Bengaluru, 8th September 2026: Nrityakosh, an oriental dance company, presents To Burn to Bloom, a 60-minute dance theatre production inspired by the music and legacy of legendary Egyptian singer Oum Kulthum.The production will be presented on 20th September, Sunday, at Alliance Française, Bengaluru, at 6PM.
Conceptualized by choreographer and artistic director Debapriya Das along with her ensemble Nrityakosh Company, the production brings together a group of 8 dancers and 1 actor. To Burn to Bloom uses theatre, spoken text, voice work and visual storytelling to explore the emotional landscapes that define Oum Kulthum’s music.
More than five decades after her passing, Oum Kulthum remains one of the most influential and beloved voices in the Arab world. Her music continues to be studied, performed and interpreted across generations, and holds a particularly significant place in the world of Egyptian and Oriental dance.
Rather than presenting a biographical account of the singer’s life, To Burn to Bloom journeys through the emotions embedded in her repertoire—love, longing, devotion, heartbreak, surrender and transformation. The production invites audiences into the musical world of Oum Kulthum while offering a way to experience her work beyond the boundaries of language.
“Her songs are not merely listened to—they are studied, danced to, interpreted and passed on from one generation of dancers to another. As a practitioner of Oriental dance, Oum Kulthum’s music has been a constant presence in my artistic journey. This production is my tribute to an artist whose legacy has shaped the world of Egyptian dance.”, said, Debapriya Das, Artistic Director, Nrityakosh
Visually, To Burn to Bloom draws inspiration from mid-20th century Cairo—the period during which Oum Kulthum emerged as one of the most influential cultural figures in the Arab world. Archival-inspired visuals, lighting, costumes and theatrical staging evoke the atmosphere of the era while creating a contemporary theatrical experience.
Performance details:
When: 20th September, Sunday
Location: Alliance Française, Bengaluru
Time: 6PM
Tickets: Book My Show
About Nrityakosh Company
The Nrityakosh Company is the professional performance wing of Nrityakosh, founded by Debapriya Das. Established in 2021, Nrityakosh was founded with the vision of making Oriental dance—often popularly identified as Belly Dance in India—more accessible and meaningful to contemporary Indian audiences without diluting the integrity of the art form.
Beyond movement training, the school encourages dancers to engage with Oriental dance as a living cultural practice by exploring its history, music, social and political contexts, and the communities that have shaped it over generations.
