The Center for Indic Studies announces details of its anniversary celebrations, along with celebrations of Gandhi’s Birth Centenary beginning on Saturday, October 2, 2004.

The weeklong program will be kicked off on Saturday, October 2, in Group VI-153, at 3 PM. The program that day will consist of a talk on Ahinsa (non-violence) in view Gita by Swamini Sadvidyananda Saraswati, and a presentation on Mahatma Gandhi’s Active Non-violence by Professor Bal Ram Singh. These presentations will be followed up by short cultural program and light snacks.

On Thursday, October 7, Professor Douglas Allen, Department of Philosophy, University of Maine, will present a seminar on Mahatma Gandhi after 9/11: Terrorism, Violence, and the Other, in the Library Browsing Area at 12 – 1:30 PM.

Finally, on October 10, a group of high school and college girls will perform Bharatnatyam to represent structure and function of genes. The program will be held in Main Auditorium (Parking lots 3, 4 and 5) of UMass Dartmouth at at 3-5 PM

This is one of a kind opportunity provided with the support of UMass Dartmouth's Public Service grant, Tufts University College of Citizenship, Center for Engineering Education Outreach, and Springstep (a non-profit private organization in Medford, MA) to express the scientific idea of DNA structure-function through Indian classical dance, Bharatnatyam.

Eleven high school and college girls have learned the science of DNA through lectures, and have choreographed it into their dance steps with the help of Mrs. Ranjani Saigal, a computer scientist and Bharatnatyam dancer, Mrs. Kausalya Srinivasan, a dance teacher from India. Dr. Steve Cohen of Tufts Education department is involved in assessing the educational value of this approach of teaching and learning science to high school students, particularly girls.

On September 5, students presented their first performance at the Cohen Auditorium of Tufts University, Medford, MA. The performance was very well received. The music was awesome, and the whole program was a great success.

Since both Science and Art are being presented in a ground-breaking partnership to bring not only entertainment but also a sense of scientific truth, it may be of quite interest to students as well as public.

For further information, contact: Bal Ram Singh, Director, phone – 508-999-8588; Fax: 508-999-8451; email: bsingh@umassd.edu.

For more information on the presentation Dancing Nature's Art, check out http://www.lokvani.com/dnadance/umass.jpg

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