February 2026

March 2025

I’ll be conducting a 2-hour Indian classical dance masterclass hosted by the incredible Naidu Performing Arts Company in Woolgoolga.

Rooted in thousands of years of tradition, Indian classical dance is one of the world’s oldest living art forms. It’s a language of storytelling through rhythm, gesture, and expression – deeply spiritual, physically intricate, and profoundly sacred.

With deep salutations to my master, this class draws from my training under Datuk Ramli Ibrahim at Sutra Dance Theatre, using his powerful methodology to introduce both Bharatanatyam and Odissi in an open, expressive, and inclusive space.

My heartfelt thanks to Jade Naidu, founder of this vibrant intercultural company, for welcoming me into her creative world. A multidisciplinary artist and educator, Jade creates space for powerful, diverse voices to move and be moved.

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Workshop Details:
Date: Sunday, 4 May
Time: 2PM – 4PM
Venue: Naidu Theatre Company, Woolgoolga
Open to all levels – wear comfortable clothes, bring a water bottle & an open heart!

Website: https://www.naidutheatrecompany.com/rathimalargovindarajoo?
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#IndianClassicalDance #Odissi #Bharatanatyam #DanceWorkshop #NaiduTheatreCompany #RathimalarGovindarajoo #RamliIbrahim #WoolgoolgaArts #InclusiveDance #SutraDanceTheatre #DanceIsHeritage

June 2025

Hello everyone, we are thrilled to announce that Rathimalar Govindarajoo, an esteemed expert in Odissi and Bharatanatyam, will be joining our Rhythms of India event on the 14th of June from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM at the Players Theatre. This event promises to be a mesmerizing celebration of Indian classical dance, showcasing Rathimalar’s exceptional artistry and dedication to the craft. With over three decades of experience, Rathimalar, the dancer of Sutra Foundation Malaysia, disciple of Datuk Ramli Ibrahim, has graced stages worldwide, including the prestigious Sydney Opera House.
Do not miss this incredible opportunity to witness a performance by one of the world’s leading dancers in Odissi and Bharatanatyam. https://rathimalar.com/bio/ #multicultural #portmacquarie #midnorthcoast

June 2025

I can’t thank Ebony Clarke @wretchedeb enough for how much I’ve gained in just two sessions! Her private class is so holistic, it’s opened up a whole new way of thinking about my upcoming work, REM.

I’m thrilled to share that I’m creating this new solo piece for d’MOTION International Dance Festival at DPac this October. Huge thanks to JS Wong for inviting me into this incredible platform!

For REM, I’m exploring the intersection of dream states, movement, and the body, and now aerial silks have entered the conversation. Later, I hope to weave in Indian classical dance motifs to create something deeply layered and personal.

This process is challenging, but I think I’ve found something I truly love. So much to learn, so much to discover with my body!

💭 Here’s to growth, exploration, and embracing the unknown.

#Gratitude #DanceJourney #AerialSilks #ContemporaryDance #IndianClassicalDance #dMOTION2025 #DanceLife #ChoreographyInProgress
#coffsharbour #australia

August 2025

I’m honoured to share that I’ll be performing my solo work REM in MYBody, a new segment of D’Motion International Dance Festival 2025 at Damansara Performing Arts Centre DPAC.

REM is a dreamscape where Indian classical dance motifs weave into aerial sling. Rooted in the classical invocation “Soundarajam Ashraye” by Muthuswami Dikshitar – an ode to Lord Vishnu. REM connects the devotional weight of tradition with the dream-like state of rapid eye movement. This soundtrack becomes the bridge: carrying the timeless grace of Bharatanatyam into a new contemporary dimension through aerial sling.

My artistic path has been shaped by more than 3 decades of my time with Datuk Ramli Ibrahim of Sutra Foundation, my few years performing with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance in London, and the many choreographic explorations that have guided me in finding my own voice. I am indebted to Ishwar Muthkumaran, whose generosity in unfolding the depths of Soundarajam gave me the clarity to enter its world with both devotion and imagination.

This work was nurtured by Jacqui Barnett (PoleFit Coffs Coast), who offered a sanctuary for me to explore, and Ebony Clarke, who gently guided me into aerial sling. Their trust gave me the courage to weave together different strands of my practice.

I carry deep love and thanks to my husband Dev Anand, whose quiet strength and unwavering belief in me have been the ground on which REM could grow.

