NEW DELHI: Malaysia’s leading exponent of the Odissi Indian classical dance Datuk Ramli Ibrahim will perform in seven Indian cities in May.
His first performance of the tour will be in Bhubaneswar in the state of Odisha on May 4, followed by shows in Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai.
The last event of the “Odissi on High” tour, a collaboration between Kuala Lumpur-based Sutra Foundation and India’s Rudrakshya Foundation, will be staged in Bengaluru on May 17.
The Odissi season represents a significant Malaysia-India cultural exchange, the organisers said.
Nine people from Sutra Foundation and six from Rudrakshya are part of the tour, Rudrakshya Foundation director Bichitrananda Swain told Bernama.
“Ramli is very popular in India and people are excited about this tour,” he said.
Ramli, 65, has choreographed many memorable shows in Malaysia and India in his 41-year career.
His recent productions staged in India include the Odissi dance show Ganjam, inspired by the cultural heritage of the Ganjam district of Odisha, and “Amorous Delight”, a contemporary Odissi work inspired by the ninth-century Sanskrit poem collection Amarushataka.
The Indian government gave him the Padma Shri, one of India’s top civilian awards, in 2018 in recognition of his role in promoting traditional Indian dances.
In 2011, Ramli was awarded India’s prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. – Bernama
