UC Riverside UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Kutiyattam: Intangible Heritage and Transnationalism Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4434044c Author Kurien, Elizabeth Mani Publication Date 2013 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California NIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE utiyattam: Intangible Heritage and Transnationalism A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Critical Dance Studies by Elizabeth Mani Kurien August 2013 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Marta E. Savigliano, Chairperson Dr. Priya Srinivasan Dr. Anthea Kraut Copyright by Elizabeth Mani Kurien 2013 The Dissertation of Elizabeth Mani Kurien is approved: Committee Chairperson niversity of California, Riverside Acknowledgements Thisdissertationwouldnothavebeenfeasiblewithoutthehelpofcountless peopleandseveralresourcestoaidresearchwork.IthanktheUniversityofCalifornia, RiversidefortheChancellor’sAwardandteachingassistantshipsthatcontributed significantlytowardmystudy.IalsothanktheUniversityforgrantingmeleavetoallow timeforrecoveryfromamedicalconditionaccompanyingthebirthofmyson,Ezra.I! facedthismedicalsituationrightafterfieldworkwascompleted,andtimeforrecovery wasrequiredtoregainstrengthtobeginwritingagain.Iwouldliketothankmymentors whohavebeenagreatsourceofencouragementthroughoutmydissertationprocess.I wouldliketothankmydissertationadvisor,Dr.MartaSaviglianoforherconsistent and strongguidance.Thanksalsoforherardentattentiontodetailandconsistentengagement withmywork.Herwillingnesstograntmefreedomtoexperimentwithmywriting entailedtremendouswork,intermsofhelpingmefigureoutwaysofpresentingmaterials consistentwithdissertationformats.Shehashelpedmakethechallengesofwritinga dissertation,apleasurableone.IthankDr.AntheaKrautforherincisivecommentsand insightsonunconventionalissuesonIntellectualPropertyRights,helping makemywork morewidelypertinentinthisarea.ThankyoutoDr.PriyaSrinivasanforsharingher thoughtsonhowethnographicworkalwayschangesthe“subject”andtheethnographer intheencounter.Shealsopushedmetothinkhardaboutdancedcultural laborandits difficultimbricationswithinglobalcapital.IthankDr.TobyMillerforhelpingmethink aboututiyattam inrelationtothesocialistandMarxistpoliticalcontextsofKerala.I thankDr.SusanRoseforherinvaluableinsightsonthedancingbody’sabilitytocraft v “realities”inperformance.IthankmyteacherswhoIhadachancetoworkwithatUC, Riverside,especially,Dr.LindaTomko,Dr.JaquelineSheaMurphy,Dr.AnnaScott,Dr. SallyAnnNess,andDr.JohnKim.Theirclasseshavebeenadeeplearningexperience andtheirknowledgeandexpertise,invigorating.SpecialthankstoDr.KarenTorjesen, ClaremontGraduateUniversityandDr.DeepakShimkhada,ClaremontMcKenna College,whosparkedwithinmethedesiretowriteaboutdance.Manyofmycolleagues attheDanceDepartmentatUC,Riverside,havehelpedmealongmypath.Ithankmy dearcolleague-friend,AdannaJones,forhersupport,love,andencouragement--all sharedwithagreatsenseofhumor.AspecialthankstoHannahSchwadron,forher brilliantfeedbackandcommentsonpartsofmydraft.IalsothankGabrielaMendoza- Garcia,MelissaTempleton,andTaniaHammidifortheirhelpandsupportduringmy PhDproject. IthankmydanceguruinBharatanatyam andMohiniyattam,Mrs.Shyamala Surendran,Kerala,India,forherexemplaryguidanceimpartedwithafun-lovingspirit throughoutmylife.WheneverIspeakwithher,IamremindedofhowIcametolove dancesopassionately.IalsothankthenumerousartistsandscholarsinKerala,India, whosecontributionsduringfieldwork,havemadethisdissertationpossible.IthankDr. K.G.Pauloseforlonghoursofconversationsandinsightfulinformation.Ithankmaster practitionersMargiSathi,MargiMadhu,UshaNangiar,andKapilaVenu,allofwhom havetakentimeoutoftheirbusyperformanceschedulestosharetheirpointsofview whichhavebecomeacentralpartofmythesis.AspecialthankstoDr.P.Venugopalan andG.Venuforsharingperspectivesfromanactivist/scholarpointofview.Ithank v Nangiarkoothu practitioner,KalamandalamSangeetha,whohasbeenadarlingfriendand invaluableguidethroughmuchofmyfieldworks.Sheassistedmeinunderstandingthe detailedgesturalusageinutiyattam, viademonstrations.Shealsointroducedmeto masterartistsofutiyattam, thushelpingmakemyentryintothe“field”,asmoother process.IthankKalamandalamSindhuforherhelpandcriticalcommentsregardingmy researchquestionsduringfieldwork.Ithankherespecially formailingmevaluablebooks onutiyattam thatwerenoteasilyavailable.Manylovedoneshelpedmefacilitatemy