I’ve been fortunate to learn from Smt. Maheshwari Nagarajan (Amma) and Sri. Nagarajan sir (Sir) at Darpana Academy of Performing Arts since I was very young, and now at Nritya Kala Kendra. I feel so lucky to be able to learn from them even now, after all these years.
There are many things Amma has taught me from dance to choreography (e.g. keep things simple, don’t over-complicate choreography), attention to detail in the way of wearing a sari, lifting feet in class practice or in a performance. From the way my sari was ironed, to its pleats, Amma talks about simplicity and clarity in movement and choreography, and respect for the craft above all.
In this manner, the communication of science is not that different from the communication of a story in Bharatanatyam, as we are following a story line, looking for a systematic narrative structure, and looking for clarity. Amma does not like to intellectualize dance (“get up and dance!”) and is forever patient. She encourages her students to do more, explore more, teach, and most of all, strive for excellence, not perfection. She emphasizes sustained interest over time rather than a quick burst of attention.
​In addition to time spent learning dance and mythology with her, there are so many occasions of eating food (jackfruit papads!), preparing food, and talking about stories.

 In addition to electrophysiology, my research also consisted of some immunological techniques to better understand how the brain changes because of seizures and epilepsy. For this, I worked with Dr. Gerardo Piroli also at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience.
His mentorship taught me to be precise while doing these experiments and the ways in which results from these techniques can be interpreted. We bonded over our love of our respective languages (Spanish for him, Hindi and Gujarati for me), his love for the Blues and Blues-inspired music, and ZZ Top.  

My PhD advisor Dr. David Mott was one of the first people to teach me how to think like a scientist, read and critique scientific papers, and form hypotheses. In addition to learning electrophysiology from him, I also learned tons about classic rock.

When I came to the US from India, I was not very familiar with Western music, and performing long experiments in the lab with music that was recommended to me by Dr. Mott still makes me think of the afternoons and evenings in the lab.

​To this day, listening to a song on the radio by the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin takes me back to the lab at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience. His interest in each thing around him continues to be a source of inspiration for me, many years after having worked with him.

The humanistic aspects of the arts and the sciences are evident in the people who make the work happen, and the spaces and institutions where this work takes place. In my scientific and artistic disciplines, I have been privileged to learn from so many wonderful mentors and gurus. The arts and sciences are also human-oriented disciplines, with the work done by people, hopefully to positively impact other people. In addition to the role of gurus and mentors, there is an important role of peers and colleagues as well.

​Over the next few posts, I will highlight my gurus and talk about the things they have taught me in the arts and sciences, and many allied lessons. I talk about my graduate advisor Dr. David Mott, Dr. Gerardo Piroli for science, and Smt. Maheshwari Nagarajan ("Amma") and Smt. Vanitha Jayan ("Didi") for dance. 

In a previous post, I proposed that the arts may be a way to reduce disconnects between science and society, and that "The arts and sciences can help bring people together, help develop a common vocabulary and a common language by which people can understand the world around us." 

The sciences and the arts are typically thought of as two disparate disciplines with little overlap. However, a growing field of study is exploring these two disciplines as having more in common with one another than previously appreciated. My work under the umbrella of Vichaar (Sanskrit for “thought” or “perception”) explores the convergence between Bharatanatyam and neuroscience. 

In this post, I propose three potential aspects of the arts when it comes to being a bridge between the sciences and society:

• Describing and appreciating science as a human endeavor with its flaws.
• Addressing and describing the inherent ambiguity that exists in science, and
• Communicating scientific results to a range of audiences using lessons from the arts.

The ramifications of this approach are immense: a greater science literacy in non-scientists, an appreciation of the beauty that exists in the doing and thinking of science, an increase in the relevance to the concerns of the larger culture because of greater curiosity and engagement on the part of the public, and increased funding for science as we remove it from the trappings of jargon. On a related matter, I wonder if the arts can be used as a way for society to communicate with science.