SLOKA IYENGAR
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Bharatanatyam for All

Shabd at Morris Park NYPL (Session 3)

11/11/2025

1 Comment

 

Shabd at Morris Park NYPL (Session 3)

For the second session of "Shabd" at the Morris Park New York Public Library in the Bronx, we discussed and put to movement two poems - "I wandered lonely as a cloud" by William Wordsworth, and "Ecstasy" by Sarojini Naidu. 
"I wandered lonely as a cloud"
​- by William Wordsworth


I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:


For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
"Ecstacy"
​- by Sarojini Naidu

Heart, O my heart! lo, the springtime is waking
In meadow and grove.
Lo, the mellifluous koels are making
Their paeans of love.
Behold the bright rivers and rills in their glancing,
Melodious flight,
Behold how the sumptuous peacocks are dancing
In rhythmic delight.
 
Shall we in the midst of life's exquisite chorus
Remember our grief,
O heart, when the rapturous season is o'er us
Of blossom and leaf?
Their joy from the birds and the streams let us borrow,
O heart! let us sing,
The years are before us for weeping and sorrow ...
Today it is spring! ​
Picture
Participants also made a group poem:
Life's exquisite chorus 
birds 
noises at a party 
music
children's laughter 
singing
musical instruments 
changing colors of trees

Testimonials:
  • One participant on the poem by William Wordsworth said:
    • "One of my favorite poems! We were taught it in school and at that time, I barely understood it. When I came to America 40 years ago and saw my first daffodils during my first spring here, this is the first thing that came to my mind- and I think of it every year when I spot my first daffodils every spring. Thank you for sharing on this grey and rainy day :)"
  • On the sessions in general, one participant said:
    • "I believe that we are where we are meant to be. You talk about the interconnected of life and I believe in that. I think every life has worth and should be celebrated. I like that we bring that out in our poems and movement.”
1 Comment

Cross-teaching in Bharatanaytam for creative aging classes ​(2)

11/4/2025

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​Cross-teaching in Bharatanaytam for creative aging classes ​(2)

In a previous post, I mentioned how our sessions are enriched because we have so many professionals and individuals from so many walks of life. Educators take on the responsibility of writing on the board, they may simplify things and provide metaphors (e.g. "this rhythm is like the waltz"), and teaching others something they know or excel at (e.g. Hebrew).
A participant at the Morris Park NYPL is a retired English literature teacher and gave me several ideas for upcoming sessions: 
Picture
0 Comments

Shabd at Morris Park NYPL (Session 2)

11/4/2025

0 Comments

 

Shabd at Morris Park NYPL (Session 2)

For the second session of "Shabd" at the Morris Park New York Public Library in the Bronx, we discussed and put to movement two poems - "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman, and "The Same Stream of Life" by Tagore. 
"I Hear America Singing"
- by 
Walt Whitman

​
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
"The Same Stream of Life"
​- by Rabindranath Tagore

The same stream of life that runs
through my veins night and day runs
through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy
through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and
breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle
of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world
of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of ages
dancing in my blood this moment.

Picture
Participants also made a group poem:
My song
describes
feelings
is of joy 
tells my story 
shows my heartache 
is full of hope! 


On the Walt Whitman poem, one participant said 
"A poem of a forgotten age. Would anybody write something simple today? What fun to have these simple emotions. Just joy or sorrow, not the new-age complex things, without over-analysis." 
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    My name is Sloka.  I am a neuroscientist and dancer; you can find more about me here. 

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Last updated: December 12, 2025
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  • About me
    • Profile
    • Service
    • Invited talks and interviews
    • Continuing education
    • Upcoming Public Events
    • Publications
    • Contact me >
      • Ensuring effective collaborations
  • Science
    • Science consulting
    • Global health >
      • Capacity building in global health >
        • Capacity building through leadership
        • Disaster relief
      • Mental health
      • Aging and palliative care
      • Neurological disorders
    • Clinical science
    • Preclinical science
    • Science advocacy >
      • Advocacy activities
      • ABC newsletters
    • Patient communication and advocacy >
      • Patient communication and advocacy (articles)
    • Science education
    • Awards and professional recognition
  • Dance
    • Dance resume >
      • Pictures and videos
      • Community engagement
      • Arts Administration (Biblioteca Madre)
      • SamyuktaNYC
    • Vichaar >
      • Vichaar: Episode 1 transcript
      • Vichaar: Episode 2 transcript
      • Vichaar: testimonials
      • Saṃbhūya
      • The Artful Mind
      • Exploring Early Brain Development through Science and Dance
      • Guru Vandana
      • Iksana (Caregiving) >
        • August 20 @ the Y
        • Sept 7 @ the Y
        • Sept 19 at Buunni
        • Sept 27 at Aaron Davis Hall
        • Highlights from iksana ("Caregiving")
    • Bharatanatyam for creative aging >
      • Bharatanatyam for all
      • Bharatanatyam for all: testimonials
      • Bharatanatyam for all: instructional videos
      • For Seniors, By Seniors >
        • Seniors & Financial Decisions
        • Staying Fit As We Age
        • Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help
        • Embrace the Empty Nest
        • Empty Nesters Seeking Proximity to Their Children
        • The Bumps of a Midlife Crisis
        • Healthy Living for Seniors
        • Forging a Resilient Future
        • Beyond Medicare and Social Security
        • Seniors Living Independently
        • A Harmonious Multigenerational Household
        • Mental Health Boosts
        • Start Your Home-Based Business After Retirement
        • Reclaiming Mental Wellness