DATUK RAMLI IBRAHIM
Dancer, Choreographer & Founder
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.
