Island Dancer Dancesport Championship 2026 opens a platform for Sri Lankan dancers

Island Dancer Dancesport Championship 2026 concluded on 18 October at Royal Mas Arena. The event drew more than 500 attendees and over 150 dancers, who competed across three categories: Standard Ballroom, Street Latin and Latin.

Heshan Abeywickrama and Deliya Senanayake of Dance City won Latin Amateur. Aaron Fernandez and Yoshara Navaratne of Antonio Dance Circle (ADC) won both Standard Amateur and Standard Rising Star. Kevin Nugara and Yasara Dahanayake of El Latino Dance Academy (ELDA) took Latin Pro/Am. Chamath Pankaja and Charithma Pinsari of Dance City won Latin Rising Star.

“Every dance begins with a single step. This Championship took hundreds of them. Our dancers, judges, partners and volunteers made each one count. In dance we trust,” said Sudeesha Fonseka, Chairperson of the Championship.

Island Dancer is building a larger platform for dancers in Sri Lanka. The Championship is one of its first steps. The organisation believes the country can become a destination for international dance tourism. Dancers, instructors, performers and enthusiasts would travel for events like this one.

Major dance events also bring spending beyond the venue. Hotels, restaurants, transport and other tourism businesses benefit.

“Sri Lanka has the talent, the venues and the hospitality to host international dance events. Dancers and audiences who travel for a championship spend in local hotels, restaurants and transport. We want Sri Lanka on the global dance calendar,” said Nevindee Amarasinghe, Founder and Event Organiser, Island Dancer.

The Championship was supported by official partners and sponsors Rush by Colombo Coffee Company, Homelands, Methuli Premium, EFM 88.3, Usher, GoodPR, Imperial College of Business Studies, DanceWear and Pulse.

Island Dancer plans to give local dancers opportunities across more categories. It also hopes the hospitality and tourism industries will recognise the long-term value of international dance communities and the audiences they bring.

Building on the success of the 2026 Championship, Island Dancer is already looking ahead to the next edition of the Island Dancer Dancesport Championship, tentatively scheduled for the final quarter of 2027. The upcoming Championship aims to welcome a wider pool of dancers, introduce more competitive opportunities and further strengthen Sri Lanka’s position as an emerging destination for international dancesport events. Further details, including the official dates and venue, will be announced in due course.