Research Work
01
Eye-Tracking Study of Navarasa (Nine Emotions)
Natyashatra, written by Bharat Muni, is an Indian treatise on performing arts. Indian classical dance, music, and theater are based on Natyashtra. Natyashtra is known for its Rasa theory. Rasa is nectar, sentiment, or emotion the audience feels while watching a performance. Navarasa: Nine emotions are defined in Natyashastra. Shringara(Love), Hasya(Laugh, Happiness), Karuna(Sadness), Adbhuta (amusement), Raudra (Anger), Bibhatsyam(Disgust), Bhayanakam (Fear), Veera (Heroic), and Shanta (Peace).
Emotions are majorly expressed through facial expressions; one can tell a person's emotional state by seeing the facial expressions. This study aims to look at the significant facial regions that participants observe while watching a video of Bharatnatyam dancers performing Navarasa based on the valance and arousal of the rasas. The participants were made to watch Navarasa performed by a Bharatnatyam dancer and rate their arousal and valance. Eye Tracker was used to tracking the eye movements of participants. Fixation count and total fixation duration were used as a metric for data analysis. The dancer's face was divided into two regions: the eye region and the mouth region. Fixation count and fixation duration data were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA. It was found that the participant’s fixation duration and fixation count for the eye region was high for the negative valance rasa. For the positive valance, the rasa participant’s fixation duration and fixation count for the mouth region were high. It was observed that Raudra (Anger) was rated as the most negative valance rasa and highest arousal rasa. Hasya (Happiness, Laugh) was rated as the most positive rasa.
02
Relationship between ERP, EEG Oscillations, and Emotions
EEG (Electroencephalography) is a non-invasive technique used to measure brain activity, which further helps understand cognitive functions. These brain activities are rhythmic and have frequency, phase, and amplitude. The brain waves are classified based on frequency as delta (0 to 4Hz), theta(4 to 8Hz), alpha(8 to 13Hz), beta(13 to 30Hz), and gamma(>30Hz)(Biasiucci et al., 2019). These brain waves help us to understand the cognitive aspects of the brain. This study explores the relationship between emotions, ERP(Event Related Potentials), and ERSP (Event-Related Spectral Perturbation). We have also examined how emotion perception differs in chronic pain patients using ERP and ERSP. Chronic pain is persistent pain that lasts more than three months. It is a partial emotional and unpleasant sensory experience. To explore this, we tried to answer three questions i] Do the emotional conditions (positive, negative, and neutral) produce different brain responses? ii] Are ERP and ERSP parameters independent across the group for each emotion? iii] Is emotional brain response differing between the groups (Normal controls and chronic pain patients)?
03
Understanding Embodiment in Dancer's Professional and Social Life
Dance is a way to express and communicate your feelings, thoughts, and emotions, which is performed using a body. Dancers embody things that have to be conveyed to the audience, from animate objects to inanimate objects. In this process, a dancer experiences their body. All their senses are in tandem with the mind. Embodiment is the experience of a body; it is the body's performance. Embodiment is having, being in, or being associated with a body. Embodiment, in a way, departs from the mind-body dualism by Rene Descartes, which says there is a significant difference between mind and body. We are not just embodied as individuals, but our culture and language through body gestures; we symbolize the world and give meaning to it, which is tied to the body's physical, temporal, and spatial aspects. Dance is one of the ways to explore these ideas of embodiment. This study aims to look into the embodiment of a dancer's professional and social life. The evidence to study these are interviews and Ted Talks of dancers, dance performance analysis, research articles, and my personal experience being a dancer.
04
Rasa in Motion: How Body Movement Convey Emotions in Indian Classical Dance Forms
Under Construction
05
The Biomechanics of Emotional Perception: Unveiling the Influence of Facial Expressions, Core Movements, and Gait
On Going
his study focused on how emotions are conveyed through body movements in Indian classical dance forms. While the ability of body movements to express emotions has been extensively studied in Western cultures, little is known about how it is communicated solely through body movements in Indian classical dance forms. The study used animated stick videos of trained dancers performing rasa movements to investigate the ability of observers to identify the rasa and determine which body parts are most important in conveying the emotion. The findings showed that observers were able to identify the rasa above chance level and tended to focus on the arms and trunk area when identifying the rasa in the absence of facial expressions. It was also found that there are unique core movements for each rasa. This study sheds light on the role of body movements in expressing emotions in Indian classical dance forms, highlighting the importance of body language in communicating emotions even without facial expressions.
