Program: Ragamala Dance Company: Children of Dharma

Welcome to Northrop for what promises to be an extraordinary season of dance and music! We are thrilled to have you join us as we embark on a series of performances that celebrate the beauty and vitality of these dynamic art forms. Each show you experience this season has been selected to showcase a depth and breadth of artists across the country who are creating innovative new work, bringing masterpieces to life, and reflecting our commitment to presenting performances that both inspire and entertain.  We are especially excited to welcome Greg Zelek as the newly appointed Northrop Organist and know that you will enjoy his enthusiasm and virtuosity!

The performances that you see onstage are just one facet of each artist’s engagement with Northrop. In support of our mission to cultivate intersections between arts and education, there are a plethora of opportunities to dive more deeply into the artists and their work. Community roundtables, performance previews, workshops, classes, Q&A’s, and more offer insight into artists’ histories and processes, and give context surrounding the works you will see. Make sure to visit the “Learn More” section on each company’s event page on Northrop’s website to find interdisciplinary thematic connections, discover resources that provide more information on the performers, artforms, and artistic processes, and explore questions that will help engage you in conversations and reflections. Each of these elements are intended to complement and add new depth and dimension to the way you see the performances. I encourage you to visit the website now and often, as new engagements and resources are added throughout the year. While you’re there, explore the many other events happening at Northrop including concerts, lectures, comedy, and more!

We extend our deepest gratitude to our generous donors, subscribers, and supporters. Your unwavering commitment plays a crucial role in our ability to present a diverse range of performances and support the talented artists who grace our stage. As we dive into this vibrant season, we invite you to consider further involvement. Whether through a financial donation, becoming a subscriber, or simply sharing your enthusiasm with others, your support is instrumental in helping to ensure that we can continue bringing the best in dance and music to the Twin Cities community. 

Thank you for being an essential part of Northrop. We look forward to sharing this season of dance and music with you and hope to see you often throughout the year.
 

Gratefully,
Kari Schloner
Executive Director

Greetings and welcome to Northrop,

We are thrilled, honored, and grateful that you are joining us for this performance. Northrop presents some of the greatest dance and music performers from all around the world and has been doing so for almost 100 years!  We are happy that you are a part of our community who supports this amazing work and helps us achieve our belief that the arts are essential to the human experience.  We are committed to cultivating intersections between performing arts and education for the benefit of all participants now and for generations to come.  

Northrop has been an integral center for the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota arts community for close to a century and we need your help to continue to do so.  We hope you can be a champion and advocate for Northrop by sharing your experiences at Northrop with your friends, family and community at large as well as supporting our work financially when you can.  You can learn more about how to support Northrop here.

As Chair of the Northop Advisory Board, we are delighted to share that we are growing in our work to increase the impact of Northrop on the stage, in the schools, and in the community. If you are interested in learning more about being part of the Northrop Advisory Board, learn more here or contact Cynthia Betz, Director of Development, at betzx011@umn.edu.

Thanks again for joining us and don’t forget to say “Hi” and introduce yourself when you are attending a performance. I can’t wait to meet you!

Jeff Bieganek
Northrop Advisory Board Chair

About Ragamala Dance Company

“Ragamala shows how Indian forms can be some of the most transcendent experiences that dance has to offer.”—The New York Times

Driven by the artistic vision of mother-daughters Ranee Ramaswamy (founder, artistic director), Aparna Ramaswamy (executive artistic director), and Ashwini Ramaswamy (choreographic associate), Ragamala Dance Company is committed to the idea that while history is time bound, the stories we share are timeless. Rooted in the South Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam, Ragamala’s work is expansive—extending beyond the stage to embody their immigrant experiences and show a kindred relationship between ancient and contemporary within today’s world.

Ragamala has toured extensively throughout the U.S., India, and abroad, highlighted by the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), Joyce Theater (NY), Lincoln Center (NY), Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (MA), Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), American Dance Festival (Durham, NC), Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, International Festival of Arts & Ideas (New Haven, CT), Cal Performances (Berkeley, CA), Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (U.A.E.), Korzo Festival (The Hague, Netherlands), Assembly @Dance Base (Edinburgh, U.K.), Bali Arts Festival (Indonesia), Sri Krishna Gana Sabha (Chennai, India), and National Centre for Performing Arts (Mumbai, India), among others.

