An exciting moment in our journey!
Ananth’s first hasta (hand gesture video) for RASA web channel was released today. Watch his presentation on the pathaka hasta used to narrate the story of Hanuman and the Sanjivini herb here:
https://youtu.be/IpfmO3Wh25o?si=bobQC910xABWBrg7
Ananth is now doing a 100-Days of Fun with Hastas project. Hastas or hand gestures are an important part of Bharatanatyam. Ananth is creating videos that will be published on the RASA web channel every Saturday. We do 100-Day projects when we want to consistently focus on and practice specific skills daily.
The seed for this project was planted with Ananth’s story narration at SpecialSaathi on December 2, 2022, his 25th birthday. Thank you Shilpi for organizing the birthday event and encouraging him to present!
This project has value for parents and professionals as it will give ideas on how to use hand gestures in storytelling and communication. We are grateful to Dr. Ambika Kameshwar, Dr. Vaishnavi Poorna, Ms. Usha Sankaran, and Sri Ujwal Jagadeesh for encouraging and guiding Ananth throughout this journey.
We also want to show how parents can implement their own 100-Day project following the FourEEEEs method developed by Dr. Ambika Kameshwar as part of Theater Arts for Holistic Development (TAHD),
Founder and Director of RASA (Ramana Sunritya Aalaya).

Ananth’s Journey
Ananth been learning Bharatanatyam for over a decade, and for the past two years. He finished his arangetram (first solo performance by a student of Bharatanatyam after many years of training) under the
guidance of Professor Mohanan, a professor at Kalakshetra. He is continuing his Bharatanatyam training with Sri Ujwal Jagadeesh of the Ramana Maharshi Center for Learning, Bengaluru. He has been implementing the methodology of TAHD (Theatre Arts for Holistic Development) in his learning.
Each dance class is a new experience, where he learns stories, as well as the meaning of the song in an interactive way. One day Dr. Vaishnavi Poorna, Deputy Director of RASA suggested that Ananth can pursue his Bharatanatyam Diploma under Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa university, under which RASA is an off-campus center. Ananth was excited to join the course as he loves dance and theater.

In the Bharatanatyam syllabus, it is a necessity to learn many Sanskrit Slokas along with the meaning and hand gestures for the same. Ananth decided to make it a 100-day project and implement the FourEEEEs
(Exploration, Experience, Expression, and Enjoyment) method to learn it! Read about his experience
below.
Fun with Hastas: A 100-day Project for Practice and Enjoyment
Exploration and Enjoyment
Hastas or hand gestures are an important part of Indian natya. While Ananth has learned hastas for many years, he is now discovering fun ways to use these hastas in communication. Parents can use 100-Day
projects to organize their learning and interactions with their child. Ananth will be creating and sharing videos every week during this 100-Day project.
Ananth explores one hasta and a story for his weekly video. For example, last week he explored the use of hand gestures to narrate the story of Hanuman and the Sanjivini herbs. We also purchased a portable
microphone and explored how to use the microphone.
Experience and Enjoyment
Combining Disciplined Practice and Fun
We need consistent and systematic practice daily to learn an art form well. Since hastas can be used to convey ideas, we can also have fun using these hastas in different ways. So, Ananth is doing a 100 Days of Fun Hasta project to learn the hastas while exploring them for fun. Last week, he practiced the first
hasta, pathaka hasta and the story of Hanuman and the Sanjvini Herbs.
A Fun Moment
One of the hastas Ananth practiced in May was the Bhramara hasta. He showed his 2.5 year-old nephew Ishaan how to use a Bhramara hasta to show a bee because he asks for the bee story daily. Then we showed him how to use the Ardhapathakah to show a cow’s horns. Ishaan enjoyed the gestures and wants to do them daily. Once, he did the Bhramara hasta with one hand and the Ardhapataka with the other hand and claimed he was a bee cow. Then, he wanted to play bee-cow daily. While this story is not about the pathaka hasta, it shows how we can have fun with hastas with young children too.
Expression and Enjoyment
After practicing the hasta and the story throughout the week, Ananth recorded the story. The script was written by Mr. G. Kameshwar and Dr. Vaishnavi Poorna. Ananth and I modified the script as he practiced it. Eventually, Ananth narrated the sloka and story in his own way.
Enjoying the whole process
In each video project, there is something new to learn. Sometimes Ananth learns new technical skills. In other projects, he learns storytelling or presentation skills. This combination of disciplined practice and fun exploration has made his 100-Day project both enriching and enjoyable. It allows him to engage deeply with the hastas while also sharing the joy of learning with his family and community.
The 100-Days of Fun with Hastas project is a systematic and consistent use of the FourEEEEs method of TAHD – applied here in dance practice. We are mindful of opportunities for family fun even as Ananth
practices important skills. Skills practice is often viewed as drills but we are using FourEEEEs to make skills practice the building blocks of fun. I am also motivated to learn some hastas along with Ananth
because I am able to use them to enrich storytelling for my grandson. Ms. Usha Sankaran had coached Ananth when he was preparing for a couple of presentations. I suggested that Ananth make practice
videos for his hastas because it creates opportunities to practice presentation skills regularly.`

Author Dr Dasaratha Rama
Dr. Dasaratha Rama is a professor and home educator. She was the editor of a monograph on service-learning published by the American Association of Higher Education. This monograph was a part of a series of monographs on service-learning published by AAHE. She was also an Engaged Scholar with the Campus Compact, an association in the US dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement at colleges and universities. She has served as the Chair of the Teaching and Curriculum Section of the American Accounting Education. She is a certified leader in systems thinking, mapping, and leadership under a program offered by Cabrera Research Lab. She is currently doing a certificate in Theater Arts for Holistic Development (TAHD) from RASA (Ramana Sunritya Aalaya).