Dr. Vidyani Suryadevara is an Instructor in the Stanford School of Medicine and the director of the Stanford Heritage Dance Series, which she launched to explore the transformative power of dance in health and well-being. She integrates dance into her work on developing lifestyle interventions to increase the health span of the aging population. These lifestyle interventions for healthy aging include culinary choices, physical activity, social interaction, cognitive exercises and sleep. Intricate dance forms like Bharatanatyam encompass physical activity, cognitive aspects and social interactions, which help prevent dementia and other age-associated diseases.
In this lecture demonstration, Dr. Suryadevara will talk about how Indian arts forms can be integrated into one’s lifestyle and the positive impact complex art forms like Bharatanatyam have on healthy aging. She will perform Jathiswaram, a traditional dance piece in Bharatanatyam, which is characterized by intricate footwork and rhythmic patterns, showcasing the dancer's technical skill, precision, control and mastery of rhythm (called "tala"). She will also perform a Kirthanam ‘Ardhanareeshwara Sthothram’ which incorporates rhythmic elements (jathis), and abhinaya, the expressive aspect of dance.
Vidyani began her journey in Bharatnatyam more than ten years ago and is currently refining her craft with her Guru Mrs. Shruthipriya Vignesh in Kalakshetra bani. In the past, she has performed at events hosted by the Consulate general of India, San Francisco and Chicago, USA and the Indian embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. Over the last five years, she has been building a repertoire of Bharatnatyam pieces that she has been shooting in every country she travels. At Nehru Centre, she is looking forward to showcasing a fusion of health and art through Bharatanatyam.
