PDF, 5 MB - McKnight Foundation

shared vision
by Aparna Ramaswamy
In 1985 my mother and I performed at
the Ordway’s McKnight Theatre in St. Paul,
Minnesota, under the auspices of the
Minnesota Dance Alliance. We marveled at
the professionalism of the whole endeavor—the
stage, the lights, a lighting designer! Until that
moment, we had performed at every community
festival and celebration one could imagine: in
parks, temples, rec centers, libraries, state fairs,
on the back of a truck. For us, the Ordway was
the big time.
Even at the age of 10, I was in awe not only
that my mother would dare to try to familiarize
people with an unfamiliar dance form, going so
far as to perform it at the Ordway, but that she
was willing to share the stage and her passion
with her young daughter as if we were partners.
It takes equal parts determination,
bravery, and generosity to do both
of those things. What I did not know
back then was that my mother had a
never-ending supply of all three.
In the years that have followed, my mother
has taken me on a journey that I will never
forget. She not only built a world for me
filled with creativity, beauty, dedication, and
determination, but she jumped into that world
with me. We hear all the time about mothers
who push their children to become the next
best, the next No. 1, the next winner. You
don’t often hear about a mother who carefully
nurtures a love for an art form within a
young child, then accompanies that child in
experiencing the wonders and struggles that
the art form brings.
Led by her single-minded drive, her love
for Bharatanatyam, her belief in me, and her
confidence in her audiences, we traveled over
and over again to India to study with the best;
we traveled far, wide, and around the corner so
that every single person, young and old, could
be educated about this poetic, rich dance form
from India; we met and worked with artists from
different genres and backgrounds. I trusted her
instincts to succeed in these endeavors because
I was young and I loved her. Now, I trust her
instincts because I know they are correct. It is
not often that a mother and daughter can work
side by side, arm in arm, to create an artistic
product, to run a business, to achieve a vision.
We are excited each day to see each other and
follow our dreams together. It is only a visionary
and an extraordinary person and mother who
can make this life our reality.
Aparna Ramaswamy is the co-artistic director of
Ragamala Dance and a principal dancer with
the company.
Ranee Ramaswamy 2011 mcknight distinguished artist 18