Ramita Ravi stops by to talk about "Bollywood Boulevard" opening in Pittsburgh this week!

Amid all the hip-hop and contemporary dancers vying for Season 14 of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance,” which picks up again tonight, one dancer is representing thousands of years of tradition—with a contemporary twist. Ramita Ravi, a 22-year-old student from the University of Pennsylvania, is the first Indian-American dancer to be featured in the seven-year history of this show.

And she is determined to pave the path toward greater diversity.

The dancer found the talent surrounded her in New York unbelievable and said that fusing classical and contemporary helped her to express her own Indian American identity.

How has your life as a professional dancer been different and/or similar to what you had expected? Growing up in the dance world, you frequently find yourself attending live performances, Broadway shows, watching films, seeing photographs or reading books/magazines all related to dance. Because of this, you gain some sort of expectation as to what your life as a professional dancer could be like. We talked to a few Pro’s about how their lives today are similar and/or different to what they had expected.

Ramita Ravi (C’17) brings Indian contemporary dance to the silver screen.

Ramita RAVI ’13 lived the Ellis motto, Esse Quam Videri, full tilt when she took a chance and auditioned for the FOX competition show, So You Think You Can Dance, earlier this year. Her hard work, perseverance, and talent paid off as she was awarded a spot on the show and subsequently won the hearts of viewers across the nation with her unique Indian Contemporary style. While Ramita didn’t make it to the finals, her desire to represent herself and her heritage on the stage ignited her drive to pursue dance full-time. From the Ellis Auditorium to the bright lights of Hollywood to the Big Apple’s concrete jungle, Ramita reflects on her time on one of the biggest reality shows on TV and shares how The Ellis School shaped her into the person she is today.

A new course coming to Penn next spring will allow — and encourage — students to dance in class.

Vanessa says: "I love your hands! I want them!"

By bringing to the stage a mix of classical Indian dance and contemporary, Ramita Ravi made a smooth entry into Fox’s Emmy Award-winning dance reality show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Fusing classical Indian and contemporary dancing, she says, helps her to express her own Indian-American identity and make her experiences accessible to members of both communities​.