This book draws on theories of aesthetics, post-colonialism, multiculturalism and transnationalism to explore salient aspects of perpetuating traditional dance customs in diaspora. It is the first book to present a broad-ranging analysis of cultural dance in Australia. Topics include adaptation of dance customs within a post-migration context, multicultural festivals, prominent performers, historiographies and archives, and the relative positionings of cultural and Western theatrical dance genres. The book offers a decolonized appraisal of dance in Australia, critiquing past and present praxes and offering suggestions for the future. Overall, it underscores the highly variegated nature of the Australian dance landscape and advocates for greater recognition of amateur community dance practices. Cultural Dance in Australia makes a substantial contribution to the catalogue of work about immigrants and cultural dance styles that continue to be preserved in Australia. This book will be of interest to scholars of dance, performance studies, migration studies and transnationalism.
Author(s): Jeanette Mollenhauer
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 286
City: Singapore
Acknowledgements
Contents
List of Figures
1 Introduction
Structure of the Book
Notes
2 Dance in Diaspora
Diaspora
Transnationalism
About Dance
Dance and Immigrant Communities
Taxonomic Terms in Dance Studies
Notes
3 The West/Rest Pirouette: Division in the Dance Canon
The Rise of ‘West is best’ Philosophy
Australian Multiculturalism: Theory and Practical Implications
Social Context and Dance
Dance in the Western Canon
Cultural Dance: Positioning ‘The Rest’
Some Categories of Cultural Dance in ‘the Rest’
Cultural Dance in Other Performative and Social Contexts
Cultural Dance in Australia
Indigenous Australian Dance
Broader Sociocultural and Choreological Issues in Australia
Notes
4 Motifs of Migration: Reproducing Dance in a New Environment
The Homeland Context
Leaving the Homeland
Diasporic Dance: Practical Adaptations
The Influence of the Dominant Culture
Transnational Connectivity in Dance
Organisational Transnationalism
Pedagogical Transnationalism
Material Transnationalism
Case Study: The Kumpanjija of Blato, Croatia82
Musical Accompaniment
Staging the Event
Conclusion
Notes
5 In the Spotlight: Public Performances of Cultural Dance in Australia
Places and Spaces
Strategies of Self-Representation
The Role of the Audience at a Dance Performance
Intercultural Encounters
Public Performances in Multicultural Australia
Notes
6 The Shell Folkloric Festival: The Most Prominent Multicultural Event
In the Beginning: The Original Concert, 1973
Artistic Control
The Cohort of Performers
Programs and Promotional Material
A Holistic View of the Festival
A Revisionist Appraisal
Notes
7 Riverdance and the Dissolution of Cultural Boundaries in Australian Irish Dancing
Choreo-Musical Conditioning
Choreography
Appearance
Music and Sound
Narrative
A Prominent Venue
Marketing
Professionalism
Modern, Global Appeal
Australian Irish Dancing: Now Open to All
Notes
8 The Ivory Tower and Its Fixed Pointe of Reference
Aesthetics
Ramifications in Dance Practices
Dance Writings and Stock Stories: Evolution, Hierarchy and Universalism
Notes
9 Borders, Boundaries and Difference
Beth Dean
Margaret Walker
Walker’s Inspiration: Igor Moiseyev
Dance Concert
Dance Concert and Participatory Encounters
Notes
10 The White Pages: Dance in Australian Textual Records
Evolution
Beth Dean: Evolution, a Dance Hierarchy and Universalism
Newspapers: Journalistic Observers
Enter the Colonies Dancing: A History of Dance in Australia 1835–1940
Ballet in Australia: The Second Act, 1940–1980
Australia Dances: Creating Australian Dance 1945–1965
Websites and Reports
Conclusion
Notes
11 The Need for an Archive of Cultural Dance
Archiving Dance
Existing Collections: Overseas
Existing Collections: Australia
Building the Archival Collection
Orality in Dance Archives
The Proposed Archive: Development Strategies and Potential Benefits
Conclusion
Appendix 1: A Selection of Cultural Dance Groups in Sydney, Australia
Notes
12 Steps Towards the Future
Affirmation of Multiculturalism
Diversity
Recognising the ‘Other’ Diversity
Decolonising Australian Dance
Choreographies of Change
Some Final Words
Notes
Bibliography
Index
