Like many Carleton alumni, Aparna Ramaswamy’s educational path doesn’t reflect her current professional life in an immediately obvious way. And yet, dig a little deeper, and it’s clear that Carleton was instrumental in Ramaswamy’s success.
A celebrated practitioner of the South Indian classical dance form of bharatanatyam, Ramaswamy discovered Carleton when she performed there as a young child. She knew immediately that Carleton would be a part of her future. “Once I was attending Carleton, my friends and professors nurtured my curiosity and interests,” says Ramaswamy ’97, who graduated with a degree in international relations and is now artistic director at Ragamala Dance Company, which her mother founded in 1992. “I found my people at Carleton. My experience was transformative.”
She identifies the late history professor Eleanor Zelliot as a big influence. “Professor Zelliot was a pioneer in bringing the study of Southeast Asian history and artistic traditions to Carleton, and she was committed to sharing her passion with her students,” Ramaswamy says. “She encouraged me to follow my pursuits boldly.”
These photos were taken last summer at Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnesota before a dress rehearsal for Fires of Varanasi, which Ragamala premiered at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in September. Learn more at ragamaladance.org.