Bodily Offerings of Belonging: Chinese-Australians in Perth

Creating the Five-minute ‘Moderen’ Ramayana in an Indonesian Migrant Community

“…Creativity is linked to migrant dance performance through innovative ideas in costume, dance forms and music (Lau 2007). The Perth Chinese dancers in Lau's study were able to introduce contemporary influences through the use of world music composed by an Australian.…”

“…The artist had mixed the Balinese 'cak cak cak' chanting of the Kecak and gamelan sounds with electronic beats, creating five-minute music tracks: perfect for a modern Ramayana dance drama sequence. Santi felt that the modern Brazilian/ Balinese Kecak fusion music had the impact of the moderen version of Ramayana she had in mind, while also providing the five-minute time frame preferred by Australian multicultural festival audiences (Lau 2007), the potential tourists to Indonesia. However, it was only after Santi met the Balinese dancers, including Putu, at their Indonesian Independence Day performance that the idea of creating the moderen Ramayana version came to fruition.…”

“…In the case of the Balinese in Perth, this performance of a combined Kecak Ramayana dance drama was a ritual transformation that affected their relationship with the larger Indonesian migrant community and the Indonesian nation. Dance can play a transformative role in national rituals (Lau 2007); according to ritual analysis, a performance can separate members of a group from everyday life and then return them in a changed state (Turner 1982). For example, in Lau's (2007) description regarding the bodies of young Chinese-Australian female dancers, the dancers were transformed into being acceptably 'Chinese' for the purpose of the Australian state's multicultural framework, and then reverted back to their roles as Australian citizens.…”

“…Dance can play a transformative role in national rituals (Lau 2007); according to ritual analysis, a performance can separate members of a group from everyday life and then return them in a changed state (Turner 1982). For example, in Lau's (2007) description regarding the bodies of young Chinese-Australian female dancers, the dancers were transformed into being acceptably 'Chinese' for the purpose of the Australian state's multicultural framework, and then reverted back to their roles as Australian citizens. In comparison, chanting representatives of the Indonesian state encircled the bodies of the Balinese Ramayana dancers, thus, I argue, transforming their dance into a national ritual: the dancers were reaffirmed not as Australians but as Indonesians overseas living in Perth.…”

The Cosmopolitan Performers: Chinese–Indonesian Migrants in Perth, Australia

“…The performers themselves were wearing Chinese syncretic inspired wide sleeves, red, gold and green coloured costumes, as well as makeup and hair with accessories that typifies a Chinese 'doll' . This phenomena of performing 'Chinese-ness' has been analysed by Sin Wen Lau (2007) in her research on how the bodies of the Chinese Australian young female dancers are transformed into performing Chinese-ness through costumes and classic dances for the Australian multicultural stage. There was similarly an initial imposition through request by the Indonesian Consulate on the housewife dance group whereby the Betawi Jakarta dances transform the dancers' 'Chinese-ness' into a dual representation of Indonesian nationality and residence in Perth.…”