Episode Notes

Dr. Sarika Persaud (@doctor.samosa) is a student of Abha Bhatnagar Roy, and assists with teaching at Srijan Dance Center (NYC). She is a psychologist at Fordham University (Lincoln Center), and an adjunct professor at City University of New York - John Jay College. Sarika’s research and clinical work focuses on relationship, sex, and body image issues for the South Asian diaspora, youth suicide prevention, and mental healthcare for artists. Sarika identifies as a bisexual Indo-Caribbean woman, and was recently published in an anthology of South Asian LGBTQAI+ essays, “I Hope You’ll Still Love Me.” She has also published a collection of poetry, “Poems About a Song,” in addition to various academic publications on community-based interventions for South Asian diaspora groups in the International Journal of Psychology, School Psychology International, and in a forthcoming book published by the American Psychological Association, Division of South Asian-American Psychology.

https://www.instagram.com/kathaksamosa/

https://www.instagram.com/doctor.samosa/

https://www.instagram.com/srijandance/

Show Highlights

(0:02:00) Being Indo-Carribean

(0:11:31) Significance of Rangmanch

(0:13:36) What causes people to quit kathak

(0:14:40) Rangmanch

(0:16:13) music in indocarribean

(0:18:22) Mental Health Practice around dance

(0:20:04) Common issues faced by dancers

(0:22:09) From surface to deeper issues

(0:25:17) how is therapy different for dancers

(0:27:26) Red flags for dancers to watch out

(0:31:36) The concept of giving space

(0:34:36) How stopping things helps you shape your identity

(0:35:48) What to focus on when teaching children

(0:37:03) Ashtamangal Taal

(0:37:30) Foundations of kathak

(0:42:28) Separating Psychology from Life

(0:45:25) Srijan dance enter

(0:48:44) Relationship between Sarika di and Abha Bhatnagar ji

(0:53:32) How do dancers perceive choreographies

(0:56:58) Getting to love Riyaz

(1:00:50) Kathak Meetup NYC

(1:02:33) Love for Tagore