The initiative emerged from creative producer Kamal Thurairajah’s long-standing hope to give West Australian dancers an inspiring immersion in Odissi. Kamal, together with the team at local institutions Saraswati Mahavidyalaya and ChitAmbara, have practiced the Indian Classical Dance styles in Perth for decades.

A Maitri Grant from the Centre for Australia-India Relations finally enabled the next step, funding an initial trip to India, followed by a second chapter in Perth.

Movement, Memory and Mastery

Satpathy, celebrated worldwide as both performer and teacher, explained that this collaboration was special—a rare opportunity to build authentic, lasting relationships. “Usually, I come, teach a class, or perform,” she said. “But this was a deep dive. This grant allowed us to build a relationship. That matched my vision perfectly.”

Despite Odissi’s ancient roots, Satpathy believes its appeal is universal. “To me, Odissi is not just about Indian mythology or Indian aesthetics. It’s a global movement language,” she said. “Its intelligence, its complexity—it speaks to anyone, anywhere.”

During the Perth residency, dancers rehearsed for up to seven hours a day, moving from body conditioning to technique, then on to developing new choreographic works. These pieces will be showcased locally and, organisers hope, on international stages. “We weren’t just working toward a performance,” said Thurairajah. “We were building something organic—a journey from learning, to creating, and finally, to sharing.”

A Quiet Revolution

Satpathy is known for her discipline and the high standards she sets. Yet dancers found not only rigour in her sessions, but also a profound sense of calm. “What I saw was focus,” she said. “They came with pain, limitations, but they stayed. That quietening, that internal connection to the dance—that’s everything.”

Among the dancers was Nishant Krishnan, who grew up in Australia and began learning Odissi as a child. “Being able to wake up every day and just dance—with no distractions from the outside world—that’s rare,” he said. “This was a reminder that this is a long journey. We’re just at the start of it.”

A Grant Rooted in Friendship

The Maitri cultural partnerships are intended to strengthen ties through artistic collaboration. The Sanskrit word “maitri” means friendship—an idea that resonated deeply with Satpathy. “What we’re building here is not noise, not just laughter—it’s deep, meaningful connection,” she said. “This kind of human-to-human relationship is the foundation of everything.”

Thurairajah agreed. “This support from the Maitri Grant has given us something we’ve struggled with for years—validation,” he said. “It shows that what we’re doing matters. And it’s enabled us to create something that will travel far beyond Perth.”

Looking Ahead

Plans are already in motion for a new performance work arising from this collaboration—one that could tour both nationally and internationally.

For Thurairajah, the vision spans both local and global horizons. “We want to show that a diverse community and culture is thriving on this land,” he said. “And we want the world to see that it’s coming from Australia.”