Students of Bharatanatyam learn a variety of rhythmic patterns and corresponding movements. Here, participants at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood are working on 7-beat rhythmic pattern providing a fun challenge. Simple rhythms can be so joyful! 
​Picture and video credit: Padma Narayanaswamy

I am so excited to share that my article "The Use of Hand Gestures (Hastas) in Bharatanatyam for Creative Aging" has been published in the The Journal of Medical Humanities! The link is here and below is its abstract: 

"Bharatanatyam is a traditional Indian dance form that involves the use of facial expressions and body movements to tell stories. A key aspect of Bharatanatyam is the use of hand gestures, also known as hastas, which are used to communicate with specificity and precision. Hastas are symbols, and along with facial expressions and body movements that are contextually relevant, they help to communicate narratives. I am a neuroscientist and have been immersed in Bharatanatyam for 25 years; true to the tradition of the form that emphasizes lifelong scholarship and immersion, I continue to learn from my gurus and supplement my dance training with the study of Carnatic music and Sanskrit. My journey in creative aging started after losing my mother and witnessing the lack of access to expressive movement that was available to her; for fear of falls, my previously-dynamic mother spent the last three months of her life without leaving the bed or feeling the sunshine on her skin. By using hastas in the context of creative aging, I describe how we can promote the acquisition of new skills, the physical benefits even in the face of arthritis and limited mobility, the ability to ascribe meaning to the gestures, and the capability to form new meanings and new gestures that are contemporary and relevant to the lives of older adults. Above all, we can engage older adults actively in the creation and appreciation of art."

I am so excited to be back at India Home to conduct several Bharatanatyam sessions. The mission of India home is to " to improve the quality of life of South Asian older adults through culturally appropriate social services".  
A few videos of the virtual sessions are below (Left: Namaskara; Right: Mooshika Vahana).
Video credit: Geetha Jamballi 

I am so excited to be back at India Home to conduct several Bharatanatyam sessions. The mission of India home is to " to improve the quality of life of South Asian older adults through culturally appropriate social services".  
A few videos of the virtual sessions are below (Left: Namaskara; Right: Mooshika Vahana).
Video credit: Geetha Jamballi 

I am working with the Baychester NYPL to bring creative aging sessions to patrons in spring of 2024. Below are a few images from March 25, 2024.
Image credit: Logan Hughes 

Materclass at Dances for a Variable Population
In March 2024, I presented a masterclass as part of Dances for a Variable Population series. "DVP's lively, fun and free programs for adults, low cost classes and performances with beautifully crafted choreography extends and improves the quality of life." I shared my wrok at the William Hodson Senior Center in the Bronx.
​Below are a few videos (credit: Andrea Gorrín)

On March 5, 2024, my students from the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood will be presenting at lecture/demonstration at the Humanistic Medicine Program at NYU. 
This session will explore the intersections between medicine and the humanities, arts, and social sciences, and engage the NYU community in conversations about the social elements and implications of medicine and health. This session will provide an opportunity for medical students to experience a style of dance and understand how it connects to communication, empathy, cultural humility, and social justice. My session will be unique in its incorporation of some of my senior students.

Thanks to Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and its Creative Learning grant for funding part of this work. 

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]. 
​
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.