Dance and Words In my creative aging sessions in NYC, I have the privilege of working with individuals from many countries, speaking a variety of languages. Hence, there is the possibility to exchange ideas and talk about our history, childhoods, and countries, and Bharatanatyam is an excellent medium to do so. As we were learning a piece called Mangalam, we started talking about the feeling of auspiciousness, of being in balance, when everything is as it should be. At the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood, a participant shared the Hebrew word "beseder". This is the power of Bharatanatyam for creative aging. The ideas and themes may be abstract but are universal, and give us a chance to relate to others, share our language and culture, and is the perfect venue for a rich exchange of ideas and emotions. We have all felt that the world is as it should be when everything is “ok”. Bharatanatyam provides a systematic way to think about these themes and provides scaffolding that facilitates structured dialog and sharing. How would you describe a state of balance in your language? Special thanks to Sminu Achary for her help on this article.
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