I was so excited to represent Dance for PD in July 2024 at the The Garden at Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center's Summer for the City. It was amazing sharing my love for Bharatanatyam and making it inclusive for all.
Image and video credit for the pictures and videos below: Dance for PD® 

Sometimes, the work on creative aging takes interesting forms. A few months ago, through India Home, a dear person reached out to me to learn the Namaskara that she could share in front of her friends and family for her 90th birthday celebration. 
Over the months, we started working together, and she requested me to perform the Nirvana Shatakam, as it is a song close to her heart. The beautiful song is from this source. 

In July 2024, I offered a session at Sirovich Center for Balanced Living; some images below.
Picture credit: Schekira Wilson 

I am so excited to share my work on Bharatanatyam and its impacts to ease loneliness in older adults is published in the journal Critical Public Health. The link is here.

This paper consists of observational data where I propose a novel framework for describing social isolation and loneliness in older adults that includes relationships to their changing bodies and experiences, to history and literature, and to nature and current events. I then summarize that the study of Bharatanatyam enables connections of various kinds, specifically, connection with oneself in oneself, connection to tradition and history and to others, the nature and current events.

A few reactions to this paper:

• "Wow…that was really informative. I think is going to be even more of a problem with the young generations, especially as they age. They have not formed personal relationship skills because of dependence on social media." 
• "You are so amazing for doing what you do, coming up with an idea where there is hardly any research and turning it into something revolutionary. It really does inspire hope that things can be different." 

Students of Bharatanatyam learn a variety of rhythmic patterns and corresponding movements. Here, participants at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood are working on 7-beat rhythmic pattern providing a fun challenge. Simple rhythms can be so joyful! 
​Picture and video credit: Padma Narayanaswamy

I am so excited to share that my article "The Use of Hand Gestures (Hastas) in Bharatanatyam for Creative Aging" has been published in the The Journal of Medical Humanities! The link is here and below is its abstract: 

"Bharatanatyam is a traditional Indian dance form that involves the use of facial expressions and body movements to tell stories. A key aspect of Bharatanatyam is the use of hand gestures, also known as hastas, which are used to communicate with specificity and precision. Hastas are symbols, and along with facial expressions and body movements that are contextually relevant, they help to communicate narratives. I am a neuroscientist and have been immersed in Bharatanatyam for 25 years; true to the tradition of the form that emphasizes lifelong scholarship and immersion, I continue to learn from my gurus and supplement my dance training with the study of Carnatic music and Sanskrit. My journey in creative aging started after losing my mother and witnessing the lack of access to expressive movement that was available to her; for fear of falls, my previously-dynamic mother spent the last three months of her life without leaving the bed or feeling the sunshine on her skin. By using hastas in the context of creative aging, I describe how we can promote the acquisition of new skills, the physical benefits even in the face of arthritis and limited mobility, the ability to ascribe meaning to the gestures, and the capability to form new meanings and new gestures that are contemporary and relevant to the lives of older adults. Above all, we can engage older adults actively in the creation and appreciation of art."

I am so excited to be back at India Home to conduct several Bharatanatyam sessions. The mission of India home is to " to improve the quality of life of South Asian older adults through culturally appropriate social services".  
A few videos of the virtual sessions are below (Left: Namaskara; Right: Mooshika Vahana).
Video credit: Geetha Jamballi 

I am so excited to be back at India Home to conduct several Bharatanatyam sessions. The mission of India home is to " to improve the quality of life of South Asian older adults through culturally appropriate social services".  
A few videos of the virtual sessions are below (Left: Namaskara; Right: Mooshika Vahana).
Video credit: Geetha Jamballi 

I am working with the Baychester NYPL to bring creative aging sessions to patrons in spring of 2024. Below are a few images from March 25, 2024.
Image credit: Logan Hughes