Mavin Khoo
Encyclopedia
Mavin Khoo is Malaysian dancer of the Indian classical dance form, Bharata Natyam
, Malaysia, Youngest son to Tan Sri and Puan Sri Khoo Kay Kim. His father Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim is a national leading historian. Mavin began his training in Bharata Natyam under Vatsala Sivadas and Vasuki Sivanesan at the Temple of Fine Arts, Kuala Lumpur. He also studied Odissi
and Bharata Natyam under Ramli Ibrahim and Classical ballet with Lee Yu Pin. His main dance education was under the renowned dance maestro Padma Shri
Adyar K. Lakshman
in Chennai
, India.
Khoo also trained at the Cunningham Studios in New York
in the Cunningham technique and furthered his ballet training with Michael Beare, Marian St. Claire, Nancy Kilgour and Ayumi Hikasa in London.
He has been commissioned by the Royal Opera House
(ROH2), Akademi, National Youth Dance Company, The Jazz Company, South Bank Centre in the UK to create work. He has also made commissioned work for the Canada Dance Festival
.
He stands today as one of the leading international male solo Bharata Natyam performers dancing in India
and throughout the world. He also creates new work that challenges notions of gender and ambiguity. He has been a British Council scholar having studied his postgraduate studies in choreography at Middlesex University
, London. He is one of few leading performers today that has developed academia alongside practice in performance.
Early life and education
Born on April 30, 1976 born in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia, Youngest son to Tan Sri and Puan Sri Khoo Kay Kim. His father Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim is a national leading historian. Mavin began his training in Bharata Natyam under Vatsala Sivadas and Vasuki Sivanesan at the Temple of Fine Arts, Kuala Lumpur. He also studied Odissi
Odissi
Odissi, also spelled Orissi , is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as...
and Bharata Natyam under Ramli Ibrahim and Classical ballet with Lee Yu Pin. His main dance education was under the renowned dance maestro Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
Adyar K. Lakshman
Adyar K. Lakshman
Adyar K. Lakshman is a noted Indian Bharatnatyam dancer, choreographer and guru.-Early life:Born on 16 December 1933, Adyar K. Lakshman hails from Kuppam in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. His father, Krishnaraja Rao, was posted there as a school teacher. Shri. Lakshman and his brother Shri....
in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India.
Khoo also trained at the Cunningham Studios in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the Cunningham technique and furthered his ballet training with Michael Beare, Marian St. Claire, Nancy Kilgour and Ayumi Hikasa in London.
Career
He has collaborated and danced with some of the major choreographers of today including Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor and Christopher Bannerman. He has danced as guest artist with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, Ballet de Zaragoza, Ballet Regensburgh and Sankalapam.He has been commissioned by the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
(ROH2), Akademi, National Youth Dance Company, The Jazz Company, South Bank Centre in the UK to create work. He has also made commissioned work for the Canada Dance Festival
Canada Dance Festival
The Canadian Dance Festival is an annual Ottawa, Ontario event founded in 1987. Held in June, it sets the stage for Canada's most contemporary, innovative and leading edge dance choreographers and dance companies...
.
He stands today as one of the leading international male solo Bharata Natyam performers dancing in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and throughout the world. He also creates new work that challenges notions of gender and ambiguity. He has been a British Council scholar having studied his postgraduate studies in choreography at Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
, London. He is one of few leading performers today that has developed academia alongside practice in performance.