Recent discussion of globalization tries to refute the binomial opposition between global and local. The aim of this article is to examine the individual and culture related to the locality. As a case study, I focus on the Japanese dancer of Indian dance.
In Indian temple and palace, cadir was danced by tēva-tāci, who was the maid of Gods. Tēva-tāci mainly belonged to the Icai Veļļā la caste, and other caste didn't dance cadir. Because of the relationship between tēva-tāci and her patron, the movement to oppose to the cadir occurred. However, some people like the members of the Music Academy and Rukmini Devi tried to remove the erotic movement of cadir and preserve as a pure Indian dance, parata-nāţţiyam between 1920's and 1940's. Thus parata-nāţţiyam was authorized as the traditional dance of India and learned by the high-caste lady also. As the cultural activity of parata-nāţţ iyam dancer and overseas Indians, parata-nāţţiyam was spread to the world.
From 1960's, Japanese lady also started to go to India to learn parata-nāţţiyam. At first, they tried to dance parata-nāţţiyam like the Indian dancer. However, they face the diffculty because their looks are not like Indian and it is diffcult to express the religious feeling. Then they come to try to corroborate Japanese culture and parata-nāţţiyam. They are fascinated by the power of expression of parata-nāţţiyam, but they don't merely imitate Indian dancer. They express Japanese culture and themselves by parata-nāţţiyam.
Locality has potentiality to produce variety of culture. The individuals seek themselves through another culture and try to express themselves by using another culture.
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