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Ranee Ramaswamy and I met at an arts dinner party. Guests spent a
course together, then moved to another seating to meet new people.
Once we met, we did not move. A world of dance and ideas opened
before us, as well as a new friendship.
After that dinner I began to follow Ragamala Dance more closely.
I was amazed by the beauty, expressiveness, discipline,
and creativity that Ranee brought to her choreography. Her ability
to collaborate across cultures and generations blended the traditional
Bharatanatyam she studied with her guru, Alarmel Valli, with multiple
collaborations with American and international artists. Her work with
Taiko drummers from Japan and musicians and dancers from Bali
demonstrates Ranee’s collaborative spirit. Ranee and Aparna enhance
the traditional dance of India for their extraordinary dancers and their
audiences with their interest in all forms of art: performing, visual,
and music. Their work is a feast for the eye, the mind,
and the soul.
In 2010, I traveled with Ranee to Kerala, India, for Ragamala’s first
tour of India. I was an eyewitness to the excitement of the audiences
of nine villages and cities over this exquisite dance company of Indian
and American dancers trained in the beauty, rigor, and tradition of
Bharatanatyam.
Ranee’s capacity to include new people in her Ragamala Dance
family and her life echoes a collaborative and inclusive spirit that also
impacts her work. Ranee and I met at a dinner party; since then, our
growing and deepening friendship has been the most precious gift of all.
Emily Maltz
Arts patron and former senior advisor at Arts Midwest
Minneapolis
Emily Maltz
Ranee Ramaswamy 2011 mcknight distinguished artist 32