An Odissi to remember

At 59, Ramli Ibrahim still captivates his audience with his alluring eye movements, agile body postures and intricate footwork while performing the oldest surviving dance forms of India, the Odissi.

Those who have watched his Sutra Dance Theatre's shows will attest to his energetic and stunning performances, both as a dancer and artistic director.

Despite his advancing age and cultural barriers that he had to surmount as a cross culture dancer, Ramli seems to have stamped his mark with Odissi.

The testimony to this is the prestigious 2011 Sangeet Natak Academy Award bestowed on him recently, the highest recognition given to practicing artistes by India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama.

Ramli received the award from Indian President Pranab Mukherjee for three decades of contribution to Odissi, a remarkable achievement for a Malaysian in a country flooded with talent.

"The Sangeet Natak Academy Award is something I will revel in," noted Ramli proudly.

Why is Odissi so special to Ramli?

His answer is simple; "It is Odissi's sheer lyricism. Moreover, the elegance of Odissi resonates with my Malaysian roots."

The University of Western Australia engineering graduate has always been passionate about classical dances from a very young age.

"I am serious about dancing, I love literature and I read a lot," he said, adding that he made a conscious decision to become a professional dancer.

However, Ramli's achievement as an accomplished ballet, modern and Indian classical dancer and choreographer is no easy feat.

Firstly, Indian classical dance is invariably dominated by women and secondly, being a Malay Muslim man it is even more difficult to practice foreign cultural dance due to the conservative mindset of the society.

"Thirdly, it is difficult to truly sustain any kind of performing arts professionally, along with a family at the same time. Males usually take up dance as the last option. I survived in this trade by sheer passion and by believing that one creates their own world and environment," he said.

Also, when he started there was no support from his parents but they didn’t stop him from pursuing his interest either.

Taking Odissi to greater heights

Sheer perseverance and determination has made Ramli a cultural icon.

He not only danced his way to fame but also choreographed compelling performances and even nurtured the best talents in the field.

At the time he started practicing Odissi, a dance form that originates from the eastern Indian state of Orrissa, it was not well known even among Malaysian Indians.

Ramli has been instrumental, literally, not only in creating a renaissance for Odissi in Malaysia but also in taking the dance form to greater heights.

He organised the highly successful International Odissi Festival in Kuala Lumpur in 2008; led Sutra to Carnegie Hall, New York the same year; and to the International Dance Festival in New Delhi, in 2010.

On the stunning performances by the Sutra Theater, Ramli said, "A lot of focus and professionalism goes into every aspect of a show."

"We are very particular about colour combinations. While colour contrast is important, it has to be the right contrast," he said, indicating the amount of time and energy spent in preparing for his shows.

So what’s next for Ramli and his Sutra Dance Theater?

"Sutra’s future depends greatly on the government's support," he said.

"Malaysia has a lot of talent but it depends how they are directed and utilised. At the moment we are saturated. There are insufficient funds to bring in more interesting people to work with.

"I am not getting any younger as well. I think for Sutra to become a professional company, talents need to be developed full time. Most of our dancers are not full time performers. Their efforts are not fully focused towards their talents," lamented Ramli.

He also called on for a wider distribution of funds for the performing arts organisations in Malaysia, saying that majority of funding is provided to public organisations.

"Independent organisations such as Sutra are left to survive on their own, resulting in limited talents," he complained.

He also said Malaysian families should encourage their children to take up dancing as a profession.

"I get stricter when the students are 12-13 years old, where they are smarter and we need to mould them," he said.

"Some of my students used to be terrified of me," he said in jest.

And on how he would like to be remembered, Ramli said, "It is absolutely not important how I will be remembered. I would just do whatever I want in my life as beautifully as I feel."