Aru
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