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Sonali Samarasena, a 15-year-old dancer from Santa Maria, along with several other young dancers,

Despite being struck by tragedy recently, with the devastation of the tsunami followed by the assassination of their foreign minister, the American-Sri Lankan community had something to celebrate Sunday night – their culture.

Sri Lanka sits geographically thousands of miles away between the Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal just off the coast of India, but the pear-shaped island was brought to life here through ethnic dancers, speakers and artists on the Ackerman Grand Ballroom stage at the Sri Lanka cultural show.

Sponsored by the Sri Lanka America Association of Southern California and many other organizations including the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Los Angeles, organizers were eager to unite members of their small yet ethnically diverse community.

“(We) want to promote the awareness of the culture in America,” said Keshini Wijegoonarathna, president of the association.

Though the association, in collaboration with other entities, does put on Sri Lankan cultural events throughout the year, this is the largest one yet in terms of size and number of performances.

“Hospitality is one of our key strengths,” Wijegoonarathna said while bowing to guests and performers as they entered the ballroom.

The lighting of an oil lamp, a tradition practiced to acknowledge new guests, opened the cultural extravaganza.

With colorful, traditional outfits known as saris and the rhythmic beating of the drums and other traditional string instruments, attendees were reminded of – and some were introduced to – the customs of Sri Lanka, an island which beholds over 2,000 years of history and culture.

“It has its own unique flavor and the dancers, and the drama and the music – it’s very vibrant and unique,” said Thushari, an American-Sri Lankan actress in the Screen Actors Guild and volunteer and participant in the show.

Organizers this year aimed their show not only to acknowledge their rich culture, but also to pass down the traditions and values to the younger generation, which has grown up mostly in America, they said.

“We forget where we are from if we don’t have these kinds of events,” Wijegoonarathna said.

Events like these are especially important for the younger generation, Thushari added, saying it is through collaborations like this that children can find a sense of identity and become more involved.

Boasting a fashion show with traditional clothing and intricate gold headpieces accompanied by Sri Lanka musicians and skilled dancers with sharp yet fluid hand movements, the night brought several hundred guests.

Though the Sri Lankan community is divided into many ethnic groups ranging from Sinhalas to Sri Lankan Tamils, and a handful of religions including Buddhism as the most popular followed by Hinduism and Christianity, the night didn’t focus on those divisions.

“Culture transcends all divisions and boundaries,” said Palitha Pelpola, executive director of the Sri Lanka Foundation.

Excited guests clapped along as musicians and artists from Sri Lanka took the stage, bringing a little bit of “home” to the states with their soulful music, dramatic folktales, and interpretive dances.

Wijegoonarathna hopes this drive for promoting Sri Lankan culture gets passed down to the younger generation and is optimistic about launching a youth association in southern California, she said.

With around 30,000 Sri Lankans in Southern California and several hundred at UCLA, organizers would like to see events like this happen more often – it brings the small and geographically dispersed community closer together.