house in the Colpetty neighborhood of Colombo was often visited by pioneers of modern dance, including Martha Graham and Paul Taylor, during their dance tours. Being raised in that world, Upeka decided to choose the same path. She trained at the Chitrasena School, established by her parents, in order to become a professional dancer. This was the first and only Sri Lankan institution of that time training dancers for the modern stage.<ref name='On Rhythm " A lot of people thought i had it easy"'>{{cite web |title=On Rhythm " A lot of people thought i had it easy" |url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Page-251.pdf |accessdate=8 March 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Career== Chitrasena's first stage performance was in 1958, in the children's ballet ''Vanaja'' when she was seven years old.<ref name='On Rhythm " A lot of people thought i had it easy"'/> Her first lead role was in 1965, in the children's ballet ''RanKikili'' at the age of fifteen. In the same year she danced in the ballets ''Karadiya'' and ''Nala Damayanthi'', which were the first times that appeared on stage with her parents.<ref name="Personality of the week : Upeka Chitrasena">{{cite web |title=Personality of the week : Upeka Chitrasena |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2002/11/02/fea05.html |accessdate=8 March 2019}}</ref> After the fulfilment of her education she went on her first world tour in 1971. In 1975 she danced the lead role in ''Karadiya'' along with her father, a role which her mother had played for years.<ref name='On Rhyphm " A lot of people thought i had it easy"'>{{cite web |title=On Rhyphm " A lot of people thought i had it easy" |url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Page-251.pdf |accessdate=8 March 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 1978 she danced in the lead role of ''Kinkini Kolama'', a ballet created by her parents for her.<ref name="Upeka Chitrasena Says Goodbye to the Stage">{{cite web |title=Upeka Chitrasena Says Goodbye to the Stage |url=http://magazine.lankahelp.com/2011/11/08/upeka-chithrasena-says-goodbye-to-the-stage/ |accessdate=8 March 2019 |archive-date=24 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324072446/http://magazine.lankahelp.com/2011/11/08/upeka-chithrasena-says-goodbye-to-the-stage/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since 2011 she has not had a stage appearance but teaches and mentors young dancers in her dance academy.<ref name="danseuse"/> Her current aim is to build a residential dancing school for children of Sri Lanka to learn dance.<ref name="Upeka Chitrasena Says Goodbye to the Stage"/>
==Personal life== Chitrasenahas been married to a director of SOS Children's Villages since 1973, and has no children. She said in a 2002 interview that her husband gave her the opportunity to be focused in her career.<ref name="Personality of the week : Upeka Chitrasena"/> She plans to give the leadership of the Chitrasena Vajira Kalayathanaya School to her nephews in the future.<ref name="Dynamic dancer who loves tradition">{{cite web |title=Dynamic dancer who loves tradition |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100912/Magazine/sundaytimesmagazine_01.html |accessdate=8 March 2019}}</ref> First she married Siri Perera who was famous as Singapore Siri and Majic Siri. They were later divorced.
==References== <references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chitrasens, Upeka}} Category:Sri Lankan female dancers Category:Sri Lankan dancers Category:Sri Lankan dance teachers Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)