The Kandyan Dance, as it is popularly known, is a complete art form, refined and polished in the field of pure Dance (‘Nrttya’) and with a highly developed system of ‘Talaya’ (beat). It is aesthetically appealing and has won renown throughout the world as the classical dance of Sri Lanka. The cultural heritage of Sri Lanka is second to none in the world and has been sustained throughout the centuries by this resplendent dance of the Hill Country, generally referred to as the Kandyan Dance. The name Kandyan Dance consists of four distinct types – the Ves, Naiyandi, Pantheru and Uddakki. However, the term ‘Kandyan Dance’ has now come to be associated with the ‘Ves’ Dancer in his full regalia. Therefore to know about the Kandyan Dance one has to go back to one of the most ancient Folk ceremonies of Sri Lanka, the elaborate ritual known as the Kohomba Yak-Kankariya or the Kohomba Kankariya. It is the Kankariya that has given us the classical Kandyan Dance. Through a period of 2,400 years, the Kandyan Dance has acquired a refined dignity and an individuality that has become the wonder of the world.