Welcome to Dancing Into STEM! In this series, produced and presented by Silambam Houston, and funded by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Centerpoint Energy Foundation, we use Indian classical dance, music, and rhythm to explore concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Dancing into STEM is conceptualized, scripted and choreographed by Dr. Lavanya Rajagopalan, with input from STEM and arts educators in the Clear Creek and Houston Independent School Districts. The videos are narrated and performed by the dancers of the Silambam Houston Dance Company.

*Copyright 2021 Silambam Houston / All rights reserved

Germination

Explore the growth of a plant from a seed into a fully grown plant with leaves, flowers and fruits. Also, learn about the Alarippu, a traditional opening piece in Bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance form from South India).

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Science TEKS: K.9.B, K.10.B, K.10.D, 1.9.C, 1.10.B, 2.10.B

Gravity

Learn about the concept of gravity, and how different objects exert a pull on other objects based on their mass. Through adavus (basic movement sequences in the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam), we explore how gravity might affect our movement on different planets.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Science TEKS: 3.6.C, 4.6.D

The Water Cycle

This episode explores the importance of water for life, and about how water moves through our environment. Learn about how hand movements and facial expressions (abhinaya) are used in Indian classical dance to convey stories, concepts and sentiments.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills:
Science TEKS: 4.8.C, 5.8.C

Factors

Learn all about factors in math!. Using two different Indian classical dance forms - Kathak and Odissi, as well as the nattuvangam, a type of cymbals used to keep the beat in Bharatanatyam (another Indian classical dance form), we explore how you can break a number down into its factors.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Math TEKS: 2.6.A, 2.6.B, 3.4.E

Metamorphosis

This episode describes how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly - a process called metamorphosis that is seen in some animals whose young ones look very different from their adult forms. We also explore hastams - hand movements - in Indian classical dance.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Science TEKS: 2.10.C, 3.10.B

DAYS, NIGHTS, and SEASONS

In this episode, we discuss how the earth spins and moves, and how these movements affect our days, nights, and seasons! We also talk about chakkars - spins and turns used in the Indian classical dance form of Kathak - and use these to explore the earth's movement.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Science TEKS: K.8., 1.8.B, 1.8.C, 3.8.C, .5.8.C

SHapes

Explore different shapes - circles, squares, triangles and more - through stances (like the araimandi), as well as movements and formations in the Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam!

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Math TEKS: K.6.A, K.6.D, 1.6.A, 1.6.C, 1.6.D, 2.8.A, 3.6.B, 4.6.D.

Fractions

Learn about fractions - equal parts of a whole! Also explore tatkaar - basic footwork used in the Indian classical dance form of Kathak - and see how we use this to explore different fractions!

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Math TEKS: 2.3.A, 3.3.A

States of matter

Discover how matter is made up of molecules, and how the state of matter - solid, liquid, or gas - depends on the way these molecules are arranged and packed! We also talk about jathis - movement sequences used in the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam - and use these to explore the states of matter.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Science TEKS: 2.5.A, 3.5.B

Symmetry

Explore different types of symmetry, through objects found in nature, and through movements in the Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam!

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
Math TEKS: 4.6.B