On this Hari Kebangsaan Merdeka Day, sharing this feels personal… and a celebration of how art can hold our roots while letting us dream in new directions. Malaysia, you are always in my heart 🇲🇾✨

📅 25th & 26th October 2025
📍 DPAC, Damansara Perdana
🎟 Tickets via CloudJoi: https://www.cloudjoi.com/collections/dmotion-international-dance-festival-2025

#REM #Dmotion2025 #MYBody #InternationalDanceFestival #rathimalargovindarajoo

September 2025

Eight lessons in, and aerial sling still feels like a whole new world. It’s so far out of my comfort zone from anything I’ve done before in dance. Slowly, I’m finding the strength and confidence to hold and spin in the air… not easy, but a challenge I’ve embraced. Getting back in shape isn’t easy either … some days feel tougher than others.

My body isn’t as young as it once was, yet it keeps surprising me. Even as I lose certain strengths with age, I’m discovering new ones … learning to adapt, to listen, and to push through. The body has so much wisdom, if only we let it speak.

I’m giving everything I have to create REM, my new solo work, and it would mean the world to have your love and support.

📅 25 & 26 October, 8:30pm
📍 Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC)
🎟 Tickets: CloudJoi – https://www.cloudjoi.com/collections/dmotion-international-dance-festival-2025

✨ Come share this journey with me at D’Motion International Dance Festival 2025 in the “My Body” series. 🙏🏽💗

REM drifts between wakefulness and dreams, weaving fragments of memory and imagination. Inspired by Soundararajam Ashraye” is a kriti by Muthuswami Dikshitar and the spirit of Indian classical dance and music, it reimagines tradition through a contemporary and aerial language, where the subconscious finds freedom beyond time and gravity.

Some of you might’ve already seen this little video on my TikTok page, but I wanted to share it here too… because this journey has been such a huge part of creating REM 🦋

The video was taken during a class routine… not part of REM itself… but these are the aerial skills I’ve been learning and slowly adapting into my own language. With these tools, I’ve been weaving something new, blending aerial movement with Indian classical dance. It’s still a work in progress… but slowly, piece by piece, it’s coming together. Hopefully ready by showtime! ⚡️💪🏽

This whole process has been nothing short of humbling, and I just want to pause to thank the people who’ve made it possible:
✨ Ebony Clarke, a beautiful fairy who first introduced me to aerial sling and whose guidance has shaped so much of my practice. 🧚🏻‍♀️🙏🏽
✨ My husband Dev, who encouraged me in the very first place to pursue this path. 💕
✨ Ishwar Muthukumaran, who unfolded the depth of Soundararajam Ashraye by Muthuswami Dikshitar, a beautiful Carnatic piece I’m using as REM’s soundtrack. It’s a fusion version by Sound Creep, a track that usually ends up on loop on my Spotify, which I further edited and shaped into a 10-minute score for the work.
✨ Jacqui Barnett of Coffs Coast Polefit, who gave me the space to train and work with Ebony.
✨ And JS, for inviting me to be part of this festival in the first place … the opportunity that set all of this in motion.

It’s been sometime since I performed a contemporary solo… and to return home with something new and so close to my heart feels incredibly special. I’m terribly nervous, super excited, and deeply grateful. 😅🥰🙏

REM will premiere at D’Motion International Dance Festival in the My Body Series, and I’m also honoured to be amongst such incredible artists.

📍 Dpac
🗓️ 25 & 26 October 2025
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.cloudjoi.com/shows/4141-dmotion-2025-mybody

I hope to see some of you there… thank you for being with me on this journey 🙏🏽💗

#REM #DanceFestival #DMotion2025 #MyBodySeries #dpac #ContemporaryDance #IndianClassicalDance #AerialSling #rathimalargovindarajoo #DanceJourney

October 2025

An excerpt from my work REM, performed on 25 October 2025 for the D’Motion International Dance Festival’s MYBody series which featured Malaysian choreographers. For those who couldn’t catch it live, this glimpse is for you.

REM is a dreamscape where the body drifts between earth and sky, the spirit carrying traces of devotion. Anchored in Soundarajam Ashraye by Muthuswami Dikshitar, in the haunting rendition by Sound Creed, the work journeys into the dream state of rapid eye movement, where reality and the subconscious fold into one another.

In this work, Indian classical dance motifs, deeply etched into my body through decades of training, are set free into dialogue with aerial sling. The devotional gravity of Bharatanatyam and Odissi meets the suspension, release, and surrender of flight. The music becomes the bridge: carrying the resonance of tradition into a new contemporary dimension.

Choreographer: Rathimalar Govindarajoo
Performer: Rathimalar Govindarajoo

#REM #RathimalarGovindarajoo #DMotionInternationalDanceFestival #MYBodySeries #MalaysianChoreographers #DanceTheatre #OdissiContemporary #SutraFoundation #PerformanceArt #ContemporaryDance #DanceFilm #LivePerformance #Choreographer #DancerLife #ArtInMotion