keerthana venkatesh
Keerthana Venkatesh is a Bharatanatyam artist and an emerging scholar in biomedical engineering whose work lies at the intersection of classical dance, human movement science, and rehabilitation. She is a senior disciple of Guru Smt. Thejaswini Raj and was awarded the title “Natya Kala Margashirsha” by the All India Dancers Association (AIDA). Her artistic accomplishments also include securing 1st place in the AIDA Margazhi Festival Competition 2025 and winning the 2021 IndianRaga Global Dance Championship.
Currently, she is a second-year student at the Albert Dorman Honors College at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, majoring in biomedical engineering. Her research integrates 3D human motion capture technology with Bharatanatyam as a medium to investigate biomechanics, motor control, and embodied movement systems, with the goal of informing new approaches in rehabilitation science and human performance optimization.
Keerthana Venkatesh represents a new generation of artist-researchers advancing both cultural tradition and scientific innovation through interdisciplinary practice.
abstract
Embodied Geometry in Bharatanatyam: A Framework for 3D Human Motion Analysis
Research Talk
In this academic talk, Keerthana Venkatesh explores Bharatanatyam as a structured movement system to inform 3D human motion analysis. Using motion capture technology, the dance form’s precise spatial patterns can be translated into quantifiable data, offering a novel lens for studying complex movement. The approach bridges traditional practice and modern biomechanics, with applications in rehabilitation, sports science, and movement research.