The Aniccha Arts ensemble includes a team of sound engineers, musicians, dancers, singers, spoken word artists, interactive designers, media artists, visual artists, technologists, programmers, and researchers.  The artists that form this ensemble are professionals in their fields, and collaborate for the vision of an interactive and multi-disciplinary artwork of contemporary political relevance.

Pramila Vasudevan  is a dancer and an interactive multimedia artist. She has a B.F.A. in interactive multimedia design from Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 2004. She also has a B.A. in political science, from St. Olaf College, 1999. Pramila received a certification in Bharatanatyam at Satguru Sangeetha Samajam in 1992 and performed her arrangetram at the age of 14, and continued practising Bharatanatyam in its classical form into her early twenties. Through Ananya Dance Theatre, she learned and practised Dr. Chatterjea's 'BBR technique' - a technique developed primarily out of a basis in Odissi and yoga and developed based on the diverse bodies of various women in Ananya Dance Theatre. Currently, Pramila's dance technique is influenced by both Bharatanatyam, and BBR technique, finding movement that ultimately supports her performance concepts.

Pramila has been performing and creating experimental works through Aniccha Arts since 2004. Recently, her work was presented at Choreographers' Evening, Walker Art Center, November 2008; Late Nite Series, Pillsbury House Theatre, October 2008; and by the Center for Independent Artists in November, 2007. She received the 2008-09 Jerome Travel and Study Grant  to study the intersection of dance and new media in New Delhi, India in January, 2009. She also received a new media, Art(ists) on the Verge mentorship commission from Northern Lights in September 2008 to present a performance  June 5-7 of 2009 at the Pillsbury House Theatre and an installation at the Weisman Art Museum.

Previous and associated dance companies include Ananya Dance Theatre, Ragamala Music and Dance Theater. Choreographers/dance teachers include Dr. Ananya Chatterjea, Ranee Ramaswamy, Roshan Vajifdar Ghosh, and Dr. Bala Nandakumar. Other major influences include Piotr Szyhalski (interactive multimedia), Holly Swift (drawing), Nirmala Rajasekar (vocal), and Dipankar Mukherjee (performance).

Mark Fox has been developing interactive media for five years with the desire to leverage technology to expand and enrich the human experience. He holds a B.F.A. in Interactive Media from MCAD.

Sarah Beck-Esmay graduated summa cum laude and earned her BFA in dance from the University of Minnesota.  While in school, she studied with and performed in the diverse works of Ananya Chatterjea, Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner, Laura Selle Virtucio, Matt Jenson, the University Opera and countless other instructors in the Theater Arts and Dance Department.  She is currently employed as the Audience Services Assistant Manager at the Southern Theater and has previously handled the music licensing and contacting of presenters for Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum.  Sarah has choreographed for musical theater and marching band, and is interested in a completely collaborative relationship between percussion and dance.  She is actively learning the inner-workings of arts administration while pursuing her masters in elementary education and, as always, dancing as much as she possibly can.

Chitra Vairavan is a daughter, sister, and dancer. She is grateful to her parents and sister for instilling their passion for Indian dance and the arts in her so strongly. She has trained in Bharata Natyam with various gurus, but most outstanding is Hema Rajagopalan, Artistic Director of Natya Dance Theatre in Chicago, IL. As she began college, Vairavan started her journey in contemporary Indian movement with Dr. Ananya Chatterjea, Artistic Director of Ananya Dance Theatre. She has since become principal dancer, having performed in Bandh: A Meditation on Dreams (2005), Duurbaar: Unstoppable (2006), Pippaasha: Extreme Thirst (2008), Daak: A Call to Action (2008), and is currently working on Ashesh Barsha: Unending Monsoon (2009). Vairavan received the 2008 Sage Cowles People’s Choice Award for her dancing, as a result of her work with Ananya Dance Theatre. Another contemporary Indian mover in the Twin Cities, Pramila Vasudevan, Artistic Director of Aniccha Arts, is a great influence in Vairavan’s life. Vairavan has performed in Vasudevan’s Dousing the Mirage (2007) and is excited to continue dancing, laughing, and working with her again in The Weather Vein Project (2009). Vairavan is honored to be a part of the boundary-pushing dance community in the Twin Cities.

A Minneapolis based designer/illustrator, Ryan Michlitsch's work's as an art director/designer at an interactive advertising agency in downtown Minneapolis. Ryan received his education at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design where he pursued his passions for illustration and graphic design. An avid traveler he has been to all seven continents and is always planning his next trip. He created some of the promotional material in support of the show.

Romina Takimoto is a graduate of Macalester College with a BA in Theatre/Dance and a minor in Media Studies.  In the past she has worked with companies such as Pangea World Theatre, Ananya Dance Theatre and has acted in multiple productions at Macalester College.  Currently she is a movement/theatre instructor at Anodyne Artist Company and is passionate about supporting artists meet their artistic goals in the performance arts.  Her own artistic interest lies at the intersection between dance and theatre, experimental video, site specific interactions, and icognito public performances.  Thank you to Aniccha Arts for support and the opportunity to work with the company!

more bios coming soon..