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About me

Hello!!! I am Aru and I am a dancer, performance maker and scholar based in Dublin, Ireland. I have been a dancer for over 25 years and an academic/researcher in the performing arts for over a decade. My main pursuit has been to nurture this beautiful marriage of theory and practice in my work and let people experience the beauty and power of this blended approach to dance and movement. 

I started off as a Classical Indian dancer who sought formal training for 13 years in Bharatanatyam. I began my training in Lyrical Jazz in my early twenties but soon found a sense of belonging in the fluidity and independence of Contemporary. 
 
I completed my PhD in Cultural Studies (Dance Anthropology) at the National University of Singapore in 2017 because I strongly believe that dance is not only glamorous and entertaining but is a beautiful language of communication. I am a former lecturer of dance at the Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore and Nanyang Academy of Fine arts (NAFA) where I taught both dance theory as well as practice at the School of Dance and Theatre. I have recently completed a second Masters degree in Drama and Performance (Choreography and Composition) from University College Dublin, Ireland and am now a part-time lecturer of Theatre and Performance at both UCD and Dundalk Institute of Technology alongside being freelance independent artist and researcher who teaches various workshops and guest faculty classes with a number of art spaces as well as studios. 
 
I have taught various workshops and intensive programmes both locally and internationally including Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, India and Ireland. I am a former company dancer of The Danceworx, India founded by Mr. Ashley Lobo and The Royal Dance Off Company, Singapore founded by Mr. Ryan Tan. I am a scholarship recipient to the International Student Visa Programme, Broadway Dance Centre, New York and an Emerging Scholar Award recipient of the International Conference on the Arts in Society held in Portugal in 2019.

My main areas of training and practice include Contemporary movement, Jazz, Gaga Technique, Horton, Dunham & Graham techniques, Body-Mind Centering, Dance/Movement Therapy, Post-modern Movement, Viewpoints, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz Funk.

Education

Sep 2020 - Sep 2021

University College Dublin, Ireland

Master of Arts: Drama and Performance Studies

Aug 2012 - Apr 2017

National University of Singapore, Singapore

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Cultural Studies (Dance Anthropology)

Aug 2007 - May 2010

National University of Singapore, Singapore

Master of Arts (By Research): Communications and New Media

July 2004 - July 2007

Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University, India

Bachelor of Arts ( Honours) in English Literature

Work Experience

Sep 2022 - Present

Irish World Academy of Music and Dance - University of Limerick, Ireland

Lecturer of Contemporary Dance

Jan 2022 - Sep 2022

Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Research Fellow

Nov 2021 - May 2022

Dance Theatre Ireland, Ireland

Contemporary Dance Teacher

Jan 2021 - Sep 2022

University College Dublin, Ireland

Lecturer/Tutor in English, Drama and Film

Jan 2021 - May 2022

Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland

Lecturer, Theatre and Film Practice

Oct 2018 - May 2019

Spin Dance Studios, Chennai, India

Dance Teacher

Jan 2018 - May 2018

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore

Lecturer, Arts Management

Aug 2017 - May 2018

Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore

Lecturer, Department of Dance

Mar 2018 - May 2018

Millenium Dance Complex, Singapore

Dance Teacher

Aug 2017 - May 2018

Bukit Batok Secondary School, Singapore

CCA Modern Dance Main Instructor

Jan 2017 - May 2017

Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore

Teaching Assistant

Feb 2015 - Dec 2017

The Royal Dance Off Company (TRDO), Singapore

Full time dancer and teacher

Aug 2012 - Aug 2016

Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore

Research Scholar, Sociology

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