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 I 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. 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." Wholesale Healing: What We Lose When We Quantify the Arts”I read the recent article investigating several studies in arts-based interventions, and the conclusion that the benefits of these interventions are overstated.1 The review methodically analyses several research studies and uncovers errors in methodology such as the lack of an appropriate control group, confirmation bias, inappropriate statistical analyses, etc. The authors also show the lack of evidence showing a causal relationship between “art” and the physiological correction of the disorder. Finally, they discuss many methodological concerns with imaging studies that show the benefits of viewing and engaging in the arts [1].
My comment is from the perspective of a neuroscientist and practitioner of a traditional Indian dance form called Bharatanatyam - a 2,000-year-old art form. I have been a practitioner of Bharatanatyam for more than 30 years having started my journey in my hometown of Ahmedabad, India. In New York City now, I continue my training from my gurus in dance and music; and work as a science consultant, writer, and educator [2, 3]. I am also creating the foundation to use Bharatanatyam for creative aging [4-6]. In this paper, I would like to explore the benefits of gaining insights from non-Western art forms and discuss the potential of harm in arts-in-health practices. I suggest that a study of traditional art forms and their practitioners in the intended context can be a way of uniting and harmonizing the findings of the paper. For example, the practice of Bharatanatyam involves a minimum of seven years and the learning of associated mythology, texts, semiology, and culture. Its study requires a commitment to the art form, and the explicit intent is devotion, not the vague promise of well-being. The study of Bharatanatyam very importantly, also requires a teacher. The study of Bharatanatyam depends on the close relationship between teacher and student. However, who gets to teach? I discuss the lineage of pedagogy in this dance form and the attributes of a teacher. Practices such as Bharatanatyam and other traditional art forms are not documented in scientific journals. How can then, the scientific community learn from them in ways that are respectful to the art form and its practitioners? How can we understand the power of Bharatanatyam, especially in its cultural context of India, a country that was colonized until very recently? Overall, does the quantification of the arts mirror its original intent? Were the arts ever meant to be used as a pill, a panacea? Is the arts-in-health field doomed? Skov and Nadal rightly suggest the many concomitant factors that may be at play including novelty and social interactions. From my experience using Bharatanatyam for creative aging, I suggest that engagement in the arts could provide a window of opportunity for behaviors or interest, which could be sustained over time depending on factors possibly outside the artists’ or the researchers’ control. Finally, I discuss the potential for harm. In addition to the lack of standardized methodology, and the low quality of research techniques, also missing is the potential for arts-in-health practices to harm the individuals involved and the artform in question. I suggest that researchers and practitioners spend time thinking about anticipated harms and ill-effects of art interventions, how they might be addressed, and finally, to what end. In conclusion, I agree with Skov and Nadal that the benefits of arts-in-health interventions are often inflated and the lack of critical examination of research studies is associated with the confirmation bias they report. However, by using insights from my practice as a Bharatanatyam practitioner, I question what we gain by quantifying the arts, and if the arts were ever meant to be a quick fix for life’s maladies. Literature cited:
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About SlokaMy name is Sloka. I am a neuroscientist and Bharatanatyam dancer; you can find more about me here. Archives
May 2025
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