SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1:30 PM
ASEEMKALA INITIATIVE (INDIAN DANCE AND WORKSHOP)

Aseemkala Initiative, Traditional Indian Dance meets Contemporary Healthcare Concerns Aseemkala Initiative returns to the IHRAF with four dances and a workshop!

1. Matangi's Skin Is it Race or Racism? This piece explores the impact of bias on outcomes for women of color in the healthcare world by paralleling the story of Mahavidya Matangi, the goddess of knowledge with dark skin. Choreographed and performed by: Sriya Bhumi.

2. Chinnamasta's DNR Choosing to end life is fraught with ethical complexity in the ICU. This piece parallels the story of a physician and a patient who disagree on her DNR order and parallels this story with the Mahavidya Chinnamasta, who sacrificed parts of herself to help her loved ones embraces the theme of minimalism and simplicity. Choreographed by Rohini Bhatia and Shilpa Darivemula; Performed by: Sophia Salingaros and Shilpa Darivemula; Music: Anoushka Shankar's Lasya.

3. Reflection This piece explores eating disorders in dancers and the stress to achieve physical perfection. Through Bharatantaym, Sophia tells a story based on interviews with fellow Ballet and Bharatanatyam dancers on how food impacts our relationships to our bodies. Choreographed and Performed by: Sophia Salingaros

4. Dhumavati's Waiting Room This piece explores three stories in a waiting room, mixing contemporary styles with traditional dances from Puerto Rico and India to explore what the Mahavidya Dhumavati has always known--that it is always harder on those waiting. This piece features choreography and performance by Teresa Cuevas and Sayoko, dancers from the Indorican Multicultural Project. Music: Boat to Nowhere by Anoushka Shankar. Choreographed by and Dancers: Shilpa Darivemula, Sayoko, Teresa Cuevas.

Workshop: Using Dance to Transform Healthcare: How to Perform a Story

Aseemkala Initiative is a group of female artists and physicians who use our traditional dances to perform stories of healthcare inequity. They are activists who believe that diversity in healthcare stories should be represented by diverse women through diverse traditional dances, empowering unique women while reminding medicine of the shared goal of improving the human condition equitably. Please see our work at www.aseemkala.org