
Publications, Performances, and Projects
Our work focuses on choreography, research, and workshops to encourage authentic diversity in medical humanities.












2022
Anatomy of the Araimandi, Publication in Hektoen International, Journal of Medical Humanities by Shreya Srivastava, Research Fellow
PAMA 4th annual conference 2022 and Jacalyn Duffy Health and Humanities Conference 2022: Shreya Srivastava’s research and choreographies
Curated the Reimagining Medicine Festival @ University of Kentucky Medical School, with Shreya Srivastava and Isha Parupudi selected to participate.
MADC Collective Thread 2022: Rhoda Moise and Suwodi Dutta Bordoloi/Aseemkala Initiative
The Junction Dance Festival 2022: Leila Mire/Aseemkala
Geisel Medicine MLK Day Festival: Leila Mire, Isha Parupudi, Rhoda Moise, Sophia Salingaros
South Asian Medical Student Association (SAMSA): Workshop on Anti-Bias Awareness Through Dance
2021
These legs must dance Podcast: Shilpa Darivemula
International Human Rights and Arts Festival, 2021
Academic Medicine Podcast: Pregnancy and Cultural Arts
Academic Medicine Article: Pregnancy and Cultural Arts
American Medical Women’s Association Vivian Shih Scholar Award
Curated Race.Medicine.OBGYN. Project
Consortium of the Universities of Global Health (CUGH) Virtual Conference: Shilpa Darivemula, Oral Panel Speaker, “The Elephant in the Classroom: Colonialism and Neocolonialism as Key Social Determinant of Global Health Disparities”, SDH14. CUGH 2021, Review of our session by R4HC-MENA
Health Humanities Conference, PennState, 2021, Research Fellow Lindsay Winters, oral presentation, “Embodiment and Equity in Online Dance Spaces: Experiences from Female Dancers of Color”, 2021 – Penn State College of Medicine | Health Humanities Consortium
Stay Home Film Festival, Leila Mire Choreography Premiere, April 2021
Article Published on Balagalamukhi’s Words- Rehumanizing Clinical Language Through Classical Indian Dance | Journal of Ethics | American Medical Association (ama-assn.org)
Social Medicine On Air: 18 | Dance, Healing, Justice | Shilpa Darivemula on Apple Podcasts
Article Published: Dancing doctors: exploring the potential of cultural dance education to improve cultural competency and clinical communication – ScienceDirect by Shilpa, Rohini, and Sriya
Tripura Sundari’s Birth: Accepted to Teaching and Learning Moments in Academic Medicine by Krithika, Virali, and Shilpa , coming soon!
Health Humanities-From the Trenches: Book chapter on the Aseemkala Concept written by Moondil, Ruta, Lindsay, and Shilpa , coming soon!
Workshop with Healing/Arts at University of Buffalo: Addressing Racism and Bias in Medicine Through Traditional Dance, Transcript here, Video of Workshop
Public Art Workshop Addressing Gender Inequity in Medicine with To Be Human Group at Kasturba Medical College of Manipal
International Human Rights and Arts Festival, 2021, Performance
Curated the Reimagining Medicine Festival at Dartmouth Medical School, 2021, Leila, Maymunah, Rubab, and Isha performed!
2020
Kali Narrative: Creativity in Crisis | Shilpa Darivemula and Tanvi Gandhi — Intima (theintima.org)
Curated American Medical Women’s Association Dance and Medicine Task Force, Shilpa Darivemula, Co-Chair
Aseemkala Initiative Creating a Platform for Dance Based Narrative Medicine, Poster and Film Presentation, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Arts and Medicine Sympsium, Lebanon, New Hampshire
International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD), Indigenous Approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals, “Addressing Cultural Competency in Physician-Patient Communication through Traditional Dance: A Novel Model”, Oral Presentation
The Examined Life Conference, “Using Traditional Dance to Narrate Stories of Women in Medicine”, Oral Presentation
Bhairavi’s Anger — Intima (theintima.org)
Podcast Publication: #29 Doctors Who Create by Doctors Who Create (soundcloud.com), featuring Virali Shah, CORE Fellow
Exploring Dance for Medical Storytelling and Healthcare Justice, Oral Presentation and Workshop, 2020, Doctors Who Create Conference at the University of Pennsylvania, Postponed due to COVID-19
Addressing the Provider Biases and User Agency in Utilizing Women’s Health Programming through Traditional Dance, 2020, Oral Presentation and Poster Presentation at the University of South Florida College of the Arts and Performing Arts Medicine Association conference, Cancelled due to COVID-19
Performing Shared Decision Making: Using Traditional Indian Dance Choreography to Understand ICU Patient-Provider Communication, 2020, Poster Presentation at the Midwest Medical Humanities Conference, Iowa
Refugee Women’s Traditional Dance and Arts Exchange to Improve Mental Health: A Pilot Study, Poster Presentation, PEGASUS Conference, Toronto, Canada- Cancelled due to COVID-19
2019
Mahavidyas in Medicine Performance and Choreography Workshop, 2019, International Human Rights and Arts Festival, Wild Project.
