Aparna Ramaswamy

🪔 About

Aparna Ramaswamy is a highly acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, and the Executive Artistic Director of Ragamala Dance Company, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Born in Calcutta, India, and raised in the United States, her artistic vision seamlessly blends the rich traditions and profound philosophical roots of her Indian heritage with her unique perspective as a first-generation South Indian American. Ramaswamy's decades of immersive training under the legendary Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer Padma Bhushan Smt. Alarmél Valli, considered one of India's greatest living masters, form the bedrock of her creative aesthetic. She began her rigorous training at the age of eight, splitting her time between Minneapolis and Chennai, India. As Executive Artistic Director, a role she shares with her mother Ranee Ramaswamy, Aparna has been instrumental in charting new paths for South Asian dance in the U.S. and globally. Ragamala Dance Company, co-founded by her mother in 1992, is renowned for its multidisciplinary dance works that explore intercultural and immigrant narratives. Ramaswamy's choreographic work, which ranges from intimate solo presentations to large-scale theatrical productions, has been commissioned and presented by prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Joyce Theater, American Dance Festival, and the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai. Beyond her performance and choreography, Ramaswamy is deeply committed to education. She has educated numerous students in her unique Bharatanatyam lineage and aesthetic through the Ragamala Training Center, which offers classical training in Alarmél Valli's style. She also serves as a guest lecturer and speaker at various universities, fostering conversations about cultural hybridity in the 21st century. An alumna of Carleton College with a degree in Political Science and International Relations, Aparna Ramaswamy's contributions to Bharatanatyam have earned her numerous accolades, solidifying her status as a significant figure in Indian classical dance. Awards & Honours: Guggenheim Fellowship (2018), Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Research Fellowship, Doris Duke Performing Artist Award (2016), Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship, Joyce Award (2016), Bush Fellowship for Choreography, McKnight Artist Fellowships, Empaneled artist with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Dance Magazine's '25 to Watch' (2010), Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Carleton College (2022), Artist of the Year by Minneapolis Star Tribune (jointly with Ranee Ramaswamy) (2011).