Dance and theater teach us how to use the whole body in communication. Communication is more than speech. Body language is an important component of communication.
Ananth has been learning dance for over 10 years. Hand gestures are an important component of Bharatanatyam. Hand gestures are taught in a systematic way and included in dance.
This blog is organized into two parts. First, I share three activities to encourage readers to think about how different forms of movement support development. Second, I share our journey towards movement forms that link movement explicitly to expression and communication.
I. Activities
Do the following activities and think about the different kinds of movement activities that are a part of your child's daily routine. Explore the use of body movements including hand gestures in communication.
Watch the video introduction on hastas
The following video was created as part of a virtual meetup on World Awareness Day, 2024. Watch an introduction to hand gestures by Sri Ujwal Jagadeesh, senior faculty and artiste, Ramana Maharshi Center for Learning (RMCL). Ujwal also includes hand gestures in his Ramana Bala Kendra (RBK) lessons. He is currently teaching neurodivergent students using a family immersion approach.
2. Watch the Use of Hastas in Storytelling
Ananth learned the Robbers in Ramana Thatha's Ashram story from Ujwal. It was one of the earliest stories he narrated and recorded for his Youtube channel.
3. Analyze your Child's Movement Diet
List the activities in your child's daily routine. Describe the movements in the activity.
While many parents are of the need for including movement, it is also important to consider the nature of movement activities in your child's daily routine. While Ananth had movement activities such as daily walks, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and play, he has been learning the use of the body for communication in a systematic way since he started learning Bharatanatyam over 10 years ago.
Beyond Performance
When we think of Bharatanatyam and theater, we think of performances. We hope that this blog will provide insights into the possibilities for developing body awareness and movement capacities and the use of these capacities for communication. All ND children may not want to perform but hand gestures and other components of Indian natya can help develop movement capacities and support whole body communication.
II. Reflecting on Our Journey
Ananth is a 26 year old Neurodivergent adult who is a Bharatanatyam dancer, blogger, and coder. His arangetram (first solo performance after years of Bharatanatyam training was a key event in his life.
The chief guest at his arangetram was Dr. Ambika Kameshwar, the Founder and Director of RASA (Ramana Sunritya Aalaya) and Theater Arts for Holistic Development (TAHD). While we did not know it at that time, his dance journey was about to move in a different way with RASA. While there are many moments in Ananth's journey with RASA, one important moment is when he started learning dance with Ujwal in October 2022.
A key indicator of progress is that Ananth is now able to participate in group lessons and performances. He still needs individual lessons to meet his unique needs but he is gradually expanding his ability to learn and perform with groups.
Where we are Today: Natyopasana Summer Workshop
Ananth is learning 52 hand gestures (hastas) and their usage (viniyogas) in his Bharatanatyam diploma course. He is also exploring these hastas in summer workshops at RMCL. It is exciting that Ananth is now able to participate in group classes and performances with neurotypical students. He started with individual lessons with Ujwal. Gradually, Ananth has been able to participate in group experiences while continuing his individual training too.
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