Lindsay Gilmour named UCI Hellman Fellow

Gilmour's research will explore Tibetan ritual dance in monasteries and nunneries

Lindsay Gilmour, assistant professor in dance, recently received a 2020-21 Hellman Fellowship, which helps promising junior faculty realize their scientific and academic potential. Gilmour joins an elite group of 63 UCI Hellman Fellows across various disciplines to receive the award. The campus program was established in 2013 with a gift of $1.25 million from the Hellman Family Foundation.

Gilmour’s research explores Tibetan ritual dance in monasteries and nunneries in Ladakh and Tibetan exile settlements in India, focusing on how ancient rituals survive exile and modernization and how the roles of women and traditional cultures evolve and develop within those frameworks.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have received this Hellman award from the University,” stated Gilmour. “I’m so grateful for all of the support I’ve received from the department, the school of the arts, and the University.”

The social significance of Gilmour’s research spans multiple themes, including preservation and documentation of ancient dances in rapidly modernizing societies. It traces the vital process of adaptation and authenticity in Tibetan refugee communities and vulnerable populations in Ladakh. It also looks at the innovation of gender roles in Tibetan Buddhism, exploring the rising status of Tibetan nuns in previously male-dominated religious structures. And finally, it delves into the embodied knowledge of ritual dance practice, exploring what these ancient dances might share with our western somatic dance.

Since 1994, Chris and Warren Hellman have provided early-career funding to junior faculty at UC campuses and four private institutions. More than 1,900 individuals across the system have benefited from their generosity. Faculty may use the grants for such research purposes, including equipment, travel, photography, and graduate assistants.

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts and department of dance congratulate Lindsay Gilmour on her award.