People

Dr Aparna Ramachandran Nambiar is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Asian Urbanisms Cluster.

She has a PhD in Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley (2022). Her dissertation project explored regional cultural and capital flows that shape dance in contemporary South and Southeast Asia. She applies theories from performance studies, contemporary anthropology and globalisation on performance genres that are broadly labelled as “traditional” and “contemporary Asian”. Her current book project explores the evolution of South and Southeast Asian traditional dance forms that now cater to urban, transnationally mobile and culturally cosmopolitan audiences in Singapore. Dr Aparna is trained in classical Odissi and Bharatanatyam dance and sustains an ongoing practice in experimental works rooted in these forms, working under prominent, Singapore-based choreographers.