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Biographies

ASHWINI RAMASWAMY (Choreographic Associate/Dancer) has spent over 25 years studying Bharatanatyam from her gurus—her mother Ranee Ramaswamy, sister Aparna Ramaswamy, and the legendary Smt. Alarmel Valli of Chennai, India. The New York Times describes Ashwini as weaving together, both fearfully and joyfully, the human and the divine.As a founding member of Ragamala, she has toured extensively, performing throughout the US and in Russia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, the UK, and India. Ashwini has received commissions from the SPCO’s Liquid Music Series, American Dance Platform, Macalester College, and The Great Northern Festival, residencies at the Baryshnikov Arts Center (NYC), UNC Chapel Hill (NC), Kohler Center (WI), National Center for Choreography (OH), and the Bogliasco Foundation (Italy), and support from the National Dance Project, MAP Fund, USArtists International, Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, South Asian Arts Resiliency Fund, a Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, and McKnight Foundation Artist Fellowships for Dance and Choreography. Her choreography has been listed among the "Best of the Year" in The Washington Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnpost, and Big Dance Town. As a 2019 City Pages ‘Artist of the Year, Ashwini's work was highlighted for "illuminating Bharatanatyam’s future.” She is currently touring her most recent work, Let the Crows Come. (www.ashwiniramaswamy.com)

 

SMT. PREMA RAMAMURTHY (Composer) has been an outstanding vocalist and composer for more than four decades. She received intensive training under the great Maestro "Padmavibhushan" Dr. Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna, specialized in the art of "Pallavi singing" from Vidwan Sri T. V. Gopalakrishnan, and learned the art of singing "Padams & Javalis" from the veteran musician, Mrs. T. Muktha. An A-TOP Grade Artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan TV, she has won critical acclaim as a composer and has performed in many of the top venues and festivals of India, the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Mexico, and South Africa.

 

WILLY CESSA (Scenic and Lighting Design) has worked as a director, light director, and light designer since 2001. In 2007, he met Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui in Paris for the project La Zon-Mai at the Cité Nationale de l’Histoire de l’Immigration. Since that time, they have collaborated on 13 projects for Cherkaoui’s Antwerp-based company Eastman. Additionally, he has worked with multiple renowned artists and institutions including Yabin Wang, Aakash Odedra, Herman Diephuis, Esther Aumatell, Fanny de Chaillé, Damian Jalet, Le Centre Dramatique Régional des Pays de la Loire, Cie Les Aphoristes, Cie KLP, Danse l’Afrique Danse!, and Franck II Louise.

 

CHAITRA CHANDRASHEKAR (Dancer) is a disciple of Guru Dr. Mala Shashikanth and Guru Vid. Asha Ravindra and has practiced and honed the art form of Bharatanatyam for over two decades, performing at prestigious cultural events and competitions from a young age. She completed major levels of examinations conducted by KSEEB (Educational Board of Karnataka) in India and attained pre-vidushi honorary title. She is currently an apprentice with Ragamala, learning under Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy since 2020.

 

JESSICA FIALA (Dancer) began training with Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy in 2006 and has performed with Ragamala throughout the US and in India, the UK, and the UAE. She holds an interdisciplinary master’s degree in museum studies and cultural studies from the University of Minnesota, with research published in the anthology The Ruined Archive and the journals Diálogos com a arte and the Journal of Somaesthetics. Jessica is also a research associate at the consulting firm 8 Bridges Workshop.

 

SRI GUNTIPALLY (Dancer) has been learning Bharatanatyam under Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy since 2018. She is an apprentice with Ragamala and has performed with the company at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Sri graduated high school in 2021 as valedictorian at Eagle Ridge Academy, a US Presidential Scholar Candidate, and National Merit Scholar. She is attending the University of Minnesota to study Human Physiology and aspires to be a dancing doctor.

 

RAMYA S. KAPADIA (Dancer) is a Knoxville-based Bharatanatyam dancer/choreographer and a Carnatic vocalist. Ramya has toured around the world to present solo and ensemble works and is a much sought-after vocalist and composer for Bharatanatyam dancers. She has received the Emerging Artist award, Choreography Fellowship, and Individual Artist awards from the Durham Arts Council and the NC Arts Council and is a teaching artist with United Arts the Durham Arts Council.

 

TAMARA NADEL (Dancer) is a disciple of Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy and a founding member of Ragamala, performing throughout the US, India, Russia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, and the UK. She has received grants and fellowships from the McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, and Minnesota State Arts Board, among others. Most recently, she was selected by the Conney Conference on Jewish Arts at UW-Madison to perform a solo choreographed for her by Ranee Ramaswamy, illuminating the synergies between Hindu and Jewish mystical traditions. Tamara is Ragamala’s Director of Institutional Development and board member of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts.

 

RADHIKA NAIDU (Dancer) joined Ragamala in October 2019 as a participant in the development of Fires of Varanasi. As an immigrant to the US in her teens, and having visited Varanasi, she was particularly drawn to and inspired by Ranee and Aparna’s portrayal of the theme of this project through Bharatanatyam. In her spare time Radhika is a practicing pediatrician.

