Ami Majmudar inhabits many crossroads: Indian-American, first generation, multilingual, cultural, and ethnic minority. Ami’s work as dancer, teacher, storyteller, and author is an ongoing effort to connect her many paths and to share her experiences, her art, and her stories with others.

With a degree in English Literature from the University of California-Berkeley, followed by a Master’s degree in Education, Ami began her career as a high school English teacher. While raising her three children, Ami began writing short stories and then books. Her debut novel, The Torchbearers, published by Penguin India, was shortlisted for the Neev Book Award for Distinguished Children’s Literature.

In addition to storytelling and writing, Ami found a way to express herself through dance. She learned Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form, over decades from her teachers, Mythili Kumar (Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose) and Sujatha Srinivasan (Shri Kalaa Mandir, Cleveland, Ohio). Upon founding Anjali Dance Center in 2012, Ami began to share her love of dance and her culture with local dance students and communities. Over the years, Ami has conceptualized, choreographed, taught, and presented a variety of thematic dance pieces and productions combining dance, drama, and storytelling. Anjali Dance Center has performed for organizations such as the Ohio Arts Council, OhioDance, McConnell Arts Center, Dhvani Performing Arts Society of Central Ohio, and Asian Festival. Ami also choreographs and teaches garba and raas, folk dance forms from Gujarat, a western state of India.

In a variety of educational settings, Ami teaches writing, India’s vibrant cultural heritage, and dance. She has worked with wide audiences in schools, libraries, and art centers, through workshops and lecture-demonstrations, easily connecting with children and adults of all backgrounds through the universal language of stories, movement, dance, and human emotions.

With her engaging, multi-disciplinary, and interactive lesson plans, Ami Majmudar brings the experience of a professional teacher, the grace of a trained dancer, the dramatic flair of a storyteller, and the openness of a lifelong learner to every teaching platform.

Availability

Upon Request

RECENT PROJECTS: The Magic Bow, McConnell Arts Center, all ages. Workshops and Performance: Students from local classical Indian dance schools spent two evenings with visiting artists learning a variety of techniquse and an emotive piece. Local teachers attended a full day workshop on drama, musicality, and expression with visiting artists. Local teachers collaborated to choreograph and perform the finale for The Magic Bow, a dramatic dance performance about a composer’s vision for dance choreography.

Folk Dance Performance, Columbus Convention Center. Workshop/class format for choreography and direction of a traditional Indian folk dance medley as an opening act for Falguni Pathak, a visiting artist from Mumbai, India. Students grades 11-12 performed a dynamic piece to wide acclaim for a 3,000 strong audience.

Anjali Dance Center and Vindhya Cultural Association Student Concerts, Hyatts Middle School and Otterbein University Riley Auditorium, all ages. Participants grades K-10, choregraphy and artistic direction for thirty students in traditional classical Bharatanatyam performances.