Aparna Ramaswamy featured in Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" 

January 22, 2010 

 
Aparna Ramaswamy, the co-director of Ragamala Dance based in Minneapolis, has been named by Dance Magazine as one of its "25 to Watch." The internationally selected group includes principals and soloists from the New York City Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, the Bolshoi Ballet of Russia Batsheva Dance Company of Israel, and Broadway's In the Heights.  

According to Dance Magazine: 
At once iconic and explosive, Aparna Ramaswamy infuses the formal rigor of Bharatanatyam with fluid spontaneity and rock star allure. Her quicksilver dexterity allows her to alter states from ferocious to fragile, earthy to transcendent.  One minute she's an implacable deity, the next a besotted lover.  Ramaswamy's dancing scintillates with clarity, fire and multifaceted mystery. 

Along with her performing, Ramaswamy's vibrant choreography expands and illuminates this classical Indian art.  "My work pushes the boundaries of Bharatanatyam and allows me to discover the creative flexibilities of an ancient form," she says.  As co-director of Ragamala Dance Theater in Minneapolis, she creates dances that reconfigure the ancient Indian dance form by layering it with modern dance, American Sign Language, Taiko drumming and medieval poetry.  Recognized internationally for her artistry, Ramaswamy has received numerous awards and accolades.  In 2010, she performs with Ragamala in Minnesota, Idaho, Oregon, Michigan, and Tennessee. 
- Linda Shapiro 

To see a full list of all 25 performers and choreographers, please visit:  
http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/January-2010/25-To-Watch/