The Dancer's Voice: Performance and Womanhood in Transnational India

Rumya Sree Putcha's book explores how the Indian classical dancer portrays the complex dynamics of transnational Indian womanhood, supporting caste hierarchies, Hindu ethnonationalism, and white supremacist model minority narratives. She argues that womens citizenship is based on separating their voices from their bodies and offers a new way to understand the intersections of body, voice, performance, caste, race, gender, and nation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 09 December 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

Rumya Sree Putcha delves into the intricate dynamics of transnational Indian womanhood through her exploration in The Dancers Voice. She argues that the public persona of the Indian dancer has evolved to become a powerful representation of India in the global imagination, perpetuating caste hierarchies, Hindu ethnonationalism, and white supremacist model minority narratives. Putcha's research encompasses a wide range of sources, including films, immigration and marriage laws, histories of caste and race, advertising campaigns, and personal family heirlooms, photographs, and memories. Through meticulous analysis, she unveils how womens citizenship is constructed by separating their voices from their bodies. By actively listening to and seeking the voice of the dancer, Putcha offers a fresh perspective on the intersections of body, voice, performance, caste, race, gender, and nation, challenging prevailing narratives and offering a transformative understanding of these complex identities.

Rumya Sree Putcha's exploration in The Dancers Voice delves into the intricate dynamics of transnational Indian womanhood. She argues that the public persona of the Indian dancer has evolved to become a powerful representation of India in the global imagination, perpetuating caste hierarchies, Hindu ethnonationalism, and white supremacist model minority narratives. Putcha's research encompasses a wide range of sources, including films, immigration and marriage laws, histories of caste and race, advertising campaigns, and personal family heirlooms, photographs, and memories. Through meticulous analysis, she unveils how womens citizenship is constructed by separating their voices from their bodies. By actively listening to and seeking the voice of the dancer, Putcha offers a fresh perspective on the intersections of body, voice, performance, caste, race, gender, and nation, challenging prevailing narratives and offering a transformative understanding of these complex identities.

Weight: 431g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478016496