Dancing transnationally: Croatian immigrants in Sydney, Australia

Abstract

This paper employs a transnational lens to explore traditional Croatian dance practices in Sydney, Australia. It looks first at individuals and their emotional ties with Croatia as expressed through participation in dance groups. Then, three strands of group activity are explored. Organisations provide structure for alliances between groups; pedagogical principles were brought from Croatia but have undergone modification for the Australian situation, and material exchanges across borders include costume purchase and financial remittances. The transnational framework produces a detailed analysis of dance in the Croatian community in Sydney.

Keywords: migration, transnationalism, diaspora, dance