Masterclass as part of Dances for a Variable PopulationMaterclass 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)
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Presenting "Bharatanaytam for Creative Aging" at the Humanistic Medicine Program at NYU![]() 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. Building Connections through Bharatanatyam for Creative Aging (2) ![]() 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.
Literature cited:
Building Connections through Bharatanatyam for Creative Aging (1)![]() 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:
The Body Poetic for Arts for the Aging (5)On December 8, 2023, as a teaching artist for Arts for the Aging, certified poetry therapist Lauren Mazow Boyle and I presented a series of workshops entitled "The Body Poetic: Exploration through Indian Dance and Poetry".
We explored Rabindranath Tagore's poem "And in wonder and amazement I sing'. Below is a small excerpt of the poetry that participants made: A Mantra to Renew Your Spirit Communing with the Universe "Sleepy Peaceful Walking in the woods with spring flowers Why aren’t you here all year? Remember this moment Feel the squishy ground meeting your feet Feel it Feel it again And again Inhale the fragrance of this walk in the woods See, feel, and touch a beautiful world Expanding one moment to eternity." Singing as a way to facilitate Bharatanatyam for creative aging![]() In the last few posts, we saw how we can use modalities such as visual art, words, and poetry to supplement the engagement of older adults in creative aging. In this post, I will talk about the use of music and its nuances to help give participants additional ways to engage. My gurus Smt. Maheshwari Nagarajan and Smt. Vanitha Jayan of Nritya Kala Kendra, Ahmedabad have always encouraged their students to gain as much knowledge as possible about music, costumes, props etc to be holistic practitioners. I am so lucky to be able to learn Carnatic music from Smt. Nivedita ShivRaj of RagaChitra Fine Arts. At the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, participants learn basics of Carnatic music and rhythm in addition to movement-based aspects of Bharatanatyam and Indian folk dance to engage our bodies, minds, and vocal cords! Visual art and Bharatanatyam for creative aging![]() Bharatanatyam in its performative form consists of music, rhythm, facial expressions, and hand gestures. However, as students and practitioners of Bharatanatyam, we are also expected to have a general appreciation of colors, props, lights, geometry, literature, philosophy, design, fabric, and history. In my work using Bharatanatyam for creative aging, I have the opportunity to include many of these artistic modalities to enable creative expression. Two examples are: the use of poetry for sessions with Arts for the Aging, and the use of visual art for sessions with The Creative Center. As a teaching artist for Arts for the Aging, certified poetry therapist Lauren Mazow Boyle and I presented a series of workshops entitled "The Body Poetic: Exploration through Indian Dance and Poetry". We explore how Bharatanatyam entwines with the poetic arts. The visual arts are another way to bring alive the expressive power of Bharatanatyam. In a series called "Rasas in the Now" with The Creative Center, participants explore rasas (emotions) through movement and color. Participants are encouraged to think about specific events related to an emotion (e.g. "what evokes the feeling of wonder in you?") and Programs & Partnerships Coordinator Liz Rubel supplements dance with an exploration of color specific to each rasa. For adbhuta (the feeling of wonder), we explored Sri. Tulsidas's famous poem Thumaki Chalat, which describes the sounds a child's anklets make as he is learning to walk. With Liz's guidance, we transformed movement into colors and patterns with pastels. The image is my interpretation of the anklets, the music they make, and the stumbling toddle of the child! The Body Poetic at Arts for the Aging (4) On November 17, 2023, as a teaching artist for Arts for the Aging, certified poetry therapist Lauren Mazow Boyle and I presented a series of workshops entitled "The Body Poetic: Exploration through Indian Dance and Poetry". We explored Sri. Tulsidas's famous poem Thumaki Chalat, describing the sounds a child's anklets make as he is learning to walk. Below is a small excerpt of the poetry that participants made:
"Tinkling, tinkling Shimmer and shake To the left, to the right Falling down Picking up An embrace To be around children Glorious, glorious." The Body Poetic at Arts for the Aging (3)On November 10, 2023, as a teaching artist for Arts for the Aging, certified poetry therapist Lauren Mazow Boyle and I presented a series of workshops entitled "The Body Poetic: Exploration through Indian Dance and Poetry". We explored Arun Kolatkar's The Butterfly; participants created a group poem; below is a small excerpt of the poetry that participants made:
"Enjoy life Savoring the sunshine Seeing the beauty Carefree No problems, no worries All those grains of sand are salty And sweet All these grains that make up a life Strength and lightness All of you are my butterflies A welcome and pleasant surprise Together in this moment I am glad we crossed paths today." The Body Poetic at Arts for the Aging (2)On October 27, 2023, as a teaching artist for Arts for the Aging, certified poetry therapist Lauren Mazow Boyle and I presented a series of workshops entitled "The Body Poetic: Exploration through Indian Dance and Poetry". We explored Tagore's "Over the Green and Yellow Rice Fields"; participants created a group poem; below is a small excerpt of the poetry that participants made:
"The thoughts that you think Before the day starts Telling yourself you’re to enjoy it At this age, or any age Sad or happy, you make a choice." |
AuthorMy name is Sloka. I am a neuroscientist and dancer; you can find more about me here. Archives
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