Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy are Artistic Directors,
Choreographers, and Principal Dancers of Ragamala Dance, acclaimed as
one of the Indian Diaspora's leading dance ensembles. Ranee and
Aparna's work seamlessly carries the South Indian classical dance form
of Bharatanatyam into the 21st century, seeing it as a
multi-dimensional, dynamic, living tradition whose beauty, vitality,
stunning physicality, and emotional depth offer vast potential to
convey timeless themes and contemporary ideas. Ranee and Aparna are
disciples of legendary Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer Alarmél
Valli, one of India's greatest living masters. Ranee and Aparna's work
has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, National
Dance Project, Japan Foundation, USArtists International, and a 2008
Joyce Award; has been commissioned by the Walker Art Center and
American Composers Forum; and has toured nationally and
internationally, highlighted by the Kennedy Center in Washington, New
Victory Theater in New York, Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland,
and Soorya Dance and Music Festival in India.

Ranee has been a master teacher and performer of Bharatanatyam in the
U.S. since 1978. Since founding Ragamala in 1992, she has worked with
celebrated artists such as poet Robert Bly, jazz musician Howard Levy,
legendary composer/violinist Dr. L. Subramaniam (India), the Çudamani
ensemble (Indonesia), and Wadaiko Ensemble Tokara (Japan). Among her
many grants and fellowships are 13 McKnight Artist Fellowships, a Bush
Fellowship, and an Artist Exploration Fund grant from Arts
International. Most recently, Ranee has been chosen as the McKnight
Foundation Distinguished Artist for 2011.

Born in India and raised in the U.S., Aparna has been featured at
prestigious venues throughout the U.S. and abroad, both as a soloist
and as principal dancer with Ragamala. Described as "a marvel of
buoyant agility and sculptural clarity" (Dance Magazine), "thrillingly
three-dimensional," and "an enchantingly beautiful dancer," (The New
York Times), Aparna has been awarded several honors, including
McKnight Artist Fellowships for Dance and Choreography, a Bush
Fellowship for Choreography, an Arts and Religion grant funded by the
Rockefeller Foundation, two Jerome Foundation Travel Study Grants, and
an Artist Exploration Fund grant from Arts International. In 2010,
Aparna was the first Bharatanatyam artist to be named one of "25 to
Watch" by Dance Magazine.