Founder of the Ragamala Music and Dance Theatre.
AB Staff Report
WASHINGTON, DC: Renee Ramaswamy, founder of the Ragamala Music and Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to the National Council of the Arts for a five-year term.
Ramaswamy founded the Ragamala Music and Dance Theatre in 1992. Her daughter, Aparna Ramaswamy, was Named 2011 Artist of the Year by the Star Tribune. Both of them were also awarded a prestigious McKnight Fellowship last year, one of 13 Renee has received so far. The mother and daughter are the artistic directors, choreographers, and principal dancers of Ragamala.
In a statement, The White House said Obama has sent her nomination to the Senate for its approval.
“Renee Ramaswamy, of Minnesota, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2018…” it said.
The National Council on the Arts advises the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who also chairs the Council, on agency policies and programs. It reviews and makes recommendations to the Chairman on applications for grants, funding guidelines, and leadership initiatives.
A disciple of Alarmel Valli, one of India’s greatest living exponents of classical dance, Renee Ramaswamy has worked with celebrated artists such as poet Robert Bly, jazz musician Howard Levy and legendary composer/ violinist L Subramaniam.
Among her many grants and fellowships are a Bush Fellowship, and an Artist Exploration Fund grant from Arts International. Her work is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Dance Project, and the Japan Foundation.