Domask spent most of her opening number at Dance Place on Saturday with her thighs parallel to the floor, about 18 inches off the ground. Her feet were spread apart and turned out as she held the pose, then slowly rotated; you could feel the burn as you watched her. She was also portraying Hiru Devi, the sun goddess, and looking resplendent in gold leggings and a ­bright-orange headdress. A fiery orb was projected onto the floor — but marred by unfortunate technical glitches — and as her footwork became more lively, she remained in that six-foot circumference, hardly seeming restrained.

 

“A Single Cycle of the Sun” was what Domask called the performance, which also featured professional dancer Ivy Chow and two student ensembles who study with them at CityDance, a studio better known for its ballet, hip-hop and modern dance programs. CityDance deserves praise for expanding into world dance: These student ensembles were better rehearsed than many kids you will see scampering around on “Nutcracker” stages in the coming weeks.

 

Although Domask also teaches classical Sri Lankan movement, known as Kandyan dance, this performance featured folk dancing, which is a bit more lively and perhaps more accessible to non-South Asian audiences. There is no elaborate mythological storytelling, and there is some shared movement vocabulary with Western dance, such as an emphasis on turnout and tight, on-your-toes spins that resemble chaînés. The signature leap is performed with the dancer moving forward on the diagonal and slicing the air with a pointed toe before jumping sideways.

 

It is worth noting that not all Domask’s students are South Asian. Her foremost goal may be to connect immigrants to their culture, but as world dance exports go, many others see her contributions as having high value, in Washington and beyond.