Reasons Why Dravidian Boys in Australia Do or Do Not Choose to Learn Bharatanatyam

Abstract

This thesis explores the attitudes of Dravidian boys in Australia towards learning and performing bharatanatyam—a classical dance form that traces its origins to Tamil Nadu in South India. The study argues that at present, research into immigrant South Asian men’s attitudes towards performing identity through classical art forms such as bharatanatyam is highly disjointed and underdeveloped. This thesis identifies significant gaps in existing research, including the role of performing arts education in the negotiation of cultural and gender identity among immigrant men; the experiences of the South Asian diaspora in Australia; and in particular, younger members of the community; and the perceived contribution of classical bharatanatyam in the cultural preservation of diasporic South Asians. This study, therefore, investigates how attitudes towards gender and culture have shaped the way in which boys from immigrant Dravidian backgrounds have negotiated and renegotiated their gender and cultural identities in bharatanatyam spaces in Australia, and in turn, the influence this has had on the choices Dravidian boys make to engage with the art form. The investigation is centred on the following two questions: How do attitudes towards gender influence the decisions of Australian-Dravidian boys to learn or not to learn bharatanatyam? and How do attitudes towards culture influence the decisions of Australian-Dravidian boys to learn or not to learn bharatanatyam?