Using the complexity of Bharatanatyam for creative aging

Using the complexity inherent in Bharatanatyam for creative aging 

Bharatnatyam is an incredibly complex dance form! However, we can use this complexity to our advantage and to benefit our older adult populations. Layering skills ensure that all participants have something to work on, no matter if they are new to Bharatanatyam, or have been learning for a while.

In this video, I show how we can layer skills using the imagery of elephants. Seated, in a count of four, we can sway from side to side evoking the stability and sure-footedness of elephants, and then, with the hasta “Arala”, we can show its ears. These movements​ also make effective use of our gaze.

Next, we can use “Mukula” hasta to show the trunk of an elephant as it is trying to get a piece of fruit (above), or water (below). The effect of the trunk can be created with the entire arm or the hands. We can also emphasize that the impact of the trunk can be created with the eyes, which is just as beautiful and perhaps more nuanced as compared to the other options.

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