TRIBUTE TO GURU

VISIT TO COLORADO COLLEGE IN SEPT.

Anusha Kedhar, (Arpana grad 1990), Asst. Professor at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, organized a series of lecdems culminating in a sold out performance at the Richard Celeste Theater.

“The moment I walked in I was immediately drawn in - per usual the attention to detail, the level of execution high, the skills but most importantly and most salient the joy. The passion is palpable and inspiring. Thank you for kicking off this school year properly. Of course, I left thinking ‘damn I bet that first hour was off the chain! Next time...’ you really have piqued my interest in this form of dance I am eager to experience more. The narrative aspect and the gestures I find endlessly fascinating.” Idris Goodwin – Assistant Professor of Theatre ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

DANCE CONVERSATIONS 2016 - Overcoming many struggles and hurdles, co

conveners, Dr. Priya Srinivasan and Ramya presented DC 2016 with the support of the Ektaa Center, Arpana Dance Company, incredible volunteers, collaborators, partners, creators, dancers and musicians. A truly enriching, enlightening and energizing event!! Click here for a report on Narthaki online by Dr. Ketu Katrak.

Click here for the report on Sruti blogspot by Shankar Ramachandran

Arpana Newsletter 2016

The year ended with a birthday tribute to Guru Kalanidhi Narayanan.

Ahila Gulasekaram (Arpana grad 1991), Kanthi Athreya Kollengode

(2004), Visalini Sundaram & Sumani Sadam (2014) and Ramya

Harishankar performed.

Three incredible arts writers from print and online media from different parts of the world in conversation: Ramnarayan

Venkatraman (editor in chief of Sruti Magazine)' Paul Hodgkins (OC Register) and Mallika Rao (the New Yorker, Marie Claire, and

Huffington Post) about the crisis in arts journalism and possible futures.

We are grateful to Susan Rose and Kathryn Milostan Egus for their generous collaboration and contributions. The participating

artistes were Chris Garcia, Ravi Deo, Mayuri Vasan, Saru & Mangala Janahan, Danish Bhandara, Kiran Athreya, Arun Ramabathiran,

Josiah Cortez, Andrea Garcia, Viviena Zhu, Nitya Dholakia, Visalini Sundaram, Shefali Appali, Shilpa Rajagopal, Bala Janahan, Nitya

Parthasarathy, Raashi Subramanya, Pallavi Malladi, Sumani Sadam, Nidhi Satyadev, Shreya Patel, Anjali & Gayatri Subramaniam.

Smt. Leela Venkataraman, dance critic and the author of “INDIAN CLASSICAL

DANCE: The Renaissance and Beyond" shared her years of experience and

knowledge of the various dance forms of India with ADC families in June.

DANCE BEYOND ARANGETRAM - Laasya was

presented in June by Visalini Sundaram & Kanthi Athreya with artistes Asha Ramesh, Shubha

Chandramouli & Kiran Athreya.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------

April - ADC co presented with Ektaa Center SAYUJYA featuring T M Krishna and Priyadarsini Govind.

*************************************************************************************

WINTER SEMESTER AT ORANGE COAST COLLEGE

Students from Orange Coast College: Behnaz Taghavi, Adriana Ortega, Jose Rios &

Leslie Castellano.

“Ramya, this course exceeded my expectation and I learn much more than just dancing.

I want to personally thank you for a great class - for introducing the history, the music

and the art of classical Indian dance, for bringing in professional dancers and for giving

live personal performances throughout the course. For the longest time, I thought Bollywood was the only dance form that India had

to offer after 5,000 years of history. You changed my perception and expanded my world view. I hope this message reaches and

touches you in the way you reach and touch your students. And I hope OCC invites you back again to teach this rich and beautiful art

to the community. Many thanks, blessings and successes to you and the Arpana Dance Company! “– Yi Mei MacLean

____________________________________________________________________________________________

9th

ANNUAL MUSIC & DANCE FESTIVAL, SAN DIEGO - Suman Nayak and Rohini Herur, San Diego based Bharata Natyam teachers

invited Ramya to choreograph a 45 minute showcase on Krishna accompanied by local talent under the direction of Dr. C M

Venkatachalam.

ADC and Ramya had the usual schedule of performances/ master classes/lecdems at Univ of California, Irvine, San Diego State Univ,

Concordia Univ, Redlands Univ, Festival of Children, Bowers Museum, Santa Ana’s Día de los niños and some new venues - the Santa

Ana Zoo, inauguration of the Musco Center for the Arts @ Chapman Univ., Tea Lover’s Festival @ UCLA, Encinitas Arts Festival and

the International Festival @ Soka Univ.