Kuala Lumpur, April 6 (IANS) Malaysia’s classical dance guru Ramli Ibrahim has tied up with Australia-based Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi exponent Anandvalli to stage a dance performance that sheds new light on Indian classical dance.

Titled Rasa Unmasked, the performance will be staged here April 8-12. It will also be staged in Penang April 15.

It premiered in Sydney, Australia last month and is now touring Malaysia, Singapore and India, New Straits Times said Monday.

The performance is a collaborative effort between Ibrahim’s Sutra Dance Theatre and Anandavalli’s Lingalayam Dance Company. They are joined by ethnomusicologist and composer Alex Dea.

Nine dancers will perform to the accompaniment of a cross-cultural orchestra.

India’s dance forms are based on nine human emotions or Rasas – sringara (love), veera (courage), karuna (compassion), adbhuta (wonderment), hasya (mirth), bhaya (terror), bibhatsa (disgust), raudra (anger) and shanta (serenity).

Rasa Unmasked interprets Rasas for the modern audiences.

The collaboration brought Ramli back to Australian shores after more than 25 years since his association with the Sydney Dance Company as a dancer and choreographer.

Anandavalli is marking her comeback to the stage after retiring from performing five years ago to focus on choreography and direction.

American-born Chinese composer Dea is trained in Western classical music and received a doctorate in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University in the US.