Reframing the ‘Devil Dance’: The Representation and Interpretation of Sri Lankan Dance in British Colonial Exhibition Culture

The history of the 17th and 19th centuries of colonial exhibitionary culture shows how they exhibited the colonized people and colonial cultures and their performances, for the entertainment of the European audience and incorporated them into the exhibitions. Therefore, this paper discusses the staging of historical Sri Lankan dance, an indigenous, ritualistic performance tradition in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) during British colonial rule from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and the exhibition of Sri Lankan dance at colonial exhibitions in the United Kingdom. Sri Lankan dance, commonly known as the "Devil Dance" because of its association with the exorcists and healing rituals, has transitioned from a community-centred practice into a staged cultural performance, especially for audiences in the United Kingdom and Europe. This paper investigates how Sri Lankan dance was curated, displayed and interpreted within British major exhibitions and discusses how the colonial influence and exhibition culture contributed to this transition. The key focus is the 1886 Hagenbeck’s World-Renowned Ceylonese Exhibition Programme, held at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, London(Archival illustrations (Figure 1-2) This paper analyses with the archival information from the London Archives, the British Museum and historical photography, performance records, and the author’s personal experience as a Sri Lankan dance practitioner.

Dhanushka Seneviratne, MA, MPA, BA 1st class (Hons), is an award-winning professional dancer and a choreographer, Oriental Ballet director, interdisciplinary artist, international research scholar, and academic. Her academic contributions include her role as a lecturer in dance choreography theory and practice, and dance research at the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, supervising undergraduate and postgraduate research, coordinating the Performing Arts degree program and engaging with curriculum design. She received her MA in public art and performative practices from London Metropolitan University in 2023 and was awarded a Certificate in Teaching Higher Education (CTHE) with the best Research honours 2021. She is an international research scholar who collaborates and presents her research work at the ADTA 56 American Dance Therapy Association 2021, USA and the Dance Medicine and Science Symposium at the University of Wolverhampton 2025. She was a member of the Sri Lankan national dance troupe and has travelled to many countries representing Sri Lanka. Her interdisciplinary practice encompasses choreography for theatre, stage, and screen. Her scholarly interests span Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT), Dance Science, Dance history and archival studies, Dance on Screen, Ritual dance and cultural preservation, and Community-led creative practices. She currently serves on the Europe Committee representing the UK for the International Association for Creative Arts in Education and Therapy (IACAET) and is also a member of the Dance and History e.v. Association Germany. And she is the founder and artistic director of DS Dance Research Lab (DSDRL)International platform for Dance & Performative practices, Research, & Innovation, SL & UK.