Blurring Boundaries of Race and Religion through Bharatanatyam in Malaysia

Since 2011, Malaysia has witnessed the emergence of Bharatanatyam performers who are not of Indian ethnicity, groomed through dance studies at Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA), a tertiary arts institution assessable to students of all ethnicities. The performance of Bharatanatyam, including the completion of the Arangetram, for these performers who are generally from middle income, non-urban families that are less exposed to cultures of the “other” is ground-breaking. This paper argues that these Bharatanatyam dancers of multireligious backgrounds and diverse ethnicities have an invaluable place in an art form steeped in tradition and religiosity, especially in a country slipping further into religious conservatism. Their performativity of the Malaysian transcends government-conscripted identities and presents a potent site for dialogue in Malaysia. This article highlights the role that dance education and performance can play in blurring racial and religious boundaries through Bharatanatyam, especially in Malaysia.