Staying Rooted, Moving Forward

An ethnographic study of Ragamala Dance Company in Minneapolis

This brief looks at how a culturally rooted dance company creates innovative work

April 2026

2 Min Read

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Table of Contents

Overview

Ideas In Practice

Publisher(s)
The Wallace Foundation

Page Count 2 pages

DOI Link
https://doi.org/10.59656/A-AO5972.001

Summary

How we did this

The researcher, Ying Diao, spent a year observing the work of Ragamala Dance Company. Diao also interviewed organization leaders, company members, students, and other stakeholders, and reviewed archival materials.

Ragamala Dance Company, founded in 1992 in Minneapolis, is a multidisciplinary dance company rooted in Bharatanatyam, the classical dance of South India. Though steeped in tradition, the company creates culturally innovative work that continues to reach new audiences. However, researcher Ying Diao, Ph.D., finds that while the company’s work has evolved, Ragamala is still viewed by certain stakeholders–such as funders–as "traditional" or “ethnic,” which can lead to a lack of support for their work. The brief also examines how Ragamala navigates these misconceptions and introduces audiences to Indian dance with a universal resonance.

This brief is based on a study by Ying Diao, Ph.D., of Gustavus Adolphus College

At Ragamala, Bharatanatyam serves as a dynamic, living tradition that continues to evolve alongside artistic experimentation, technological change, and shifting sociocultural expectations.