Join Swati Biswas and Shrabasti Roychoudhury for an in-person dance workshop that will teach creative folk-based dance!

This workshop will be open to dancers and dance enthusiasts of all ages and no prior experience is needed. It is an effort to foster connection and engagement through shared rhythmic experience. Dance is incredibly therapeutic. As a holistic somatic practice, it combines physical exercise with emotional expression, to help process trauma, reduce stress, and improve mental health. Dancing stimulates the release of dopamine (which boosts motivation and reward), serotonin (which stabilizes mood), and oxytocin (which promotes connection and trust).

In this workshop, folk based rhythm/ song will be chosen. We will discuss briefly about the dance context/meanings and teach the steps to all attendees.

Swati Biswas a scientist who is working as a medical writer in her day job. However, she is a trained Indian classical and creative dancer and a passionate advocate for the promotion of music and arts through community engagement. Combining her expertise in dance with a deep appreciation for the visual arts, she has forged connections with painters and weavers to create costumes and sets for her performances (some of her curations will be on display at the EventThem gallery throughout the month of August). As a dancer, she has performed at diverse venues within and outside of her own Indian community. As a recipient of a Mass Cultural Grant, she directed and choreographed a program in which 35 artists performed. She has also served as an artist-in-residence for the Mount Auburn Cemetery’s 2023-2024 cohort. Earlier in 2026, Swati and Shrabasti both choreographed a dance event for the “River of Light” festival at the Mosesian Center for the Arts that was very well received. Swati has been directing dance programs and choreographing for more than 20 years in the community setting.

Shrabasti Roychoudhury is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at Harvard Medical School. She trained for 10 years in Bharatanatyam under Guru Smt. Thankumani Kutty, before exploring Indian contemporary dance with Guru Susmita Nandi Sethia, a style pioneered by Sri Uday Shankar. This form deepened her connection to rhythm, allowing her to express emotions through movement and expand her dance vocabulary. As a member of the professional troupe Kalapi, Shrabasti performed at prestigious dance festivals in India. After moving to Boston in 2019, she has performed, choreographed and directed dance recitals for several local Indian community programs.