Ragamala Dance Company: Fires of Varanasi

About This Event

One of the foremost traditional Indian dance companies returns for a world premiere of their new work co-commissioned by The Soraya and the Kennedy Center. For millennia, the ancient Indian city of Varanasi has symbolized the crossing place between this world and the next in Hindu culture. In this exquisite piece, Ragamala illuminates the life-and-death cycle in a universal way that is as beautiful as it is profound. Founded in 1992 by Ranee Ramaswamy, the Ragamala Dance Company is directed today by her daughter Aparna Ramaswamy, following in the footsteps of her pioneering mother. As Indian-American artists, they explore myth and spirituality through the South Indian form of Bharatanatyam. Aparna made a guest appearance at The Soraya with Silkroad Ensemble in 2019.