By: Lamourie Media

In the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, resides a remarkable, internationally known artist whose passion, discipline, and skill transcend the worlds of dance, music, visual art, and literature. Her name is Ramya S. Kapadia, and her talent is multifaceted, extending from choreography and dance instruction to Carnatic vocals and beyond. Born in Chennai, India, and raised in various locales such as Oman, Kolkata, and Mumbai before finally settling in the United States, her artistic journey is a testament to the power of dedication, self-belief, and the transformative effects of art.

Journey into Dance and Music

Ramya S. Kapadia is not just any artist; she is a passionate advocate for the South Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam and the ancient system of music known as Carnatic. For well over two decades, she has spent uncountable hours refining her craft, travelling the United States and beyond to showcase her remarkable skills both as a solo performer and part of larger ensembles. With a deep appreciation for the rich traditions and complexities of her chosen art forms, Kapadia offers her services as an instructor, running the Natyarpana School of Dance & Music in Durham, North Carolina to illuminate the intricacies of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music to students across the USA.

A Diverse and Integrated Approach to Art 

Ramya’s artistic journey, however, extends far beyond the realm of dance. In addition to her distinguished work in dance and music, she is also an artist specializing in Warli, a tribal art form from Western India. In 2019, she received the Public Space Project award from Downtown Durham Inc., and created a Warli mural reflecting Durham’s changing landscape from the 1600s to the present. Kapadia’s love for art does not stop at creating captivating visuals; she extends her creativity to the world of literature. Her children’s fiction series, ‘Taikamaa’, tells the enchanting story of six children exploring a mysterious land, embodying her belief that art and storytelling have the power to encourage empathy and kindness.

Merging Science, Education, and Art

Interestingly, Kapadia’s numerous accolades and accomplishments are not limited to the arts. A woman of multiple talents, she holds Master’s degrees in Medical Physics and Neuroscience. She skillfully draws from these unique academic backgrounds to devise innovative ways of integrating the principles of her 2000-year-old form with the STEAM curriculum in schools, emphasizing the importance of accessibility to children with special needs. This integration showcases her revolutionary vision of using dance to bridge the gap between art and sciences.

Creating Impact through Art

For Ramya, art serves a much grander purpose than creation and performance. She staunchly believes that art holds the capacity to encourage better, more compassionate human beings. She continually collaborates with artists, scientists, literary scholars, and philosophers, all who share her vision of crafting a better world through art. She expresses this ethos through her other roles, such as the Associate Artistic and Outreach Director of Maryland-based Prakriti Dance and as a Teaching Artist with Durham and United Arts Councils, and Arts Access in North Carolina.

Recognition and the Way Forward

Ramya’s contributions to the field of dance and music have garnered her an array of esteemed accolades, including the Ella Pratt Emerging Artist Award, the Choreography Fellowship from the North Carolina Dance Alliance, and an Artist Support Grant from North Carolina Arts Council. In recognition of her unrelenting commitment to her craft and her visionary approach, she also serves on the Advisory Committee of the “Dance at the Van Dyke” series at Greensboro Dance Project.

Ramya’s kaleidoscopic journey in the arts is an emblem of her unyielding spirit, dedication, and passion. Her enduring belief in the power of art to evoke positive change, along with her commitment to preserving and dispersing the rich traditions of her art forms, positions her as a trailblazer in the performing arts landscape. Ramya S. Kapadia is truly a driving force in the realm of art – a radiant beacon through whose work the world can be enriched, enlightened, and positively transformed.