For upcoming tour dates or to subscribe to Ragamala’s e-newsletter, please visit, www.ragamaladance.org  
Or contact us at, info@ragamaladance.org • 612-824-1968 

Facebook: @ragamala
Instagram: @ragamala_dance     
YouTube: youtube.com/c/RagamalaDanceCompany  

For booking information, please contact, Laura Colby, President, Elsie Management www.elsieman.org • info@elsieman.org • 718-797-4577

Described by The New York Times as “thrillingly three-dimensional … rapturous and profound,” Aparna Ramaswamy (co-creator/choreographer/principal dancer) is a dancemaker and performer whose work reveres the artistic, philosophical, and intellectual depths of her artistic lineage, evolving ancestral and cultural knowledge in the diaspora as a catalyst for contemporary human thought. She is the lifelong disciple of legendary dancer/choreographer Padmabhushan Smt. Alarmél Valli, one of India’s greatest living masters.

As executive artistic director of Ragamala Dance Company, Aparna has catalyzed a bold new vision for Bharatanatyam in the diaspora, charting new paths for South Asian dance in the U.S. Her work has been commissioned and presented by major festivals and cultural institutions—including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Joyce Theater, Harris Theater, Northrop, American Dance Festival, Silk Road Ensemble, Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, and many others—and supported by the National Dance Project, MAP Fund, Wallace Foundation, Joyce Foundation, and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, among others. Aparna’s Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim (created in collaboration with Ranee Ramaswamy) was commissioned to open the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary celebration with an outdoor, site-specific performance.

Aparna Ramaswamy’s choreographic work ranges from intimate solo presentations performed with live music, to large-scale, multidisciplinary theatrical works. Her honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, Bogliasco Foundation Residential Fellowship (Italy), Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Research Fellowship (Italy), Joyce Award, four McKnight Fellowships for Dance and Choreography, a Bush Fellowship, and a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Carleton College, among others.

Hailed by The New York Times as “a master of abhinaya … her careful art glimmers with the strangeness of the divine,” Ranee Ramaswamy (co-creator/choreographer/principal dancer) is founding artistic director of Ragamala Dance Company. As a dancemaker, performer, and culture bearer, Ramaswamy’s creative vision is driven by a profound commitment to the artistic lineage imparted to her through four decades of training under legendary Bharatanatyam dancer/choreographer Padmabhushan Smt. Alarmél Valli. She intertwines her training with a pioneering spirit of innovation and collaboration across culture and discipline.

Since immigrating to the U.S. in 1978, Ramaswamy has been a trailblazer, working tirelessly to create a place for her culturally rooted choreographic work on the major stages of the U.S. dance landscape. Her work has been commissioned and presented by the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Joyce Theater, Northrop, Walker Art Center, American Dance Festival, International Festival of Arts & Ideas, and Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, among many others. Her work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, National Dance Project, MAP Fund, Wallace Foundation, and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Ramaswamy’s Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim (created in collaboration with Aparna Ramaswamy) was commissioned to open the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary celebration with an outdoor, site-specific performance.

Ramaswamy serves on the National Council on the Arts, appointed by President Barack Obama. Her honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship (Italy), Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Research Fellowship (Italy), United States Artists Fellowship, McKnight Distinguished Artist Award, Bush Choreography Fellowship, and 14 McKnight Fellowships for Choreography and Interdisciplinary Art, among many others. (www.raneeramaswamy.com)

Ashwini Ramaswamy has spent over 30 years studying Bharatanatyam from award-winning artists Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy (her mother and sister), and since 2011, their guru, the legendary Padma Bhushan Smt. Alarmél Valli of Chennai, India. Her choreography has been heralded as a Critic's Pick by The New York Times for “creating space, not just for more generations but more ways of thinking” and listed among the “Best of the Year” in The Washington Post. Ramaswamy is committed to maintaining the rigor, physicality, humanity, and authenticity embedded in her Bharatanatyam lineage while forming a personal vision for collaborative, multidisciplinary performance experiences. 

As a founding member of Ragamala Dance Company, she has toured extensively, performing throughout the U.S. and internationally, including The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, American Dance Festival, and the Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi. Her choreographic work has been presented by the Baryshnikov Arts Center (New York, NY), Broadstage (Santa Monica, CA), The Yard (Martha's Vineyard, MA), Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (Scottsdale, AZ), and The Just Festival (Edinburgh, U.K.), among others.

Ashwini Ramaswamy has received commissions from the Liquid Music Series, Great Northern Festival, Santa Monica College, Northrop, Perelman Center, and Bates Dance Festival; residencies at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, UNC Chapel Hill, Kohler Arts Center, the National Center for Choreography, the Bogliasco Foundation (Bogliasco, Italy) and Camargo Foundation (Cassis, France); support from the National Dance Project, MAP Fund, USArtists International, National Performance Network, 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. (www.ashwiniramaswamy.com

Smt. Prema Ramamurthy (Composer)

Smt. Prema Ramamurthy 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 U.S., Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Mexico, and South Africa.

