One of the reasons Bharatanatyam is so suited for older adults is that it gives a way to build on complexity of movement in a modular way.  Simpler movements can be combined together to create something longer, giving participants a sense of accomplishment. 
The video below comprises a pattern that we learned in this sequence:  we first learned the rhythm (3 steps + 1 gap), the sollu (the way the rhythm is articulated and spoken), feet movements, hand movements, and then hands in four different directions. At any time, participants can choose to pick all, some, or none of the modalities, as watching is also considered a part of dance in Bharatanatyam. We also did these movements in different speeds, adding an additional layer of complexity. 

Participants of the sessions at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood were inspired by the sights of spring today (some pictures below): 

For the second session of "Moving Poetry: Indian Dance and Poetry" at the Kips Bay New York Public Library, we explored the theme of spring and rejuvenation through the poem "Ecstacy" by Sarojini Naidu.  

Ecstasy 
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! 

Today is spring/ Group Poem
Blossoming rain 
Brings flowers 
Doves cooing, birds cooing,
Colors and smells, 
Beckoning us towards rebirth,
Joy and happiness. 

At Arts for the Aging, we have been trying to come up with ways to include more cultures and disciplines in our creative aging work, and also reach more older adults. In March of 2023, I worked with Annetta Dexter Sawyer with hybrid programing. 
A few images are below (image credit: Susan at Kensington Club Parklawn)

Our first session as part of the poetry and movement workshop on March 24, 2025 at Kips Bay NYPL, we explored a poem by Ravindranath Tagore titled "Vismaya"/ Wonder (below):

Vismaya (Wonder) by Rabindranath Tagore
"My heart sings at the wonder of my place
​in this world of light and life.
at the feel in my pulse of the rhythm of creation
cadenced by the swing of the endless time.

I feel the tenderness of the grass in my forest walk,
the wayside flowers startle me:
that the gifts of the infinite are strewn in the dust
wakens my song in wonder.

I have seen, have heard, have lived;
in the depth of the known have felt
the truth that exceeds all knowledge
which fills my heart with wonder, and I sing."

Gifts of life/ Treasures (group poem) 

"Sunlight, the moon, starts, rain, nature,
Space 
Happiness, joy, family, 
Life, flowers
Imagination, creativity, transitions,
Time, youth, old age,
Lifecycles, existence,
Empathy, compassion, love, gratitude, wisdom, freedom,
Completion." 

Image credit: Elissa King at Kips Bay NYPL 

In an earlier post, I talked about how Bharatanatyam gives learners the unique opportunity to learn and analyze various rhythmic patterns. At the YM&YWHA, Nagle Avenue, participants different combinations of steps that can make up the count (e.g the count of 9 can be 4+5, 5+4, or 3+3+3. 
One learner analyzed the five jaatis as shown in the image below, and shared it with the rest of the group. This also gives an opportunity for learners to share among themselves, building community and trust. 
Hence, the study of Bharatanatyam for creative aging provides a structured learning opportunity that participants can focus on and master (if they so choose), and provides avenues for creativity within this structure. Additionally, as we see in the example below, it provides ways for learners to build community and trust with one another. 
In these ways, the study of Bharatanatyam provides a structure that participants can focus on and learn. 

A few weeks ago, I talked about how the study of Bharatanatyam lends itself to a study of patterns. At the YM&YWHA, Nagle Avenue, we have been learning the five Jaatis that make up the talam (rhythm) repository in Carnatic music. I create videos (like the one below) for learners to practice. 
On the right is an image of the five Jaatis (3,4,5,7,9) that a learner created and distributed to others. 

One of the ways I learn jatis (set of movements) is by creating patterns for them - this in fact, is a commonality between the study of Bharatanatyam and neuroscience. At the YM&YWHA, Nagle Avenue, we have been exploring one of these patterns, and a participant took the responsibility to analyze the movements, notate it, and show it to the others. 
This careful observation and systematization of movements along with the communal aspect of sharing with others what makes this work so unique! Bharatantyam is really marvelous for all - those that learn by patterns, and those that prefer to count and execute the movements. 
Once we perfect a small series, we can repeat it in different speeds and in different directions. We can also add smaller modules to create a bigger jati. 
In these ways, the study of Bharatanatyam provides a structure that participants can focus on and learn. 

At Arts for the Aging, we have been trying to come up with ways to include more cultures and disciplines in our creative aging work, and also reach more older adults. In spring of 2025, I will be working with Annetta Dexter Sawyer with hybrid programing. 

Below is the program description: 
Sharing Voices, Creating Connections
Create community through the power of the arts and technology with Arts for the Aging Teaching Artists Annetta Dexter Sawyer and Sloka Iyengar in this unique hybrid workshop. You may choose to join the workshop either in-person or via Zoom. We will explore creative movement, sound, and rhythm by creating percussive patterns with props and your collective voices. Discover how music, languages, and cultures connect and overlap as we create together. No prior experience is required, and all materials will be provided for in-person participants. Participants joining virtually may bring gloves, hats, and scarves to use as props. 

Participants at The Creative Center have been exploring the language of hastas through movement and also through the making of plaster casts. We are using these modalities to reflect our personal connection to the natural world, deepen our understanding of both Bharatanatyam and the symbolic language of hands, while also engaging in a meditative and artistic exploration of nature’s forms and rhythms. 
We started sketching our hands holding various hastas, cast these hastas with plaster, and then decorated these casts. Participants took these casts with them, one decided to put lights within the fingers of the cast and attach it to her wall as a self-sculpture. 
Images: Sketches and plaster casts of hands