Punjabi Dance Classes In Auckland Region †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Questions: How Does The Punjabi Population Of New Zealand Still Identify Strongly With Its Ethnic Ancestral Roots? How Does The New Zealand Born Punjabi Population Define And Represent Its Indian Identity? Answers: Introduction The common features that have been observed across several societies are migrants, ethnic diversity as well as multiculturism. These arise as a result of diversity which exists within the nations and also the increasing rates of global migration. New Zealand is no exception to this rule as several ethnic groups from around the globe have been attracted to New Zealand due to the existing pro-immigration policies and the migrant history of the country. This has resulted in a society which is highly diverse and Auckland today boasts of a cultural diversity that is higher than London (Tapaleao, 2014). Asians today form New Zealands fourth largest group in terms of ethnicity. Chinese and Indians are the leading two minorities in the nation (Peacock, 2016). Among the Indian population in Auckland, the maximum strength is of the Gujarati and Punjabi communities and hence several cultural activities of these communities are known to exist in the region. The Punjabi dance classes held at seve ral institutes are among them. This dissertation will be taking into consideration the Punjabi dance classes in the Auckland region. Basic Idea of the Dissertation The basic idea of this dissertation is to find out about the Punjabi people dancing their cultural identities in a region which can be associated with several cultural identities. It is regarding the people who continue the dance practices that belong to the place of their birth and also regarding the people who continue to dance the culture which belonged to their forefathers who had migrated to Auckland region of the nation. Thus, it can be said that this thesis is related to transnationalism and migration and also to the transactional social spaces which forms a complex web which go on to construct the lived experience of people in the Auckland region. The dissertation is also regarding finding out the local which is embodied both here as well as now and also within the migrated cultural practices. The thesis will be looking at the ways in which these practices have been maintained and also at the ways in which they have changed in a new environment in a different nation, in an ur ban environment that is unique in itself and how the combination of global and local have taken place to form glocal. The dissertation deals with diversity and multi-culturalism and the ways in which people live together in a region that is made up of several cultures. It is regarding the ways in which they celebrate value and acknowledge cultures that are distinct and that have diverse practices. It is also regarding the frictions which take place between various cultures within the communities. It is regarding the reasons as to why or why not people take the decision to be a part of the dance practice classes that belong to a culture which is distinct from their own. It is also about how cultural dance occurs in a place which is multi-cultural and diverse. It is about the example which Auckland sets in the 21st century urban life. It is regarding the urban space and the ways in which people have been imbuing it with life energy as well as presence by means of Punjabi dancing. It i s regarding the ways in which the region is brought to life by the people and the ways in which they form connections within their communities by means of cultural practices. It is also about the things which make the region special, give the people a feeling that they are at home and how it makes the region feel as being their place and also make the region our place. Research Objectives It is essential to make a note of the fact that New Zealand Indian is a category that is more complex than what it was more than thirty years back. Today it consists of several religious, linguistic and regional groups along with various generations and is a representation of the various experiences of migration. The specific nature of the ways in which the Punjabi Indians born as well as raised in New Zealand actually practice and perform their ethnicity is malleable, dynamic and fluid. In addition to this, being a diasporic trans-national community, negotiation and re-negotiation of their identities take place in varied social contexts and also across the boundaries of the nation. However, the main purpose of conducting this study is to carry out an exploration of the experiences of the Indians in New Zealand in managing, accepting as well as rejecting and also negotiating their identity in their day to day lives by holding Punjabi dance classes. It tries to identify complex and at times problematic ways in which the identity of a Punjabi from New Zealand is managed or mismanaged and the means through which the shaping and reshaping of the boundaries of this particular group residing in the Auckland region takes place. Literature Review Coming of Indians to New Zealand The popular belief is that Indians are newcomers to New Zealand but this is not true. The first records of an Indian migrant to New Zealand is that of a Bengali sailor who in 1809 had jumped ship and had started to live with the local M?ori (Bandyopadhyay, Reinventing Indian identity in multicultural New Zealand, 2006). In the second half of the 19th century several Indians landed on New Zealands shores