Cultural Heritage in Transition: exploring the challenges of representing classical Indian dances in Finland

Abstract

This thesis examines the challenges of representing and reproducing classical Indian dances in Finland. These key cultural heritage art forms of India are constantly going through a transition in time and space. This study aims to examine and identify factors that affect the authenticity of the dance. I search for answers that explains what happens, when the dances are taken out from their original context and spread globally. Authenticity, aura, representation, cultural appropriation, and the digitalisation of the dance play an important role in the challenges professional dancers, both non-Indian and Indian, face in today’s world. The history of classical Indian dances is presented together with prior knowledge about the development of the dance forms by Sharon Lowen. The theoretical part consists of Walter Benjamins’ theory of aura of the arts and Stuart Halls’ theory of representation. Multiple methods are used to conduct the research itself, including personal interviews with professional dance teachers and performers in semi-structured manner. In order to include a wider perspective, classical Indian dance students in Finland give their opinion in a qualitative and quantitative questionnaire. The results show that there are multiple challenges in representing classical Indian dances and that it is almost impossible to achieve an ideal image of them in Finland. The conclusion is that a dancer must have knowledge, understanding and respect when working with classical Indian dances, that are still deeply rooted in Indian culture.