Seminar at the American Museum of Natural History on the Convergence of Arts and Science![]() Photo credits: Michael Tanksley, Melanie Futorian, Libby Lussenhop On June 2, 2025, I look forward to speaking with volunteers of the American Museum of Natural History on the convergence of the arts and the sciences. More specifically, I will be sharing how a study of Bharatanatyam can give us clues as to how the brain functions. A few themes I will discuss are the study of symbols and semiology through hand gestures (hastas), the study of narration, movement, patterns, and rhythm (tala). Post-event reflections:
About 25 people joined, and there was rich discussion on a variety of topics. A few things that stood out to me, including testimonials:
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Awarded a FY25 Creative Engagement GrantI am excited to announce that as part of the LMCC Manhattan Arts Grant mechanism, I am one of the awardees of its Creative Engagement Award! "Creative Engagement is an arts funding program that provides seed grants to individual artists and nonprofit organizations for projects and activities that offer Manhattan communities diverse artistic experiences" (see here for more details). I thank LMCC for its continued support of my work, and look forward to presenting Bharatanatyam at several locations in uptown Manhattan, such as Buunni Coffee, the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, and Aaron Davis Hall at City College. I am also excited to work with friends on this project - Kylie Madhav, Zara Lawler, and Libby Lussenhop! The video below is from a song I presented last year, also as part of a grant received from LMCC. This song (Na Jaane) describes the devotion of a student to his or her chosen field of study. Ragam (melody): Hamir Kalyani Talam (rhythm): Mishra Chapu Location: Aaron Davis Hall, City College of New York Video credit: Libby Lussenhop Music teacher: Smt Nivedita ShivRaj of RagaChitra Fine Arts Guru Vandana was made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement and UMEZ Arts Engagement, regrant programs supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Howard Gilman Foundation and Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ) and administered by LMCC. From movement to meaning...In past posts, we looked at the vocabulary of gestures in Bharatanatyam, called hastas. While numerous hastas have been defined and systematized in texts such as the Natya Shastra, there is immense scope for the creation of new gestures as well [1]. However, for the most part, the gestures aren't static; movement and gestures are combined to give meaning. Indeed, a recent study suggests the involvement of sensory and motor areas in language perception [2], leading others to theorize that language acquisition may be multi-sensorial and embodied [3]. Speaking, listening, writing, and reading all help us learn a language. I wonder if a study of Bharatanatyam can help understand how the brain ascribes meaning to movement. This piece was written by the Tamil poet Suddhanatha Bharathiyar, where the poet is requesting a bee to take his message to Lord Shiva, who resides in Thillai. Composer: Suddhanatha Bharathiyar Ragam (melody): Sindhubhairavi Talam (rhythm): Aadi Music: Sri. Jayan Nair (voice); Krishna Nair (nattuvavgam); Manav Nair (mridangam); Sri. Rajendran Nair (flute) Gurus: Smt Maheshwari Nagarajan and Smt Vanitha Jayan; Nritya Kala Kendra, Ahmedabad Video credit: Warut Snidvongs Venue: The "Artful Mind" at Manhattanville Community Day Summer 2024 at the Zuckerman Institute Literature cited:
Serving as part of the jury for the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) 2025 conference5/13/2025 Serving as part of the jury for the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH) 2025 conferenceIn spring of 2025, I alongside other individuals served on the jury for the 9th annual NOAH conference (NOAHCON25) in New York City.
"Annual NOAH conferences inform participants on current and emerging topics in the field, highlight best practices and exemplary programs, and connect an ever-expanding community to inspire conversation, collaboration + innovation. NOAHCON attracts artists of all disciplines, arts administrators, healthcare professionals (administrative and clinical), as well as researchers, creative and expressive arts therapists, designers, educators, students, and anyone with an interest in the transformative impact of arts in health." |
About SlokaMy name is Sloka. I am a neuroscientist and Bharatanatyam dancer; you can find more about me here. Archives
July 2025
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