2007

In publication ...

Ramaa's article "Ahhh ... Mi Amor!" raising a question about the commonly accepted Bharata Natyam repertoire is published by the National Sunday edition of Indian Express newspaper in India.

JWALA-Flame ...

March 2007 - Ramaa & Swetha are nominated for Lester Horton Dance Award for their work "JWALA-Flame".  Founded by the Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles, the Horton Awards honor excellence in concert dance by Southland artists. Ramaa is a prior recipient of three Horton awards for choreography and performance in 1993 and 2002. 

August 2007 - "JWALA-Flame" is presented at the historic Downtown Dance Festival in New York.

Dec 2007 - JWALA-Flame is broadcast nationally on PBS.

Angahara Dancers ...

Angahara Youth Ensemble dancers Shiksha, Aarthi & Medha are featured in a Public Service Announcement created by The Way to Happiness Foundation & Church of Scientology.  The message "Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others" is part of a series of beautifully produced videos of 21 code-of-conduct principles that guide one to a better quality of life. These entirely nonreligious videos will be aired internationally with a target audience of over 40 million.

Photo: Scott Ellis

Recent Past

2006

Angahara Dancers on KCET ...

Dec 2006 - Ramaa & Swetha's JWALA-Flame is showcased at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles for a live audience of over 3000, at the 47th Annual Holiday Celebration.  This is the third year they have been invited to this landmark event of Los Angeles.  (Performance telecast by KCET, the Los Angeles affiliate of PBS).

In Print ...

Ramaa's interview published in "The Art of Community" - a publication of ICP (Institute for Cultural Partnerships) & GCIR (Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees).

Film Documentary ...

Swetha Bharadvaj's dance and interview featured in "The Divorced American" a documentary by Director Michael Ray Gonzalez.  It debuts theatrically before moving to the TLC channel in Spring 2006.

2005

Angahara Dancers on KCET ...

Dec 2005 - Angahara Dance Ensemble showcased Indian dance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles for a live audience of over 3000, at the 46th Annual Holiday Celebration.  They were the only Indian company selected to participate in this event and their performance was telecast by KCET, the Los Angeles affiliate of PBS.

Durfee Foundation Grant

Ramaa receives ARC Grant from The Durfee Foundation.

L. A. Treasures Award

Ramaa Bharadvaj receives "L.A. Treasures Award" from The California Traditional Music Society and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

Spices in the Melting Pot - Life Stories of Exceptional South Asian Immigrant Women

Ramaa Bharadvaj is selected as one of twenty-one exceptional South Asian women living in the U.S., whose lives and stories are presented in this book released by Orangetree publishing by author Padma Shandas. 

2004

Director's Award ...

Ramaa Bharadvaj is selected as one of 11 recipients to be honored with the prestigious Directors Award for 2003 by California Arts Council  This annual award recognizes outstanding leaders in the California arts field for their extraordinary commitment to, and dedicated support for, the arts in our state and is given to those who embody the highest commitment to the arts in California.  

Other recipients are:  Marie Acosta - Latino Arts Network; Michael Alexander - Grand Performances; Moy Eng - William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Teri Knoll - California Association of Museums; Chike Nwoffiah - California Black Arts Alliance; Vinay Patel - Asian Improv Arts; Brenda Jew Waters - Arts consultant, West Coast Connections; Ed Waterstreet - Deaf West Theatre; Gerald Yoshitomi - Arts consultant; Alan Ziter, President and CEO of the NTC Foundation. 

2003

Arts Activism & Advocacy ...

In support of the California Arts Council which is slated for elimination by the legislators, Ramaa initiated a grassroots campaign in May 2003.  She organized the first public "aRTS aLIVE" Rally on June 18th at the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, gathering together the community of leaders, artists and arts advocates.  She was featured on the news on KTLA, KNBC, Fox 11 and was also interviewed by Los Angeles Times, KPFK radio and KPCC National Public Radio.  She was invited to speak at a public Rally in Sacramento in front of the Capitol building, and at panels on Arts Activism at the Arts Marketing Institute Conference.