indicating the start of an Indian diaspora. However, the community of South Asia in New Zealand was established by the Punjabi as well as Gujarati families who had migrated prior to Second World War (Leckie, 2010). The influencing factors for the early migration of the Indians were sponsor patronage, kinship ties and family. This is called chain migration. In the initial stages the diaspora of Indians in the region was mostly homogeneous in economic and social terms (Bandyopadhyay, Reinventing Indian identity in multicultural New Zealand, 2006). In the latter part of the 1980s the pos t-war immigration of Indians came to New Zealand when the immigration became more skill based. The Indian communitys composition was altered by this new immigrant influx into the country (Zodgekar, 2010). The patterns of immigration led to cultural, social as well as demographic alterations in the ethnic group of Indians. Even though the classification in the census is as Indian ethnic group, homogeneity is lacking in the Indian community. This is reflected by the linguistic and religious diversity of the Indian community. The home nations diversity can be seen in the Indian ethnic groups composition in New Zealand (Peacock, 2016). This is largely varied from the original Hindu and Sikh migrants. Linguistically, the migrant Indians mostly speak English and Hindi. The other main languages spoken by them include Punjabi and Gujarati (Zodgekar, 2010). In terms of their identity the migrant Indians have been observed to be well versed in the process of articulating their identity in a w orld that is globalised which means that they are able to handle in a skilful manner and put together varied fragments of their culture (Knepper, 2006). New Zealands ethnic Indian group is able to make a shift among several cultural contexts like that of the home nation and also of the host nation. This is done relatively easily by them as the Indian societys basic composition and their familiarity in terms of negotiations between postcolonial and colonial life aspects make the people get used to living in a setting which is diverse culturally (Fuchs, Linkenback, Malik, 2010). Dance Culture of India The cultural heritage in terms of Indias classical dances originates from areas which currently form the countries of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Additional influences also come from the Tamil culture that exists in South India as well as Sri Lanka and other neighbouring nations like Turkey and Iran. The history of Indias classical dance is a reflection of the road taken by India to nationhood and also that of its religious and cultural traditions. Since the post-independence India which had been created by Britain is a nation which consists of diverse religious and ethnic groups it also required means of consolidation and finding of grounds that were common. In such a historical context, the function of dance was creation of an identity that is pan-India (Munsi, 2008) (Kothari, 2011). This period witnessed several dance forms such as bharata natyam and bhangra going from mainly regional origins to developing into pan-Indian (Nayar, Hocking, Giddings, 2012). Several of the Indian dances had traditions which are very long and which at times had been lost and were then again rediscovered followed by their reconstitution. In the process they also underwent changes especially the extensive developments that occurred during the period of dance revival between 1930s and 1940s. The spread of most of the dance forms took place outside the places where they originated and they went on to become national forms. However, there was a continuation of the understanding of where the origin of the dances took place. The evidence of this can be found in the Auckland region after a discussion with the dance experts as well as audience members at the performances of Indian dances (Nagel, 2009). The most prominent cultural expression for India in todays world is probably Bollywood. It has developed into a movie industry that is very huge, the Bollywood dancing style has today developed into a popular art phenomenon internationally. It originates from the Indian dance drama and incorporates several aspects of certain folklore dance forms of the country specially, bhangra the Punjabi dance form of India. Bollywoods dance choreographies today are also feeding on the American musical theatre as well as the jazz dance. A huge variation exists in terms of style exists under the umbrella of Bollywood. Punjabi Bhangra Dance of India Since the 1980s, the Punjabi Bhangra dance has turned out to be a topic of discussion in the studies related to the vernacular culture and identity of South Asia. Such information has however, been suffering due to paucity of published information on the historical and cultural context of Bhangra. As a result, discussions have mostly relied on the information which is available from the casual participants as well as the media which has been popular in recent times. Bhangra has been oversimplified by the popular narratives as deriving or being from the traditional folk dance of Punjab, often in the absence of a sense of what a folk dance is constituted of in such a context or the relationship existing between this dance and the particular form of bhangra with which one might be familiar. As a result, the picture of contemporary bhangra as a quintessential Punjabi harvest dance even in its modernised form is not seen as adequate in interpreting the acts of the audiences and performers of what