Shilpa Darivemula is a General Research Fellow in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina and former creative director of the Aseemkala Initiative. Shilpa began training in Kuchipudi at the age of 8 at the Academy of Kuchipudi Dance and performed her solo debut recital—her Rangapravesham—in 2011 at the Kalanidhi Dance school. Shilpa served as AMWA National Artist-in-Residence in 2016, studied traditional dance as women’s medicine as a Thomas Watson Fellow in 2013, and studied art as a vehicle to teach cervical cancer awareness as a ASTMH Kean Fellow in 2018. She is the former director and co-founder of the Aseemkala Initiative.  

Monica Shah is an independent dance artist who performs in both classical and contemporary Indian styles. She has trained in Bharatanatyam for over 30 years, with complimentary work in diverse movement forms, and toured nationally and internationally as a senior member of the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company for a decade.  Since then, Monica has performed as a soloist and guest artist in dance productions and festivals across Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, and New York. Monica is a choreography fellow with the Aseemkala Initiative and also a licensed psychologist, providing therapeutic services to individuals across the age range and helping people build the lives that they want to lead. She is currently an Aseemkala Board Member.  

Isha Parupudi is an Indian Classical (Bharatanatyam) dancer from Houston, TX, an Aseemkala fellow and Board Member, and a student of Dr. Rathna Kumar. She has been dancing since the age of 8, and has performed across the U.S. and abroad. In 2018, she opened for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s keynote speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai, and also had the opportunity to dance in Chennai, India as a part of the dance festival season. Over the years, she has also performed at the United Nations, Jacob’s Pillow, Barnstorm Dance, and will be performing at the Erasing Borders Festival (Battery Dance) in New York in September. Isha is honored to have been named a 2019 YoungArts Finalist and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She was also a 2018 Texas Young Master, and was awarded a grant by the TX Commission on the Arts and Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott. She completed her studies at Columbia University in New York, while continuing to pursue dance professionally.  

Nandini Naga Kanthi is a UNC sophomore student and co-leader of UNC Chalkaa, a competitive co-ed Indian American Fusion dance team, blends eastern and western styles to create captivating Bollywood-fusion performances. Chalkaa performs nationally at collegiate competitions and locally at charity events, festivals, and university showcases, fostering a deeper understanding of South Asian culture. Joining Chalkaa for this festival piece is Nrityanjali School of Dance, led by Smt. Padma Rao, an award-winning Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer who has garnered acclaim for her innovative dance productions in the Triangle area. 

Siri Dommata is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a trained Kuchipudi dancer under the tutelage of Smt. Sridevi Mungara at Chinmayi Nrithyalaya. As an Aseemkala Research Fellow, Siri strives to embolden the transformative power of storytelling in clinical practice, promoting the integration of dance as a humanistic and educational modality within medicine. Siri has disseminated embodied narratives of reproductive health at national research conferences and continues to explore the complexity of health and illness through the universally resonant language of dance.  

Vishal Varadarajan:  Vishal Varadarajan is a sophomore student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in public health and on the pre-med track. He has been learning Carnatic voice since the age of 5 from various Gurus, and Carnatic flute since the age of 9 from Smt. Hema Balasubramanian. Vishal has performed as a solo vocalist and leading accompanist in various concerts throughout the Triangle and Triad, Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, and his vocal/flute Arangetram during the summer of 2023. He looks forward to continuing his Carnatic musical journey throughout college.