Ramli bin Ibrahim

Datuk Ramli bin Ibrahim (born 20 May, 1953) is a Malaysian choreographer and a classical ballet dancer. In 2018, the Government of India gave him the Padma Shri for his contribution to the Odissi dance form. He founded the Sutra Dance Theatre and Sutra Foundation to encourage people in learning traditional dance forms.

 Personal life 
Ramli Ibrahim was born in Kajang, Selangor in May, 1953, to Encik Ibrahim Bin Hj Mohmmad Amin, who was a teacher, and Kamariah, who was a secretary of the Kaum Ibu (women's association) of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). He grew up in a liberal Muslim family. In an interview to ‘The Hindu’ in 2016 he also  claimed to be a singer.

He studied mechanical engineering in the University of Western Australia. Over there, he joined the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne. At around the same time he met Chandrabhanu (Zamin Haroon), another Malaysian Muslim classical dancer who had adopted a Hindu name, Chandrabhanu. He who was studying Bharadhanatyam under Adyar Lakshman, another renowned artist, who taught Ibrahim the art form. Later, he would move to Chennai to learn under Lakshman. He would be taught along with other famous dancers like Radha Anjali and Swapnasundari.

It was under the famous Odissi guru, Deba Prasad Das, who was settled in New Delhi, that Ramli Ibrahim started learning Odissi.

 Career 
After going to back to Malaysia in the year 1983, he had setup the Sutra Dance Theatre in Kuala Lumpur. The theatre focused on Malaysian art scene and strives to promote Malaysian art forms both nationally and internationally. It mainly associates itself with the Odissi dance form which originated in the Indian state of Odisha. In 2007 he setup the Sutra foundation in Malaysia.

 Padma Shri Award 
He was awarded with the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards for artists and others, by the Indian government in the year 2018 for his contributions to Odissi and Bharadhanatyam for over 40 years.  

 Other Awards 
Fulbright Distinguished Artist Award (1999)

Angarag Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)

Purush Award (2009)

Ram Gopal Best Male Dancer Award (2011)

Snageet Natak Academy Award

Distinguished International Artist Award (2011)

References

Category:1953 births
Category:Living people
Category:Choreographers
Category:Ballet dancers
Category:People from Selangor