"For 12 years, I abandoned the world of classical dance for life and work in the USA where I studied TV production and hosted my own weekly show from New York City for 10 years. (Check Anita Ratnam – TV Ambassador). It is only after I returned to India that DANCE reappeared in my life as a healing and rejuvenating force. Now I have combined my management and media skills with the art of creating and packaging for a contemporary audience.
I come from a family of business pioneers, of "renaissance women" like my great grandmother and grandmother…I guess I have it in me to explore, experiment and take risks!
In order to play a proactive role in dance and in the broader world of culture I have embarked on a series of entrepreneurial initiatives. These initiatives have given me the strength and authority to step beyond the world of dance and to become empowered to speak about the validity of dance in particular and about the relevance of culture in our everyday lives.
India lives in many centuries. Why should its dance have only one face? When other contemporary Indian arts such as painting and writing are appreciated, why can't contemporary dance be too?
Indian professional dance is going through challenging times. The body of work in new dance and theatre is still nascent, tentative and small. There are many more classical dancers than contemporary dancers. That is why we have to respect the contemporary movement very much and nurture it.
The corporates are the modern patrons of art. I try to create corporate-sponsored programmes where artistes have a free hand to display their full potential in a conventional dance festival.
I feel it's the responsibility of every artist to give something back to society. We should find ways of reaching out and sharing values..." Anita Ratnam
