Embodied Transmission of Culture: Exploring the case of Kathak Dance in London

This thesis examines the embodiment of culture through dance practices, exploring how the transmission of culture through physical bodies is experienced and understood by dancers. This research explores the ways in which dance can teach things about a culture and produce solidarity and social cohesion, using the North Indian classical dance form of Kathak as a case study. Through a qualitative study of the participants’ perspectives and experiences, this thesis examines how the process of learning and performing the dance can help children to learn about a culture, and feel connected to it, and to their peers. The thesis starts with conceptual discussions and then moves on to discuss the history of the Kathak dance and its relevance to Indian culture. In order to gain an understanding of how culture is transmitted through dance practices, a range of social and cultural theories are used to form a framework for analysis. Using the tools of ethnography, the data was collected from students, parents, and teachers, at a Kathak dance academy in London. Through an analysis of interviews, focus groups, and participant observations, the research explores the embodied ways in which Kathak dance is experienced, negotiated, and transformed in a foreign cultural context. In doing so, it reveals the ways in which children interact with the cultural practice and its traditional elements. The thesis finds that through their participation in the practice, the children gain a greater understanding of their cultural and social identity, which is shaped by their engagement with the cultural and social elements of Indian traditions present in Kathak dance classes in London. The findings from the research demonstrate that dance is an effective way of teaching children about a culture and connecting them to it. The dancers described feeling a sense of identity and belonging when learning and performing the dance, as well as a feeling of pride and accomplishment. This thesis concludes that the Kathak dance is an effective tool for teaching children about their culture, producing solidarity and social cohesion, and helping to foster a sense of identity, belonging, and pride in cultural heritage.