Kathak meets flamenco in Bengaluru as 6th edition of Dr Maya Rao Choreography Conference to begin on January 31

International artistes will also attend the event as part of various panel discussions and performances. This includes Malaysian bharatanatyam expert and choreographer Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, who will be speaking with Dr Ratnam on the theme ‘Dance Legacy–Presence and Absence’. The Singaporean group Flamenco Sin Fronteras will also be staging a combined kathak-flamenco performance titled ‘Asha Esperanza’, alongside NIKC artistes.

The events scheduled as part of the conference include the keynote address by Dr Sandhya Purecha, noted Bharatnatyam practitioner and the chairperson of New Delhi’s Sangeet Natak Akademi. According to a statement from the NIKC, the conference will be themed around the concept of taking legacy forward without fossilising it.

A two-day exhibit ETHOS|ECHOES|EXPRESSIONS, which will connect to the legacy of Dr Maya Rao, will also be organised in connection with the event. In a statement, NIKC said, “Her work laid the foundation for how choreography is taught, documented, and critically engaged with today. The annual conference honours not just her memory, but her methodology, courage, and insistence that tradition must constantly interrogate itself.”