In the last post, we saw the rise in rates of loneliness and social isolation in older adults, and that it may be associated with chronic mental and physical health issues. In this post, I will propose the use of aspects of Bharatanatyam for creative aging as a unique and specific way to address this issue. 

1. Dance in general has been shown to be beneficial for older adults [1-4]; however, Bharatanatayam provides numerous benefits as opposed to just the physicality of dance. The study of Bharatanatayam entails: 1. Connection with oneself in body, mind, and spirit; 2. Connect to tradition and history; and 3. A systematic structure of relating to others, to the nature and environment, and to current events. 
   

The intentional pedagogical approach of Bharatanatyam enables ways of connecting not just with our histories and our bodies, but with poets and writers of the past, as well as ancestral knowledge. 

Literature cited:

1. Joung HJ, Lee Y. Effect of Creative Dance on Fitness, Functional Balance, and Mobility Control in the Elderly. Gerontology 2019;65(5):537-46. doi: 10.1159/000499402 [published Online First: 20190503]
2. Cruz-Ferreira A, Marmeleira J, Formigo A, et al. Creative Dance Improves Physical Fitness and Life Satisfaction in Older Women. Res Aging 2015;37(8):837-55. doi: 10.1177/0164027514568103 [published Online First: 20150129]
3. Martin-Wylie E, Urmston E, Redding E. Impact of creative dance on subjective well-being amongst older adults: an arts-informed photo-elicitation study. Arts Health 2022:1-17. doi: 10.1080/17533015.2022.2156562 [published Online First: 20221215]
4. Marmeleira JF, Pereira C, Cruz-Ferreira A, et al. Creative dance can enhance proprioception in older adults. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2009;49(4):480-5.

Older adults in the US and worldwide are facing enormous levels of isolation and loneliness. Loneliness is defined as the "feeling of being alone" irrespective of the amount of social contacts one has. Social isolation is defined as the overt lack of social connections [1]. As we can see the two are related, but not entirely the same. Research on the tangible impacts of loneliness on the brain are underway, but it is clear that loneliness in older adults may be linked to higher rates of conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, weakened immunity, depression etc. In fact, loneliness and isolation have been suggested to be instigators for a host of physical and mental conditions [2]. 
These facts are stark and paint a rather bleak picture. So, what can we do? 
The role of the arts in promoting social cohesion has been suggested. Specifically, it has been shown that "creative placemaking", the process of using arts to shape the physical and social characteristics of a place can help achieve social cohesion and promote wellbeing [3]. 
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In the next post, I will talk about my work using Bharatanatyam for creative aging, and all the ways in which this traditional Indian dance form can promote connectivity and alleviate isolation and loneliness. 

Literature cited:

1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25663. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html.
2. National Institute on Aging. 2019. Social isolation, loneliness in older people pose health risks. Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks. 
3. National Endowment for the Arts. 2021. New Report Examines the Role of Arts and Culture in Fostering Social Cohesion and Community Well-Being. Available at: https://www.arts.gov/news/press-releases/2021/new-report-examines-role-arts-and-culture-fostering-social-cohesion-and-community-well-being. 

On December 8, 2023, as a teaching artist for Arts for the Aging,  certified poetry therapist Lauren Mazow Boyle and I presented a series of workshops entitled "The Body Poetic:  Exploration through Indian Dance and Poetry".
We explored Rabindranath Tagore's poem "And in wonder and amazement I sing'. Below is a small excerpt of the poetry that participants made: 

A Mantra to Renew Your Spirit
Communing with the Universe

"Sleepy
Peaceful
Walking in the woods with spring flowers
Why aren’t you here all year?
Remember this moment
Feel the squishy ground meeting your feet
Feel it
Feel it again
And again
Inhale the fragrance of this walk in the woods
See, feel, and touch a beautiful world
Expanding one moment to eternity."

In the last few posts, we saw how we can use modalities such as visual art, words, and poetry to supplement the engagement of older adults in creative aging. In this post, I will talk about the use of music and its nuances to help give participants additional ways to engage. 

My gurus Smt. Maheshwari Nagarajan and Smt. Vanitha Jayan of Nritya Kala Kendra, Ahmedabad have always encouraged their students to gain as much knowledge as possible about music, costumes, props etc to be holistic practitioners. I am so lucky to be able to learn Carnatic music from Smt. Nivedita ShivRaj of RagaChitra Fine Arts.

At the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, participants learn basics of Carnatic music and rhythm in addition to movement-based aspects of Bharatanatyam and Indian folk dance to engage our bodies, minds, and vocal cords!