Karen refugees from Burma/Myanmar, now living in diaspora, perform two iconic dances: the bamboo dance and the don dance. These dances—which involve singing in Karen languages, playing traditional Karen instruments, wearing Karen dress, and enacting gestures that symbolize village life in Burma—allow Karen young people to practice the habits of "Karen-ness." The dances are rehearsed and performed in order to inculcate a sense of Karen identity in the participants, most of whom have never seen Karen State. This article is based on fieldwork conducted among Karen migrants in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
目次
Abstract 58 Introduction 58 Dancing to Construct an Identity 59 Karen Identity and the Importance of "Showing Our Culture" 61 Three Historical Stages of Karen Folk Dancing 64 Premigration Phase 64 Migration Phase 66 Diaspora Phase 69 Commonalities in Bamboo Dance and Don Dance 71 Bamboo Dances 72 The Ta See Klee Dance 72 The Ta Su Klee Dance 73 Musical Accompaniment for Bamboo Dances 73 Don Dances 74 The Modern Don Dance 76 Musical Accompaniment for the Modern Don Dance 77 Conclusion 78 Notes 79 References 80
