SLOKA IYENGAR
  • 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
    • 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
Bharatanatyam for All

Building Connections through Bharatanatyam for Creative Aging (1)

12/12/2023

0 Comments

 

Building Connections through Bharatanatyam for Creative Aging (1)

PicturePresenting my work on Bharatanatyam and creative aging at NOAHCON 23 in Cleveland, Ohio. PC: Sheila Fontanive
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]. 
​
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. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My name is Sloka.  I am a neuroscientist and dancer; you can find more about me here. 

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022

Last updated: June 13, 2025
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • 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
    • 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