Workshop on Telling Stories and Moving to Music for People of All Abilities, 2019, Inpatient Care, Johns Hopkins Kennedy Krieger Institute
Performing Shared Decision Making: Using Traditional Indian Dance Choreography to Understand ICU Patient-Provider Communication, 2019, Poster Presentation at the 10th Internal Shared Decision Making Conference, Quebec, Canada
Performing Shared Decision Making: Using Traditional Indian Dance Choreography to Understand ICU Patient-Provider Communication, 2019, Poster Presentation at the Performing Arts Medical Association, CA
The Aseemkala Initiative, 2019, Oral Presentation at Medical Women’s International Association, Centennial Congress, New York
Publication-An Exploration of a Surgeon’s Vulnerability Through Kuchipudi Dance, 2019, Op-Med, Voices from the Doximity Network
2018
Publication-An Exploration of a Surgeon’s Vulnerability Through Kuchipudi Dance, 2018, Association of Women Surgeons Blog
2018 Shobha Krishnan Award Recipient
Publication-Perspective on Traditional and Western Models of Health Literacy on Cervical Cancer Prevention for Shipibo Women, 2018, NYSAFP Family Doctor Journal.
Health literacy of HPV and HTLV Infection Pathophysiologies in Shipibo-Konibo women: A traditional Arts-based pilot study, 2018, Poster Presentation at the American Public Health Association National Conference (APHA), San Diego, CA
The Aseemkala Traditional Dance Public Health Model, 2018, Oral Presentation Lecture at the American Public Health Association National Conference (APHA), San Diego, CA
Publication-Human of Medicine: Shilpa, 2018, The Human Side of Medicine Blog.
Mahavidyas in Medicine, 2018, International Human Rights and Arts Festival at the Wild Project, New York
Series of Mahavidyas in Medicine Filmography Showing, 2018, ArtWorks Festival at the HOP Garage, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
Bagalamukhi’s Words, 2018, Gender Justice & the Arts- An Asian American Showcase hosted by SAKHI for South Asian Women at the Bowery Poetry Club, New York
Health and Illness from Eastern and Western Perspectives featuring the Mahavidyas in Medicine Dance Project, 2018, Opera Theater, New York
Chinnamasta’s DNR Order, 2018, Collective Thread Show, ModArts Dance Collective at Dixon Place, New York, New York
The Aseemkala Method Workshop, 2018, Resistance Knows No Borders Conference at SUNY Albany and Guest Lecture on Dance for Social Justice at Union College, Schenecady NY
ASTMH – Ben Kean Fellowship- Shilpa Darivemula
2017
Women’s Traditional Dance and Arts Exchange to Improve Mental Health, 2017, Poster Presentation, North American Refugee Health Conference, Canada
Of Medicine and Mudras: Using Traditional Dance as a Novel Model for Approaching Women’s Health, 2017, Poster Presentation, North American Refugee Health Conference, Canada
White Coat, 2017, Southern Vermont Dance Festival, Brattleboro
Bagalamukhi’s Words, 2017, Fertile Ground Dance Showcase, Long Island City, New York
Kamala’s Anxiety, 2017, InHale Dance Series at KYL/D Dance, Philadelphia
Sati’s Surgery, 2017, International Humans Rights and Arts Festival, Dixon Place, New York, New York.
White Coat, 2017, Artist-in-Residence Performance at the 102nd National American Medical Women’s Association in San Francisco
Video Display of Mahavidyas in Medicine Project at ArtWallahLA Festival, 2017, Los Angeles
History & Physical Dance Series #1: On Cervical Cancer, with the Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer, 2017
2016
Transplanted Tradition: Refugee Women’s Dance Program, Dance Flurry Grant and RISSE, Albany, NY. 2016
Artist in Residence – American Medical Women’s Association (amwa-doc.org– 2016 Shilpa Darivemula
2015
Mardhini: Dance on Gender Violence, Women’s Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Post-2015 Agenda, United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, New York, 2015
Maya: Dance on Feminine Divine, International Dance Festival of Fes, Morocco, 2015
‘DC Reconnect-Healthy Communities, Healthy Minds’ Street Arts Show, Washington, D.C.Promethean Community, 2015
2013-2014
La Prensa Austral: Darán a conocer las similitudes entre medicina de la India y la mapuche
Waiting Room Street Performance, Kampala, 2014
Encounters, Lima, 2013
Gnaoua Girl’s Empower Through Arts Program and Performance, Morocco, 2014
Anamika: Dance Collaboration on Human Trafficking, 2013, Union College Emerson Theater, Schenectady
Making Our Mark: Highlight in the Women of Union Program- Shilpa Darivemula ’13 | Union College