Hailed as one of the world’s finest artistes of his generation, Ramli Ibrahim is the founder of the Sutra Dance Theatre and the Sutra Foundation in Kuala Lumpur which focuses primarily on the Odissi dance form from Odisha, India.

Ramli attended military college and initially studied mechanical engineering in University of Western Australia before enrolling in the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne. He was introduced to classical Indian dance by a fellow Malaysian dancer, Zamin Haroon, and later moved to Chennai to study under Adyar Lakshman. He would eventually focus on Odissi, learning with famous guru, Deba Prasad Das. 

Since then, Ramli has performed internationally for more than four decades. Ramli takes a multifaceted and diverse approach to the performing arts and his craft, choreographing critically acclaimed works and becoming an integral, if pioneering, figure in Malaysia’s dance scene. He has single-handedly established Odissi as a widely appreciated dance form while adding a distinct Malaysian nuance to the art form.

Ramli has been recognised internationally by various esteemed establishments. In 2011, he was the first ever Malaysian to be awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the President of India. The award is the highest honour in the country conferred on performing artists, gurus and scholars of the performing arts. In 2012, he was acknowledged as a Living Heritage by the Malaysian government while the United Nations de declared him as a UNESCO Living Treasure that same year. He received his datukship from the Federal Government of Malaysia in 2013.