Tamara Nadel

🪔 About

Tamara Nadel is a prominent Bharatanatyam dancer, teacher, and administrator, recognized for her contributions to Indian classical dance in the United States. A native of New York City, she began her dance training at the 92nd Street Y. She pursued higher education at Macalester College, graduating with a degree in Religious Studies and a minor in Dance in 1991. During her freshman year, Nadel was introduced to the Ragamala Dance Company's founding artistic director, Ranee Ramaswamy, and began her intensive study of Bharatanatyam with Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy in 1994. Nadel is a founding member, principal dancer, and teacher with the Minneapolis-based Ragamala Dance Company. She has toured extensively with the company, performing on major national and international stages across the U.S., Russia, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, India, and the U.K. Notable performance venues include the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Lincoln Center in New York, the Joyce Theater, the American Dance Festival, the NYU Center in Abu Dhabi, the Just Festival in Edinburgh, the Bali Arts Festival, the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai, and Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in Chennai. In 2017, Nadel premiered her solo dance work, "Haven't I Hidden Your Name?", which was created for her by choreographer Ranee Ramaswamy. This piece is rooted in the writings of Sephardic Jewish poets from the Golden Age of Spain and utilizes the language of Bharatanatyam to explore the connections between Jewish and Hindu mystical traditions. Beyond her performance career, Nadel serves as Ragamala's Director of Operations and Director of Institutional Development, and is a teacher at the Ragamala Training Center in Minneapolis. She has also contributed to the arts community through her service on the City of Minneapolis Arts Commission from 2008 to 2010, and on panels for organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the McKnight Foundation. She currently serves on the board of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Awards & Honours: McKnight Artist Fellow in Dance (2006), Travel Study Grant, Grant, Grant, Grant, Grant.