The Artists

Ranee Ramaswamy (Founder/Artistic Director/Choreographer/Principal Dancer) has been teaching and performing Bharatanatyam in the Twin Cities since 1978. She has had the good fortune to train under Alarmel Valli, a leading exponent of the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam, which requires grace and subtlety of expression. Ranee has received many grants and fellowships in recognition of her choreography, performance, and tireless work with Bharatanatyam in the Minnesota area, including numerous McKnight Artist Fellowships in categories of Choreography and Interdisciplinary Art, a Bush Fellowship for Choreography, a LIN (Leadership Initiative Neighborhood) Grant from the St. Paul Companies, and an Artist Exploration Fund Grant from Arts International (New York). Her work is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, The National Dance Project, and the Japan Foundation. In 2004, she was named one of the "Artists of the Year" by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Throughout her career, Ranee has collaborated with celebrated artists of diverse backgrounds and disciplines, such as poet Robert Bly, jazz musician Howard Levy, jazz vocalist Charmin Michelle, Milwaukee-based African dance troupe Ko-Thi Dance Company, Deaf actress Nicole Zapko, virtuoso music ensemble Speaking in Tongues, and five of the Twin Cities most lauded dancemakers-Danny Buraczeski (jazz), Joe Chvala (tap), Susana di Palma (flamenco), Wynn Fricke (modern), and Lise Houlton (ballet). Ranee's work has been commissioned by Zenon Dance Company, the University of Minnesota's Interplay Series, composer Jan Gilbert, and the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis).

Aparna Ramaswamy (Artistic Director/Choreographer/Principal Dancer) has performed Bharatanatyam in the Twin Cities from a very young age, and has been studying under the guidance of Ms. Alarmel Valli, the world's leading exponent of the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam, since the age of eight. At the age of twelve, she was the first of Ms. Valli's students to perform an arangetram (two-hour debut recital) in India. Aparna has performed at prestigious venues nationally and internationally, both as a soloist and as Principal Dancer of Ragamala. She has been awarded several honors, including a McKnight Artist Fellowship for Dancers, a McKnight Artist Fellowship for Choreography, a Bush Fellowship for Choreography, an Arts and Religion in the Twin Cities grant, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, two Jerome Foundation Travel Study Grants, an Artist Exploration Fund Grant from Arts International (New York), the Lakshmi Vishwanathan Endowment Prize from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha (Chennai, India), and the Sage Award for Best Dancer (Minneapolis, Minnesota). Aparna's work is supported by the Jerome Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Dance Project, the Japan Foundation, and has been commissioned by Walker Art Center (Minneapolis). She is a graduate of Carleton College, with a degree in International Relations and Political Science.

 

Amanda Dlouhy (Dancer) has been studying with Ragamala since 2004, when she was introduced to Bharatanatyam by Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy. She has been performing and touring with the company since 2005. Amanda has an honors degree in History, with minors in Geography and Art History, from the University of Minnesota.

Alison Kirwin (Dancer) has been studying with Ranee Ramaswamy and performing with Ragamala Music and Dance Theater since 1993. Alison gave her solo debut performance in Bharatanatyam (arangetram) in August of 1996, and has joined the company on several national an international tours. Alison finished her major in Dance at the University of Minnesota in 1997 and is currently pursuing a degree in Horticulture at Dakota County Community College.


Tamara Nadel (Dancer) has been performing, touring, and teaching with Ragamala since 1994. A student of Bharatanatyam under Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy, Tamara gave her solo debut performance (arangetram) in 1998. She has received a Minnesota State Arts Board Career Opportunity Grant and a Jerome Foundation Travel Study Grant for travel to India. Most recently, Tamara is the recipient of a 2006 McKnight Fellowship for Dancers. Tamara is a graduate of Macalester College, with a degree in Religious Studies and Dance.

Ashwini Ramaswamy (Dancer) has studied Bharatanatyam with Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy--her mother and sister--since the age of five. Ashwini joined Ragamala in 1994 and, in 1997, had her first leading role in Return of the Rainseed. In 1998, she gave her solo debut (arangetram) in Minneapolis. After spending three years as a publicist at The Penguin Group in New York, Ashwini returned to Ragamala in 2007. Ashwini has a degree in English Literature from Carleton College.

Sarah Gerdes (Apprentice) has been studying Bharatanatyam with Aparna Ramaswamy since 1993. Sarah gave her debut performance (arangetram) in July of 2001. Since 2002, she has performed with Ragamala in the Twin Cities and has joined the company on several national and international tours. She is also a substitute teacher at the Ragamala School. Sarah is currently a student at the College of St. Catherine, pursuing a degree in Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity and Oral Communications.

 

Kimloan Nguyen (Apprentice) has been studying Bharatanatyam under the guidance of Aparna Ramaswamy since 1994. She gave her debut performance (arangetram) in 2001, and has been performing with Ragamala locally and on tour since 2002. Also a student of the pipa (a stringed instrument from China) under Gao Hong, Kim has performed solo at various venues locally and nationally, and received the second place prize at the nationwide 2007 CCTV Chinese Folk Instrument competition in Santa Clara, California. She is currently a student at Carleton College, pursuing a degree in Ethnomusicology and Pipa Performance.

  Jessica Fiala (Apprentice) has been training with Ragamala since 2005. In addition to her work with Ragamala, she is a former company member of Kats Fukasawa's Paneer Project and, in recent years, she has performed with choreographers Kaleena Miller, Anasooya Abraham, Vanessa Voskuil, Colette Illarde, and Margo Abdo O'Dell. Jessica is currently completing a thesis on the Quai Branly Museum as a Master of Liberal Studies student at the University of Minnesota.

David Riisager (Light Designer) is a freelance lighting designer. He has designed lights for several of Ragamala's shows in the Twin Cities and on tour throughout the country. He also works for The Children's Theater Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota) as Electrician, Follow Spot Operator, Tour Master Electrician, and Assistant Lighting Designer. He was Production Manager at The Southern Theater (Minneapolis, Minnesota) for four years, and currently designs lights for many small theaters in the Minneapolis area.

Meleck Davis (Taiko Drummer, Flying Horses), although a recent convert to the beautiful art of Taiko drumming, has been playing drums for 15 years. In addition to his experience behind the trap set he has had four years of study in West African percussion under Ghanaian master drummer Sowah Mensah. Meleck also briefly studied Bharatanataym with Ragamala , and is excited about sharing the stage and collaborating with his teachers. He is a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Interactive Design at the University of Minnesota and working as a designer for Triangle Park Creative.