SLOKA IYENGAR
  • About me
    • Profile
    • Service
    • Invited talks and interviews
    • Continuing education
    • Upcoming Public Events
    • Publications
    • Contact me >
      • Ensuring effective collaborations
  • Science
    • Science consulting
    • Global health >
      • Capacity building in global health >
        • Capacity building through leadership
        • Disaster relief
      • Mental health
      • Aging and palliative care
      • Neurological disorders
    • Clinical science
    • Preclinical science
    • Science advocacy >
      • Advocacy activities
      • ABC newsletters
    • Patient communication and advocacy >
      • Patient communication and advocacy (articles)
    • Science education
    • Awards and professional recognition
  • Dance
    • Dance resume >
      • Pictures and videos
      • Community engagement
      • Arts Administration (Biblioteca Madre)
      • SamyuktaNYC
    • Vichaar >
      • Vichaar: Episode 1 transcript
      • Vichaar: Episode 2 transcript
      • Vichaar: testimonials
      • Saṃbhūya
      • The Artful Mind
      • Exploring Early Brain Development through Science and Dance
      • Guru Vandana
    • Bharatanatyam for creative aging >
      • Bharatanatyam for all
      • Bharatanatyam for all: testimonials
      • Bharatanatyam for all: instructional videos
      • For Seniors, By Seniors >
        • Seniors & Financial Decisions
        • Staying Fit As We Age
        • Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help
        • Embrace the Empty Nest
        • Empty Nesters Seeking Proximity to Their Children
        • The Bumps of a Midlife Crisis
        • Healthy Living for Seniors
        • Forging a Resilient Future
        • Beyond Medicare and Social Security
        • Seniors Living Independently
        • A Harmonious Multigenerational Household
        • Mental Health Boosts
        • Start Your Home-Based Business After Retirement
        • Reclaiming Mental Wellness

From movement to meaning...

5/27/2025

0 Comments

 

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:
  1. Iyengar S. (2024). The Use of Hand Gestures (Hastas) in Bharatanatyam for Creative Aging. The Journal of medical humanities, 10.1007/s10912-024-09861-1. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-024-09861-1. 
  2. Zheng, Y., Zhang, J., Yang, Y. et al. Neural representation of sensorimotor features in language-motor areas during auditory and visual perception. Commun Biol 8, 41 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07466-5. 
  3. How the Brain Links Gestures, Perception and Meaning. Quanta Magazine 2019. Link here. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Sloka 

    My name is Sloka.  I am a neuroscientist and Bharatanatyam dancer; you can find more about me here. 

    Picture
    Geese babies

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    December 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022

Last updated: June 13, 2025
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About me
    • Profile
    • Service
    • Invited talks and interviews
    • Continuing education
    • Upcoming Public Events
    • Publications
    • Contact me >
      • Ensuring effective collaborations
  • Science
    • Science consulting
    • Global health >
      • Capacity building in global health >
        • Capacity building through leadership
        • Disaster relief
      • Mental health
      • Aging and palliative care
      • Neurological disorders
    • Clinical science
    • Preclinical science
    • Science advocacy >
      • Advocacy activities
      • ABC newsletters
    • Patient communication and advocacy >
      • Patient communication and advocacy (articles)
    • Science education
    • Awards and professional recognition
  • Dance
    • Dance resume >
      • Pictures and videos
      • Community engagement
      • Arts Administration (Biblioteca Madre)
      • SamyuktaNYC
    • Vichaar >
      • Vichaar: Episode 1 transcript
      • Vichaar: Episode 2 transcript
      • Vichaar: testimonials
      • Saṃbhūya
      • The Artful Mind
      • Exploring Early Brain Development through Science and Dance
      • Guru Vandana
    • Bharatanatyam for creative aging >
      • Bharatanatyam for all
      • Bharatanatyam for all: testimonials
      • Bharatanatyam for all: instructional videos
      • For Seniors, By Seniors >
        • Seniors & Financial Decisions
        • Staying Fit As We Age
        • Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help
        • Embrace the Empty Nest
        • Empty Nesters Seeking Proximity to Their Children
        • The Bumps of a Midlife Crisis
        • Healthy Living for Seniors
        • Forging a Resilient Future
        • Beyond Medicare and Social Security
        • Seniors Living Independently
        • A Harmonious Multigenerational Household
        • Mental Health Boosts
        • Start Your Home-Based Business After Retirement
        • Reclaiming Mental Wellness