Willy Cessa (Lighting Design)

Willy Cessa  has worked as a director, light director, and light and set 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, Wang & Ramirez, Damien Jalet, Fanny de Chaillé, Herman Diephuis, Esther Aumatell, Le Centre Dramatique Régional des Pays de la Loire, Cie Les Aphoristes, Cie KLP, Danse l’Afrique Danse!, and Franck II Louise.

Saskia Kersenboom

Saskia Kersenboom (Consulting Scholar) earned her Ph.D. Nityasumangali (1984) through academic and artistic immersion in the world of devadasi performing arts in temples and royal courts of Tamil Nadu, South India. Her academic journey ran parallel with training in Bharatanatyam with Smut. Nandini Ramani (Smt.I.Balasaraswati Bani), Karnatik vocal and instrumental music, and classical ballet. This background took various shapes: associate professor in Cultural Anthropology, Music and Theatre Studies at University of Amsterdam, Bharatanatyam performing artist, teacher and choreographer, and guest curator.

Her fascination with dance as a total expression of human culture drove her to question academic literacy in contrast to the scope of oral traditions. From printed and multimedia publications to visiting faculty at conservatories in The Netherlands, Poland, U.S.and India, Kersenboom has worked with the International Danstheater, ICK-Emio Greco/P.C. (Amsterdam Kattai Kuttu Sangam (Kanchipuram), IGNCA (New Delhi), and as guest curator at Museum Rietberg (Zürich). In 1994, she founded Paramparai Arts Performing Arts of South India. Since 2012 Paramparai Foundation has initiated performances, long- and short-term courses in Karnatik Music and Dance—set in the villages of Legend, Hungary, and Tirupugalur, Tamil Nadu, India, certified by the International Dance Council - UNESCO, Paris. (https://cid-world.org).

Siddaarth Shanmugam (Poetry)

Siddaarth Shanmugam is a fervent admirer of human languages, particularly their artistic and expressive potential. A poet since the age of 14, he has mastered the intricate, ancient poetic meters born from Tamil landscapes. Drawing on this rich heritage, he has authored a book to guide aspiring poets in crafting their verses according to these time-honored traditions. Shanmugam, a practicing poet himself, actively contributes his own creative voice to the Tamil literary landscape. He believes that human languages are powerful tools for communication, creativity, and understanding, and is grateful for the opportunities he has had to learn about different languages and cultures. He hopes to continue using his skills to promote cross-cultural understanding. Shanmugam lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children, and works in the software industry.

Asha Ramesh (Lead Vocalist)

Asha Ramesh is from San Jose, CA, and is renowned for her mastery of Carnatic music. A disciple of Sangeeta Kalanidhi Sri. D. K. Jayaraman and Nanganallur V. Ramanathan, Ramesh has earned recognition through numerous awards, including the Rajaji Memorial Tambura Award, the Swaminatha Pillai Memorial Gold Medal, and the Vijayalakshmi Memorial Award for Best Vocalist from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in India. Ramesh is also an accomplished composer, creating music for many dance productions. She composed and performed for her album, Thenum Thinaiyum. In 2020, Ramesh collaborated with Rohith Jayaraman to release Manam, an album that confronts contemporary social issues. She founded Ragamalika School of Music in 1992 and has been a cornerstone of the San Jose Bay Area’s music community for over three decades.

Rohith Jayaraman (Vocals)

Born and raised in San Jose, CA, Jayaraman is a vocalist, composer, and educator known for his soulful voice and infectious energy. Trained in Carnatic music under his mother, Asha Ramesh, Jayaraman has gone on to explore music from around the world, collaborating with artists in many diverse genres. Jayaraman has shared the stage with internationally acclaimed artists such as A.R. Rahman, Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, Akram Khan, Tigran Hamasyan, Hariharan, Shreya Ghoshal, Shankar Mahadevan, Clinton Cerejo, and Ranjit Barot. He is also a member of the Berklee Indian Ensemble, which received a Grammy® nomination for its 2022 debut album, Shuruaat. His latest release, Yazhiha, was an indie collaboration with Vidya Vox on her EP, Sundari, written by Madhan Karky and produced by Shankar Tucker.

Preethy Mahesh (Vocals)

Preethy Mahesh (Vocals) 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, has been honored with the titles Gana Kokilam, Sangeetagna, and Nritya Sangeeta Varshini.

C.K. Vasudevan (Nattuvangam)

C.K. Vasudevan is a 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. Vasudevan has provided vocal support to several renowned dancers at the major festivals and theaters of India, and in Europe, the U.S., 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)

S. Sakthivel Muruganantham has been a preeminent performer on the mridangam, specializing in the accompaniment of classical dance, for 34 years. He learned traditional Gurukulavasam under the great Guru Shri Mayavaram G. Somasundaram Pillai and later under Guru Shri Bakthavatchalam, and Guru Shri M. Balachander. Muruganantham 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. 