happens to be many phenomena of dynamic nature. The danger lies in the characterisation of bhangra as being too-uniformly understood aspect in relation to Punjabi heritage and in reduction of its performances to merely display the identity of the Punjabis, in case the registration of the present and past aesthetic decisions, practical requirements and situations intentions of the participants is not done (Schreffler, 2013). Indian Diaspora in New Zealand Indian diaspora in New Zealand has been called as one of the major migrations in modern history. It has also been defined as being a force that is unique in terms of the world culture (Lal, 2010). The diaspora of India is vibrant and visible and estimated to be encompassing over 11 million people. The culture of India has also been capturing the Western worlds imagination for a long period of time in the form of the philosophy of peaceful resistance propagated by Gandhi, Buddhism and Hinduism, academics, yoga practices, dance and music and much more. Indians have been migrating to New Zealand mainly due to population related pressures at home, declining, lack of opportunities, poverty and small village based enterprises (Swarbrick, 2011). New Zealands Indian diaspora has also been growing fast and has also brought forth a number of prominent personalities (Bandyopadhyay, India in New Zealand. Local identities, global relations, 2010). Research Methodology The traditional culture of Indian Punjabis in the Auckland region of New Zealand will be highlighted and studied by means of an ethnographic study as to how, where as well as why they perform and what it reveals about their distinctiveness of migrating to Auckland. The research is particularly relevant to the contemporary ethnoscape of New Zealand in more ways than one. The focus is on the cultural issues in relation to immigration, nationhood and identity, the topics which are usually fore-grounded in the daily political discourse. It also attempts to explore the ways in which the Punjabi dance classes are being held and the ways in which educators are imparting teaching in a community that comprises a high immigrant density. Additionally, it identifies the ways in which the migrants are searching for an identity in New Zealand and depicts the ways in which the creative communities are making contributions to the performing arts as well as well being of a national identity that is undergoing changes as a result of the immigration of Asians, mainly the Punjabi Indians. The theoretical as well as methodological framework of this study will be drawing on the music ethnographies as well as research methods which have been featuring in a number of ethnomusicological literatures in relation to identity and diaspora. This work takes place within the diaspora ethnomusicology area and attempts to understand the phenomenon of the Punjabi dance classes conducted in an institute and also in the context of the surrounding community. As a subfield of ethnomusicology that is significant and growing and has been defined in several ways, diaspora ethnomusicology has emerged as a significant research area which is relatively new in New Zealand particularly in relation to the considerable increment in the Asian immigrants of the nation from 1980 onwards. This research has been built upon research on related topics in this field in New Zealand (Bernau, 2005). It aims to make its contribution to the field by forming an outline of and understanding a particular case st udy and at the same time work not only within but also across various disciplines such as immigration studies, music education, Asian studies and ethnomusicology. The data for the purpose of the study was collected by use of the multi-method approach in terms of field research. An etnographic study of a particular school and the Asian performance activities conducted by it were taken into consideration. The focus was primarily on the Bhangra dance, a traditional dance originating from the state of Punjab in India. It was taken as a case study for this research. Interviews of the key informants were conducted. These included the participants of the performing arts of Asia along with the teachers who played a crucial and active part in conducting and organising these dance classes on a number of occasions. The participants were of the opinion that the immigrant communities continuing and also promoting the traditions which are associated with the performing arts that belong to their home nation in the country which is their new home. Their responses also highlighted the certain remarkable ways in which the Punjabi immigrants from India or the on es having immigrant ancestry are making attempts to find a cultural identity of their own by conducting classes and performance of the Punjabi bhangra dance in Auckland. Analysis and Results The current study is an indication that Punjabi Virsa Dance and Arts Academy (PVDAA) in Auckland region of New Zealand is utilising a particular context along with the performing art in order to help in the discovery, construction and negotiation of the Punjabi cultural identity in the context of New Zealand. Even though it is not a surprising fact that the immigrant communities are continuing as well a s promoting the traditions related to performing arts belonging to their home nation in their new home, this study has highlighted certain remarkable ways in which the Punjabi immigrants from India or the ones having immigrant ancestry are making attempts to find a cultural identity of their own by