Understanding the Dancer
This short paper is a great starting piece in gaining knowledge about the general practices of the Ouled Naïl. All of the facts mentioned in this annotation come directly from the author herself who didn’t cite external sources. The Ouled Naïl are a group of dancers from Algeria whose practice was passed between generations of women in their tribe. The Ouled Naïl women could be distinguished by their large gold and silver necklaces that were made of the coins they earned through their dance. These women would dance and earn money until they had enough money for a dowry and enough to purchase property. These women didn’t have to be escorted by men during their practice and they were not veiled. The period of French colonialism hurt their practice significantly and limited their performances to only a few venues, which impacted the independence they once prided themselves on. The last part of this paper describes the current state of Ouled Naïl dancers and the differences in their practice, from fewer women entering the profession to the removal of the coin necklaces and in some cases, the introduction of the veil (Ali, 1).
This paper will be used in my project as an introduction to the Ouled Naïl and their unique practices. I will also use the information in this paper to explain why I chose both the Ouled Naïl and the Devadasis as case studies in the project. Finally, the information in this paper will be used in conjunction with a video of Ouled Naïl dance movement and an image of an Ouled Naïl dancer to build a fuller picture of this group of women.
Citation: Ali, Aisha. “ISIM.” openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/17369/ISIM_5_Dances_of_the_Ouled_Nail.pdf?sequence=1.
Link: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/17369/ISIM_5_Dances_of_the_Ouled_Nail.pdf?sequence=1
Book: Unfinished Gestures, By Davesh Soneji
Unfinished Gestures by Davesh Soneji is an ethnographic and historical novel centered on a group of South Indian temple dancers called Devadasis and it discusses the cultural history of this group and their collision with colonialism and the subsequent effects of this collision. Soneji challenges colonial ideas surrounding the performance of the Devadasis, theirs relations with men, and their social status and chooses to look at contemporary Devadasis and the implications of historical policies on their lives today, instead of following a “‘redemptive’ narrative” (4). This novel has an ethnographic portion with original testimonies and information that doesn’t exist in the literature surrounding the Devadasis. Soneji visited 10 different Devadasis communities in Southern India, however; he focused on one woman in particular: R. Muttukkannammal who resided in Viralimalai in the state of Tamilnadu. Soneji worked with her for many years and would watch a performance on her rooftop every night. Watching Muttukkannammal’s movement allowed Soneji to access information that cannot be translated by language and this included “layers of embodied memory, accessing the fullness of history” (Soneji, 163). His conversations with her allowed him to truly understand Muttukkannammal’s liminal position in society. This source will be used for two parts of this project: for the introduction and the colonial response.
This portion of this project will rely on parts of the “DEFINITIONS AND DEGENERATION” section of the introduction. Soneji asserts that the term Devadasi itself may not be the best term given that it tries to encompass practices that span many regions. The literal definition is slave of god, however; the term holds other implications such as ‘“sacred prostitute’ or ‘temple dancer’” (6). The Devadasi practice has existed from the 16th century and this group had performed primarily in Hindu temples after a “dedication” ceremony to a temple deity. The Devadasi social position has always been complex due to their liminal status. On one had they had social agency, engaged in relationships that were not bound by conjugal values, and had an education, but on the other hand their non-conjugal relationships put them in the world of sexual servitude. Soneji also discusses current writings about Devadasis, and he discusses Jogatis or Dalit women who are often called contemporary Devadasis. The Jogatis are a group of women that have been dedicated to the goddess Renuka-Yellamma-Mariyammaare throughout Southern India. Various other forms of dedication are discussed, and Soneji argues that the linking of these dedications to Devadasis creates a false narrative that relates these groups to “upper-caste temples, lost art forms, and a sometimes-idealized form of sexual difference” (8). The specific Jogati community gained global attention during the 1980’s due Dalit party politics, gender violence being classified as an epidemic, and efforts to prevent the spread of HIV. This led to legal interventions such as The Karnataka Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Bill of 1982. The final portion of this section discusses the inadequacies on the information surrounding Devadasis from a lack of information on certain classes of dancers to the justification of revival into Bharatanatyam.
This information will be used as an introduction to the Devadasi women and their unique practices. I will also use the information in this paper to explain why I chose both the Ouled Naïl and the Devadasis as case studies in the project. Finally, the information in this paper will be used in conjunction with a video of Devadasi movement and an image of a Devadasi dancer to build a fuller picture of this group of women.
Citation: Soneji, Devesh. Unfinished Gestures: devadāsīs, Memory, and Modernity in South India. University of Chicago Press, 2012.
Link: https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/U/bo12120868.html