Under the direction of Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy, Ragamala Dance Company has been hailed by The New York Times as “providing some of the most transcendent experiences that dance has to offer.” Written in Water is the result of Ranee and Aparna’s ongoing investigation of the 2^nd century Indian board game Paramapadam (the precursor to Snakes and Ladders), the 12th century Sufi text The Conference of the Birds, and the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of both. The performance will unfold upon a large-scale projection of a commissioned Paramapadam gameboard on the stage floor. Featuring an ensemble of dancers and musicians, Written in Water is composed by Amir ElSaffar, known for his distinctive alchemy of contemporary jazz trumpet and Iraqi Maqam, and renowned south Indian composer Prema Ramamurthy.