conducting classes and performance of the Punjabi bhangra dance in Auckland. Certain findings of the research highlight the ways in which the context of the host country provides assistance in shaping the cultural identity particularly in rediscovering the culture of the homeland. The Auckland region has a proportionally high number of people who are immigrants of Indian ethnicity, mostly Punjabi Indians. This region is also has the one of the highest densities of people from Asia in the country. Thus, it is but natural that Punjabi Virsa Dance and Arts Academy has a very high number of students who are of Indian origin. As far as the music education is concerned, no obvious links are seen with the Indian community and the Punjabi bhangra dance has been discovered by some of the students by means of these co-curricular activities conducted by the dance school. The dance school has been instrumental in bringing together students who belong to varied Indian backgrounds and who have travelled varied routes both to as well as within Auckland. This has gone a long way in helping them in forming an identity in New Zealand on the basis of their idea of Indian cultural roots. Several of the students have not learnt the Punjabi bhagra dance previously before enrolling in this particular dance school. All the students displayed a sense of pride in what they were doing. They were relishing the fact that they had the opportunity of showcasing their culture in the co-curricular activities conducted by the school and also in the community at large. This helped the students in discovering what was perceived by them as being a component of their tradition as well as their heritage and also a component of their collective and individual cultural identity. However, such an identity was forged only once the Punjabi bhangra dance had been found by the students at this particular dance school and which was nurtured as a consequence of the performance activities of the dance group through a process which consisted of the organisation or the dance school that came together to learn and also help others in learning especially from the main community members, discovery of a dance form that was new to them by means of watching videos, conducting performances for other students and for the community at large and most of all being able to form cultural and social links with the other members who were a part of the group. This study went on to outline a number of important points in relation to the construction of cultural identity for the students of the PVDAA. The findings are an indication that the Auckland region of the country is a place which is both diverse and interesting in terms of change. It also showed that when the students of this dance school go to their respective schools, they also introduce the trading performing arts of their country to their peers and also to the public in the community at large. For the students of this school, the creation of the identity occurs mainly on the basis of what they have experience or found in the New Zealand. As a reaction to a place which is new and also to a cultural context that is new, most of them are showing a deeper interest in and in reproduction of the aspects of a cultural setting that has been left behind by them. Such identities are complex and are generally based on a number of varied factors such as nationalism and / or ethnicity. In ad dition to this, formation of multiple cultural identities can occur by means of the process of conducting performances in varied spaces as well as places and to audience of diverse nature. Conclusion The study shows that the cultural display which occurs in the form of the Punjabi bhangra dance plays a pivotal role in the relations of the school and community and also in forming the self identity of these students in New Zealand. Identity for them is performed by means of the Punjabi bhangra dance and it is formed as a consequence of the schools activities. Hybrid lives are led by the students of such schools by mixing the heritage and identities of the host country and their homeland. Additionally they also gain a sense of belonging which takes place due to coming together in the Punjabi dance school. Hence, this study has assisted in demonstrating that by means of the Punjabi bhangra dance group in this dance school of Auckland, discovery of cultural heritage has occurred and this has been performed as well as showcased to not only the other students but also to the wider community. Formation and performance of identities have occurred as a consequence of such types of confluen ces. This has turned out to be central for constructing identity of students in more ways than one. It is a display of culture which holds the intention of celebrating culture and the students sharing a common cultural bond are brought together through these dance classes. Development of school-community relations and partnerships take place and leads to the showcasing of regions creative communities which in turn makes contributions to the contemporary make-up of national identity. References Bandyopadhyay, S. (2006). Reinventing Indian identity in multicultural New Zealand. In H. Johnson, B. Moloughney (Eds.), Asia in the making of New Zealand (pp. 125146). Auckland, NZ: Auckland University Press. Bandyopadhyay, S. (2010). India in New Zealand. Local identities, global relations. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago University Press. Bernau, S. (2005). 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