Listen to Ramaa's live interview with Larry Mantle on National Public Radio on Tue, July 1, 2003: (Ramaa's section is at around 20 minutes into the program)

Ramaa's commentary selected for publication ...

Ramaa Bharadvaj's witty commentary "Past Your Prime - Ageism in Dance" has been selected for publication by the prestigious Congress on Research in Dance, and the New York Foundation for the Arts.  It will also be republished by Folkworks Magazine and India Currents Magazine.  Acclaimed as "brilliant writing" by renowned Indian scholar and critic "Padmasri" Dr. Sunil Kothari, this article was Ramaa's response to ICCR's (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) bizarre ruling that dancers over the age of 45 will not be listed as performing artists in their files.        

Ramaa Bharadvaj chosen as Master Artist by ACTA  …    

Ramaa Bharadvaj has been chosen as a Master Artist of California to receive the 2002-03 Master Apprentice grant from The Alliance for California Traditional Artists.  

Swetha Bharadvaj receives Next Generation Grant …

Swetha Bharadvaj receives Next Generation Grant from the California Arts Council with a perfect 4.0 score.  She will work with hip-hop artist Erika Moore to create a collaborative work that focuses on the issue of AIDS in India and Africa.

2002

Angahara Dancers on KCET …

Dec 24, 2002: Ramaa & Swetha Bharadvaj and the Angahara Ensemble showcased Indian dance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles for a live audience of 3000, at the 43^rd Annual Holiday Celebration and was telecast on KCET, the Los Angeles affiliate of PBS.  They were the only Indian company among the 33 companies selected to participate in this event. 

Interview on KPFK …

The Global Village broadcast by KPFK, is one of Southern California’s most popular World Music programs.  In August, 2002, this program, hosted by Yatrika Shah-Rais, featured an hour-long interview with Ramaa Bharadvaj along with musical selections from Angahara’s music collection. 

Instituting an award in India …

Ramaa Bharadvaj creates an endowment and institutes the M. Venkatakrishnan Memorial Award, in Chennai, India.  M. Venkatakrishnan was a cultural activist who passed away in 1998.  The award (managed by Sruti Foundation) will honor those dance presenters in India who encourage and provide performance opportunities to young classical dancers.  The first recipient was Mr. Yagnaraman, the secretary of Krishna Gana Sabha and host of the Natya Kala Conference.  Ramaa was invited to speak and present the award on June 30, 2002 at a gala function hosted in Chennai, India.   

Lester Horton awards  …

 April 2002 -   Ramaa Bharadvaj wins two Lester Horton Dance Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography and Outstanding Individual Performance, at a glittering ceremony at the Japan America Theater in Los Angeles.    The Lester Horton Dance Awards were established by the Dance Resource Center of Los Angeles to honor excellence in concert dance. 

   In her acceptance speech Bharadvaj, (who was the first Indian dancer to receive the Lester Horton award, back in 1993) spoke about the need for economic stability for concert dancers. Amidst thunderous applause she told her audience:  “How many of you have heard presenters say to us, “we cannot pay you but we can give you great exposure?  My answer to them is this: “Darling, if I want exposure I will strip naked and run on the beach. California is full of them.”  Dancers have a bigger responsibility than merely to entertain, she said, “as a dance community we have to go beyond just presenting our dance, we have to represent it, both artistically and politically.”    

2000

On the cover of Dance Magazine …

Ramaa and Swetha Bharadvaj featured on the cover of the June 2000 issue of “Dance Magazine”, the world’s most prestigious dance publication.  Started in 1927, the Dance Magazine is regarded as the most authoritative magazine for dancers in the United States.  It is the only international dance publication based in the U.S. and has a readership of over 300,000 globally with critics and correspondents in at least 22 countries.  

Venkatakrishnan Memorial Award Ceremony

Swetha & Ramaa 

with the Lester Horton Dance Awards - 2002