Description
Book Synopsis Court dance in Java has changed from a colonial ceremonial tradition into a national artistic classicism. Central to this general transformation has been dance’s role in personal transformation, developing appropriate forms of everyday behaviour and strengthening the powers of persuasion that come from the skillful manipulation of both physical and verbal forms of politeness. This account of dance’s significance in performance and in everyday life draws on extensive research, including dance training in Java, and builds on how practitioners interpret and explain the repertoire. The Javanese case is contextualized in relation to social values, religion, philosophy, and commoditization arising from tourism. It also raises fundamental questions about the theorization of culture, society and the body during a period of radical change.
Trade Review “Even if it is rather demanding, Hughes-Freeland’s study makes for highly rewarding reading.” · JRAI
“The book is carefully constructed…we can learn a lot from it [which] may well be due to its robust empiricism.” · Social Anthropology/Anthropologie sociale
“This book attempts a much more comprehensive consideration of dance in its cultural, social, and historical contexts than most and the author should be commended not only for this ambitious approach but also for keeping ethnographic method as the foundation of the research… the world of dance scholarship, anthropology, performance studies, and Indonesian studies are the better for this book which is, in important ways, remarkable." · American Ethnologist
"This is a valuable addition to the literature on performance in Southeast Asia, on dance history, and on culture change in general … a very timely and important work … the quality of its prose, the depth of research involved make it a unique contribution to dance scholarship." · Hélène Bouvier, CNRS, Paris
Table of Contents List of Figures and tables
Preface and Acknowledgements
A Note on Spelling and Other Matters
Abbreviations
Chapter 1. Introduction: Dance, Culture, and Embodiment
Chapter 2. Before the Nation: The Heyday of Court Dance
Chapter 3. From Colony to Nation: Dance in the Reign of Haengkubuwana IX
Chapter 4. Embodying Culture: Dance as Education
Chapter 5. Performance and Symbolism: Bedhaya and the Poetics of Power
Chapter 6. The Art of Dancing: Joged Matatam
Chapter 7. Changing Styles of Patronage: Tourism and Commoditization
Chapter 8. Conclusion: Embodies Communities in the Nation State
Appendices I
Appendices II
Appendices II
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
