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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Collaboration – Sam Goraya, Santosh Ram and Samir Kumar Panigrahi backstage before a performance of Kundalini: The Awakening!, n.d.

Zlatko Varenina

inkjet print on paper
Collaboration – Sam Goraya, Santosh Ram and Samir Kumar Panigrahi backstage before a performance of Kundalini: The Awakening!, n.d.

Sam Goraya, Santosh Ram and Samir Kumar Panigrahi keep the Indian classical dance Odissi alive through performances such as Kundalini – The Awakening! Here they are pictured applying makeup before a show at the Melbourne Theatre Company.

‘Putting make up on and getting into a character reflects how we take on different roles in our daily life and perform to the best of our abilities to achieve a harmonious outcome,’ says Goraya. ‘A collaborative approach to achieve a common goal by providing guidance and support to one another as one does in real life within family and friends.’

Stillness in movement

(More information, View all 11 images)

Tanja Liedtke
Maatha by Karma Dance
Ghenoa Gela in ‘Winds of Woerr'
Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake: Ella Havelka, Beijing

Related information

Tara Gower and Baden Hitchcock, Chicago, 2019 Lisa Tomasetti
Tara Gower and Baden Hitchcock, Chicago, 2019 Lisa Tomasetti
Tara Gower and Baden Hitchcock, Chicago, 2019 Lisa Tomasetti
Tara Gower and Baden Hitchcock, Chicago, 2019 Lisa Tomasetti

Stillness in movement

Magazine article by Tara James, 2024

Tara James shares the joy of dance and its power to connect in the National Portrait Gallery’s touring exhibition Dancer.
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

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The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency