The Master’s Steps | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express

The Master’s Steps | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express

Published: May 18, 2019 12:15:23 am

The Master’s Steps

Malaysian legendary choreographer and Indian classical dancer Ramli Ibrahim on the piece, Odissi on High, cross-cultural collaboration and the power of movement.

Ramli Ibrahim. (Express photo by Ashish Kale)

(Written by Shivangana Chaturvedi)

Clad in a saffron kurta and cream-coloured dhoti, Ramli Ibrahim walks in for our interview with a radiant smile. His expressions flow as he talks, with his gestures orchestrating his words. Ibrahim, a legendary Odissi dancer from Malaysia and recipient of the Padma Shri, visited Pune recently for a show called “Odissi on High: Boundless Verve & Audacity”. Sutra Foundation, which he founded in Kuala Lampur in 1983, collaborated with Rudrakshya Foundation from Bhubaneswar for the performance that was hosted by India House Art Gallery. The event was a tribute to well-known Odissi dance legends, Kelucharan Mohapatra and Deba Prasad Das.

Having trained in ballet, Malaysian folk and Bharatanatyam under Adyar K Lakshman, it was eventually Odissi that drew Ibrahim. In the pursuit of learning the form, he trained under Das and went on to excel on stage. Ibrahim experimented with the dance form, and explored realms within it. “The performance “Odissi on High” is a link between Malaysia and India. I believe this link is important because there is a growing connect between the two nations in terms of business. I have always believed that business and culture cannot exist in separation from each other especially since we are talking about Odissi; Kaling has been a historic trade capital,” he says.

Ibrahim has worked on this project with Guru Bichitrananda Swain, who belongs to Rudrakshya school. Thematically, it explores the evolution of Pallavi, a genre in Odissi repertoire. “The idea is manifested in two representational styles. These styles are the approaches developed by the two pioneer gurus, late Kelucharan Mahapatra and Deba Prasad Das. Bichi and I are disciples of these two gurus respectively,” he says. Sutra consists of Malaysian dancers, who are trained in ballet and other contemporary styles, while Rudrakshya is a centre in Odisha that embodies the traditional aspect of Odissi. “It’s an interesting blend and beautiful indeed,” he added. While teaching Malaysian students Ibrahim employs certain exercises such as walking 10 steps straight with karun rasa or expressing vatsalya rasa for 10 minutes.