Arts-in-Medicine, with Dance as a Key Modality

This study explores how Bharatanatyam-based performance session within a medical humanities program can support transformative learning and the development of professional virtues in undergraduate medical students. The focus is on empathy, moral reasoning, and person-centered care, resilience, and reflective capacity among clinically exposed fourth year student through a case study observation. The Humanitas programme at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo is a two hour, arts cantered Teaching Learning Activity (TLA) delivered to fourth year medical students, using a range of art forms. Within this TLA, for the components on dance, Indian classical dance had been used. Primarily, Bharatanatyam recitals are used as main modality of dance with carefully chosen music, choreographic motifs, and ‘abhinaya’ (expression) are used to embody ethically and emotionally salient themes such as suffering, compassion, balance, empathy, planetary health, and relational complexity in clinical practice. Across twenty-one Humanitas sessions held during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, ten incorporated dance and six specifically utilized Bharatanatyam; after each session, students completed handwritten and online feedback forms, generating quantitative rating (e.g. on content, relevance, and artistic features) and qualitative reflections on their learning. Bharatanatyam-based Humanitas programme recitals were rate highly relevant and enjoyable, and students’ reflections showed enhanced empathy, moral reasoning, person-centeredness, resilience, and reflective capacity. The alignment of strong quantitative ratings with rich qualitative themes suggests that dance offered and engaging and emotionally resonant medium for transformative learning. Embodied and aesthetic aspects of Bharatanatyam appeared to deepen students’ understanding of human suffering, relational complexity, and the need for self-care clinical practices. Integrating Bharatanatyam into a structured medium humanities program can meaningfully support the development of core professional virtues in clinically exposed medium students. These findings support the inclusion of arts-in-medicine, with dance as a central modality, as a valuable component undergraduate medical education.