the aseemkala initiative
The Aseemkala Initiative uses narratives from mythology to create traditional dance pieces, reflecting upon persisting themes of humanity---of loss, health, and illness--in modern medicine. Traditional dance exchanges can address the incongruity between medical and patient cultures by allowing for direct interchange of history, experience, and knowledge from diverse people to providers, thus improving patient agency and bridging cultural competency across cultural and language division. The organization pioneers the efforts to blend modern medicine and dance mythologies to challenge current norms.
abstract
Bridging Medicine and Classical Dance Narratives: Using Kunti’s Choice To Teach Reproductive Autonomy
Poster
A group of medical students and Bharatanatyam dancers created a reimagined version of Kunti’s story with the story of an unexpected pregnancy. The piece was shown to medical students for cross cultural empathy.