 

GARRETT SOUR (Dancer) is a classical Cambodian dancer under the master teacher Yousedy Peov and is a principal dancer and assistant instructor with Wattanak Dance Troupe. Garrett has also trained in different dance styles competing in many different competitions across the nation and has performed in South Korea representing the USA in the 13th Gangneung International Junior Art Festival. When Garrett is not dancing, he is working towards his undergraduate degree at the University of Saint Thomas.

 

ALAN TSE (Dancer) is a creative soul expressing his artistic skills through design, dance, and yoga. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Alan moved to the Twin Cities two decades ago. He has danced with Sole to Soul Dance Conversion, Ballet of the Dolls, and MotionArts and has performed in works by Myron Johnson, Jim Liberthal, Pam Gleason, and more. Alan is currently a company member of Continental Ballet Company.

 

PREETHY MAHESH (Vocal) is a Carnatic musician who has been accompanying eminent dancers since 2002. She owes her art to her respected gurus Sri DK Jayaraman and Sri S Kalyanaraman. A graded artist of All India Radio she has performed extensively as a soloist and has recorded multiple commercially available albums of dance music. She has performed in some of the world’s best theaters with accomplished artists such as Priyadarsini Govind, Shobana, Padmabhushan Alarmél Valli, Revati Ramachandran, Parvati Ghantasala, The Dhananjayans, and Ragamala. In recognition of her contribution to the art, she has been honored with the titles Gana Kokilam, Sangeetagna, and Nritya Sangeeta Varshini.

 

LALIT SUBRAMANIAN (Composer/Vocal) is a vocalist proficient in both the South Indian (Carnatic) and North Indian (Hindustani) styles of Indian classical music. He is the disciple of renowned Carnatic musicians Tiruvarur Sri S. Girish and Neyveli Sri R. Santhanagopalan and renowned Hindustani musician Pandit Shekhar Kumbhojkar. Lalit has won multiple awards and performs at various venues in the US and India, both as a solo vocalist and as an accompanist for dance performances. He also plays the mridangam and the tabla and has trained under tabla artist Pandit Anand Godse. He has been a junior artist at All India Radio as a Hindustani vocalist, and holds a graduate degree in Carnatic music from India. Lalit has been working with Ragamala Dance Company since 2008.

 

C.K. VASUDEVAN (Nattuvangam) is student of renowned Carnatic percussion maestro, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Umayalpuram Sivaraman, and has been trained by Padma Bhushan Smt. Alarmél Valli in the art of nattuvangam. Mr. Vasudevan has provided vocal support to several renowned dancers at the major festivals and theaters of India, and in Europe, the US, Canada, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. He has a diploma in mridangam from the Tamil Nadu Government Music College and is a recipient of multiple honors, including the Vaadhya Kalaimani, Laya Kala Sironmani, and Rukmani Thala Samuthiram awards and the title Laya Vidyadara.

 

S. SAKTHIVEL MURUGANANTHAM (Mridangam) has been a preeminent performer on the mridangam, specializing in the accompaniment of classical dance, for 34 years. He learned by traditional Gurukulavasam under the great Guru Shri Mayavaram G. Somasundaram Pillai and later under Guru Shri Bakthavatchalam and Guru Shri M. Balachander. Mr. Sakthivel has accompanied preeminent dancers at leading festivals and theaters in India and worldwide, including Dr. Vyayanthimala Bali, Padmabhushan Alarmél Valli, Shri Leela Samson, and Priyadarshini Govind, and great gurus such as Shri K.J. Sarasa, Shri Udupi Lakshmi Narayan, and Shri Narasimhachari. His titles include Laya Vidhyadhara from Smt. Alarmel Valli’s Deepashika, Natya Sangeetha Kala Bharathi from Bharath Kalachar, Laya Kala Vipanchee from Vipanchee Trust, Laya Kala Ratna, Laya Sironmani, and Mridanga Mamani.

 

RAMANATHAN KALAIARASAN (Violin) is the son of distinguished Mirudanga Vidwan Sangeetha Bhusanam Professor Thiru A.S. Ramanathan. A disciple of Smt. Dhanadevi Mithradeve, he graduated with honors from Annamalai University, Chidambaram, India, with the title of "Sangeetha Bhushanam." He has over 25 years experience accompanying leading dancers in India and abroad, and recording music and dance DVDs for E-Parampara Infotainment and Swathi Soft Solutions. He is a permanent staff member/performer with Padmabhushan Sri. V.P.Dhananjayan and Smt Shantha Dhananjayan’s Bharatha Kalanjali. His honors include Best Violin Artist for Dance from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Best Accompanying Artist for Dance from VDS Arts Academy, and the Sudharani Raghupathy Endowment Award for senior musician from Natyarangam—the dance wing of Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai.

SRUTHI SAGAR (Flute) has earned a place for himself in the field of Carnatic Music. A disciple of Kalaimamani Dr. Sunder for more than fifteen years, he had his initial training on the flute from Shri B. V. Balasai and his father Shri Sudarsana Rao. Sruthi Sagar has performed at prestigious venues and festivals throughout India and is a recipient of the Air India Radio first prize and other coveted awards such as Kuzhal Isai Chelvan, Yuva Kala Bharathi, and Yuva Kala Vipanchee. Since 2005, Sruthi Sagar has been a Central Government scholarship awardee and recipient of a Young Achiever’s Scholarship conferred by the Government of India. He has performed at the Olympic Games in London as part of the STACCATO Band.