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 

Over the last several weeks, I've had the pleasure of working with learners at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library. Over seven weeks, we explored movement, rhythm, mythology, and music! 
A participant Aravind Mallipudi, who curates Hrudayam Art Gallery remarked "I feel more alive and reconnected to my roots with every ritual and expression of our culture. So Thank You for your class and allowing me to share my own passion and knowledge with our participants." 

PC: Aravind Mallipudi, curator of Hrudayam Art Gallery ​

We had the chance to show and share our beloved plants as well, and one participant had this to say:
"They are all of love and beauty and part of the cosmos. I have so enjoyed the universal connection that I have experienced in your teaching. It transcends and combines all (positive) thoughts and beliefs. Producing relaxation and encouragement. The class is ending, but the relationship with what you introduced hasn’t."

PC: Peter of NYPL ​

After being at the Baychester New York Public Library in Spring of 2024, I am so happy to partner with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (formerly known as the mid-Manhattan library) branch.
Below are a few images of the beautiful space and material from one of the sessions: 

Bharatanatyam as I am learning from my gurus requires immersion into many modalities of learning, understanding, and experiencing the world. Among other things, it is a study of pattern recognition and generation. The short video shows students at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood working on a pattern of movements with their feet and hands. One remarkable feature of the dance form is also the way in which these patterns can be layered on top of another to make complex pieces that can be learned in smaller modules. 

Bharatanatyam is also a study of words and their meaning. The slokam "Angikam Bhuvanam" mentions the word "aaharyam" meaning "adornment". In addition to its literal meaning of clothes and jewelry, it may also include a smile, sweet words, song, and one's character. A student offered the word "raiment" to describe this expanded sense of adornment. 

I am fortunate to learn from my gurus and at the same time, share this dance with students, placing me in the rich lineage of the tradition. 

I have written about Bharatanatyam being an excellent way to connect with the nature around us. While many forms of dance can do that, the lyricism of Bharatanatyam and the verses and poetry used make it an especially tangible way to do so. 
In the first verse, we describe the river made of droplets of water, bending with mischievous waves, the power of the river to rejuvenate and transform, and the eternal, ongoing nature of Narmada, but also all rivers. 
In verse two, we describe the life forms that are sustained by the river - small and big fish, crocodiles, turtles, egrets, and cranes. We describe the river Narmada as a place for pilgrimage. 
The song Narmada Ashtakam was composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, and set to music by my teacher Smt. Nivedita ShivRaj of RagaChitra Fine Arts in the ragam Alarmagal. 
Learners are at the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, ​
Video credit: Jeanette Shields 

One of my many fascinations is rivers - the lifeforms they sustain and nurture, the civilizations built around it, and their sheer power for change superimposed on their timelessness and continuity. Working on pieces like the Narmada ashtakam with participants at the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood reinforces the ways in which Bharatanatyam connects us to nature.
In this piece, we describe the river Narmada's mischievous waves, the capacity of all rivers for rejuvenation, and transformation. We talked about people going on pilgrimages, and leaners shared things like atonement, asking for forgiveness, or fulfilling a personal desire as reasons to go on a pilgrimage. One mentioned the "eternal and ongoing" nature of rivers, which was so beautiful, and another drew analogies to Yom Kippur - a festival that had just passed. 

The song Narmada Ashtakam was composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, and set to music by my teacher Smt. Nivedita ShivRaj of RagaChitra Fine Arts in the ragam Alarmagal. 
Learners are at the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, 
​Video credit: Jeanette Shields ​

The image shows how I use the written word to help learners grasp some nuances. You will see:

• The name of the river Narmada
• Saralivarsai (foundational notes in Carnatic music) written out 
• A map of India with the river Narmada 

The paper on how Bharatanatyam can be a way for older adults (and for anyone really) to make deep and meaningful connections mentions connections with the natural environment. At the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, we started a song on the river Narmada. This song brings together my love for rivers and dance, and helps us learn and share a bit about Indian geography. It is also a great way to think about the rivers we all know and love - the Hudson River, East River, Bronx River etc - and the life that these rivers subsist. 
The song Narmada Ashtakam was composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, and set to music by my teacher Smt. Nivedita ShivRaj of RagaChitra Fine Arts in the ragam Alarmagal. 
​Video credit: C.S. Rani 
The verses below talk about the drops of water that make up Narmada and how Narmada (and all rivers) have the capacity to renew and rejuvenate.