K.P. Nandini (Violin)

K.P. Nandini is internationally renowned as a Carnatic vocalist and violinist. She is a disciple of Smt. Uma Prabhakar, and is pursuing advanced training in vocal under Smt. Ranjani and Smt. Gayatri and in violin under Smt. Lalitha Raghavan. She has toured extensively throughout India, Europe, Asia, and North America, highlighted by performances in Norway, Italy, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Canada, U.S., Singapore, and Malaysia. Nandini has received multiple prestigious awards and accolades, including the Yuva Kala Bharathi from Bharat Kalachar, the M.S. Subbulakshmi Fellowship in Music from the Bombay Shanmukhananda, the prestigious Kalavanta award from the Karnataka Fine Arts Council, and the titles Bala Kala Rathna, Kalaimamani, and Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, among others. 

Sruthi Sagar (Flute)

Sruthi Sagar has earned a place for himself in the field of Carnatic Music. A disciple of Kalaimamani Dr. Sunder for more than 15 years, he had his initial training on the flute from Shri B. V. Balasai and his father Shri Sudarsana Rao. 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, 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.

Children of Dharma is commissioned by Northrop at The University of Minnesota, the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University, and The Joyce Theater Foundation's Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New Work. The creation and premiere of Children of Dharma is supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the MAP Fund, New Music USA’s Organization Fund (with support in part from Fifth House Ensemble and legacy contributions to the New Music USA endowment), the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundations, the City of St. Paul Cultural Sales Tax  Revitalization Program, the Bob and Kathie Goodale Legacy Foundation, The Dr. Dash Foundation, whose mission is to preserve and promote the rich heritage and culture of India, the Fredrikson & Byron Foundation, and the Ramaswamys' residential fellowships at the Bogliasco Foundation in Genoa, Italy and the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France. The musical score for Children of Dharma is commissioned by the Charles and Joan Gross Family Foundation. 

Additional Support for Ragamala’s work comes from The Wallace Foundation; The McKnight Foundation; the Shubert Foundation; the Marbrook Foundation; the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Foundation; RBC Wealth Management; and the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Sponsored by PNC Bank.

Hospitality Partner Graduate Hotel Minneapolis.

The Northrop Advisory Board

The Northrop Advisory Board is committed to the growth and awareness of Northrop’s mission, vision, and the continued future of presenting world-class dance and music in our community. If you would like more information about the advisory board and its work, please contact Cynthia Betz, Director of Development, at 612-626-7554 or betzx011@umn.edu.

Thank you for supporting Northrop!

Making Legendary Performances Possible!

At Northrop, we believe in connecting great artists and ideas with our community and to a new generation of audiences. Your gift helps make memorable arts experiences possible by supporting extraordinary performances and new arts commissions, and helping ensure accessibility to everyone through live-streamed programming, outreach to diverse communities and subsidized student tickets. Our Friends are at the center of Northrop’s biggest ideas and brightest moments on stage.

Become a Friend of Northrop today! 
Donate online at northrop.umn.edu/support-northrop

Ways to Give:

• Annual Giving, a yearly gift amount of your choice.
• Monthly Giving, choose a recurring gift amount that works for you.
• Stock Gifts, Northrop accepts charitable gifts of stock.
• Planned Giving, consider a legacy gift by including Northrop in your will or trust, or by designating Northrop as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or life insurance policy.
• Matching Gifts, double your gift through your company’s matching gift program.

To learn more about supporting Northrop please contact:
Cynthia Betz
betzx011@umn.edu or 612-626-7554 

Friends of Northrop

A special thank you to our patrons whose generous support makes Northrop's transformative arts experiences possible. Make your mark on Northrop's future by becoming a Friend today, learn more by visiting northrop.umn.edu/support-northrop.

We gratefully acknowledge the support from the Anna M Heilmaier Foundation, Curtis L Carlson Family Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, hospitality partner the Graduate Hotel Minneapolis, and event sponsors PNC Bank and RBC Wealth Management. 

This season’s listing is current as of 10/22/24

Please contact Trisha Taylor at taylort@umn.edu if you have any corrections or questions.

Northrop's Aeolian-Skinner Organ

Thank you to the generous donors who continue to support programming for Northrop’s beloved Aeolian-Skinner Organ. It is because of you that this magnificent instrument’s voice will be enjoyed by many for years to come.

The Heritage Society Members

The Heritage Society honors and celebrates donors who have made estate and other planned gifts for Northrop at the University of Minnesota. 

• Nancy Allen*
• Jerry Artz
• John Follows*
• Stephen Gordon and Pat Gavan-Gordon
• Gail and Stuart Hanson
• Charlie Johnson
• Peter Lund
• Darlene M. Sholtis

*Deceased