Phillips to feature dance company founder nominated for White House post

August 6, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — President Barack Obama recently announced his intent to nominate Ranee Ramaswamy – founder and co-artistic director of the Ragamala Dance – to a key administration post as a member of the National Council on the Arts.

Ragamala Dance will perform “Sacred Earth” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts. Accompanied by live music, the piece features choreography that ranges from contemplative to ecstatic and brings both internal and external landscapes to life.

Born and raised in south India, Ramaswamy has received 13 McKnight Artist Fellowships, a Bush Fellowship and an Artist Exploration Fund grant from Arts International. She is the recipient of the 2011 McKnight Distinguished Artist Award and was named “2011 Artist of the Year” (with co-director Aparna Ramaswamy) by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

For more information on Ragamala Dance, visit http://www.ragamala.net/.

For access to the White House’s press release announcing Ramaswamy’s pending appointment, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/24/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts.