"They Rose at Dawn" is a full-evening solo performed by classical Bharatanatyam Indian dancer Aparna Ramaswamy, accompanied by a stellar Carnatic ensemble of musicians, which examines women as carriers of ritual. As humans, we endure and thrive through our transmission of wisdom from one generation to the next. Navigating inner and outer worlds, women are the primordial source of all creation; the compassionate mother; the lover, exuberant and erotic; the embodiment of power and strength. For Ramaswamy, these inter-generational conversations provide a forum to create intricate and complex worlds that convey a sense of reverence, of unfolding mystery, of imagination. "They Rose at Dawn" premiered October 6-9, 2015, at The Joyce Theater and has been awarded a National Dance Project touring subsidy for 16/17.