Page 60 - Tehelka Issue 13 - July 15, 2018

column
Culturati
ArshiyA sethi
Dr. Arshiya Sethi writes
on cultural issues.
After a rich career of
working on tangible
and intangible aspects
of the ecosphere of the
arts, she runs the Kri
Foundation that
promotes arts,
activism in the social
and development
sector, especially via
‘artivism’, and the
generation of knowl-
edge on intersecting
issues.
Ramaswamy
presents herself
with a forthright
simplicity,
imbuing her
refined, sculptural
muscularity with
a tranquillity that
contrasts with the
springy exuberance
of her feet
60-61 Column-Arshiya Sethi.indd 2 03/07/18
Ranee of Ragamala rules
hearts of dance lovers
As choreographer and performer, Ranee creates dance landscapes
that explores the dynamic tension between the ancestral and the
contemporary form of the art
hen in 2012 the then cal moment. Both mother and daughter
President Obama registeredd for Vallis’ two week work-
appointed Twin city shop, but the first challenge was just a
based Bharatnatyam day away for after the first class itself
dancer and cho- Valli asked Ranee to demonstrate. “For
W reographer Ranee me it was like I was dancing at Kennedy
Ramaswamy, in a move that “came out Centre”, recalled Ranee with brilliant
of the blue for me” she says, as one of the eyes. She agreed to make Aparna her
members of the National Arts Council student, “But I asked her if I could also
that advices the National Endowment learn from her,” chimed in Ranee. It was
for the Arts, few could imagine how decided there and then that Ranee and
the story began or played out — partly Aparna would go to Chennai to train
in India and partly in the USA. Even with Valli. “ Every day from 1pm to 8
though Ranee loved to dance ever since pm we would train with her privately
she began to learn dance even as a little between September to January, learn-
child, she went in to dance seriously ing everything from scratch, and then
only at the age of 26, recalling to mind eventually joined the other students
another late bloomer in dance — Pro- to learn the items” recalls Aparna who
tima Gauri Bedi. went on to become Valli’s first student
Landing in Minnesota as a young im- to do an arangetram- the professional
migrant wife, mother to a three year old debut, in 1988. “She made me realize the
daughter, Aparna, in 1978, even though enormous responsibility on me to carry
only with the mandatory four hundred forward her teaching. I knew I had to
dollars that the Indian government dance like an Indian. She remains our
then permitted, Ranee’s life seemed to role model compass and barometer”,
go the way the family astrologer had admits Aparna speaking for herself, her
predicted. Here as a member of the mother and younger sister Ashwini.
Tamil Association she was invited by USA. By the time she reached child-
Unlike Aparna, Ashwini was born in
its President to dance for the Diwali
event held at University of Minnesota’s hood there was dance aall around her, a
Coffman Hall. With a $25 tape recorder fact that “didn’t allow her a childhood”.
When she was twelve, Ragamala, the
playing out two classical compositions
of M.L. Vasanthakumari, Ranee put up a world renowned Dance Company that
show that earned her requests to teach her mother set up, came into being.
the children of the Indian diaspora. Thus Ashwini tried her hands at many things,
began a slap dash career of going to like theatre, singing and even skiing- an-
India and learning enough to continue ything but dance. “I was a book publicist
in New York when the Ragamala dance
to teach kids, including her daughter.
Then in 1983 she chanced to see company came to perform in a series
the renowned dancer Allarmel Valli, of shows at some of the most prestig-
perform on a Minnesota stage changed
ious venues there. That is when the call
Ranee’s life. “I had never seen anything came to me,” admits Ashwini. And now
mother and two dancers perform every
like that. Vallis’ dance was brilliant and
soul stirring” recalls Ranee of the magi- day, in small towns across Minnesota,
Tehelka / 15 july 2018 60 www.Tehelka.com
4:10 PM