travelsandstayforfieldworkinKerala.Mymotheranddaughteraccompaniedmeto severalperformancesofutiyattam thatlastedthroughthenight.Ithankthemfortheir generousspiritsanddesiretosupportmywork.Inordertoviewthetwelveday Nangiarkoothu festivalatAmbalapuzha,Ihadtofindasafeplacetostay.IthankKavitha Sureshforherkindnessinarrangingmystayather lodge,forofferingmedelicious home-mademealsatherhome,andfortreatingmeasamemberofherfamilyduringmy stayatAmbalapuzha. Ialsowishtothankthenumerousfriends,family,acquaintancesandeven strangers(yes,that’sright!)withoutwhosesupport,Iwouldnothavemadeitthisfar,let alonebeabletowritethisdissertation.Asmentionedinthebeginning,soonafterfield workwascompletedinDecember 2011,Iexperiencedaseriousrisktomylife, associatedwithacaesareansectionprocedureduringmydelivery.Thecourage, teamwork,andexpertiseofseveralmedicaldoctorsandnurses,whohaveworked tirelesslytorestoremylife,deservespecialmention.IespeciallythankDr. RamachandranN.Menon(GIsurgeon,AmritaInstituteofMedicalSciences,Kochi),Dr. v VijayalakshmiPillai,(Gynecologist,VijayalakshmiHospital,Ernakulam),Dr. Sreedeviamma,(PambatheeramAyurvedaHospital,Chengannur),andDr. RadhakrishnanNair,(Kochi).Severalpeople--dearfriendsandpeople whomIhave neverknown--respondedquicklytourgenttextmessagechains,requestingblood.Ithank thesevenhighschoolstudentsofToc-HPublicSchool,Ernakulam,whovoluntarilyand anonymouslydonatedbloodduringthisemergencysituation.Iremaineternallythankful fortheirgenerosityandcourage.Ithankeachofthenurseswhostoodbyme,dayand night,fortenlongdaysatthecriticalcareunitinAmritaHospital.Ihavenever witnessedsuchintenselaborandcaretowardtheserviceofotherpeople’slives.AfterI wasshiftedfromthehospitaltomyparents’home,Icontinuedtoneedintensecarefor threemonthstohelpwithbasicneeds.Ithankmythreehomenurses, eachofwhom stayedbymeanentiremonth—MariammaChedathi,AnnammaChedathi,andRoselina Chedathi.Theybathedme,comfortedmeduringmomentsofextremepain,encouraged me,andcaredforme.Ithankmyfamilywhohadtobearthebruntofthismedical trauma.Ithankmyfather,SomanMani.Hispatience,undyinglove,courage,and strengthareunparalleledgifts,mychildrenandIhaveexperienced.Ithankmymother, LailaMani,forgivingmelifeonceagain,bynurturingmebacktohealth,whilehaving toattendtotheneedsofmynewbornsonandmyolderdaughter.Inspiteof advancing age,myparentswereabletoprovideexemplarycarewithfiercecourage,andextreme gentleness.Ithankmydaughter,TaraKurien,whonotonlyhadtoendurethedistressof notbeingsurewhetherhermotherwould“makeit”,butalsohavingtowitnessmyhard recoveryprocess.Herlifeduringthesemonthswasleftbereftofmyactivepresencein v! herlife,yetherconsistentandquietassurancesremainunforgettable.Duringthistime shewasregisteredinanonline-schooltocontinuehersecondgradestudies,andshe showedremarkableresponsibilityindoingherwork,withoutanyone’spromptings.My daughterhastaughtmesomuchaboutwhatmattersinlife.Ithankmychildren,Tara KurienandEzraKurien,fortheinfinitemomentsoflaughter,love,andinspirationthat theycontinuetoprovide.Ithankmyhusband,AnupKurien,forhelpingwiththecareof ourchildren.Ithankmydearestfriend,ArchanaRamachandran,whomadetime,inspite ofherfamilycommitments,toplaywithmydaughterandofferhercomfort.Ithankmy familyfriend,SuneethVarma,fortakingchargeofworkingthroughlogisticalissues concerningtreatmentplanswhenthingsweretoochaoticatthehospital.Ithankmydear cousinMariamIsaacforthemuchneededemotionalsupportandstrengthsheofferedmy familyduringthistime.Ithankmydearcousin,GibiAnnKurian,fortakingtimeoff fromherfamilytospendamonthwithmyfamilyandmetooffersupport.Ihavetoo manypeoplewhohavehelpedmeregainmyhealthandwell-being.Theirkindnessand laborcanneverbemeasured,onlyexperiencedandacknowledged.IhopeIcanreturna fractionofthekindnessandfavortosomebody,someday.Aftersixmonths,onceIwas strongenoughtoendurelonghoursofflyingtime,Ireturnedbacktomyalter-homein America.MydaughterhadtobeginschoolforthenewacademicyearandIhadtobegin mydissertationwritingprocess.Mymindandbody,Irealizedhadtobere-trainedto write,tobeabletohavestaminatoputdownthoughtsonpaperandcomputer.Often times,Ihadtotypewhilestanding,assittingdownformorethanafewminuteswasstill painful.Whiletranscribinginterviews,Ihadtore-visittheseinterviewsmultipletimesto v!! makesurethedistractionsofconstant movement,hadnotinterferedwiththetranscription process.Inawaythisdissertationhasbeenanintegralpartofmyhealing,mystruggles andmytriumphsduringthisperiodinmylife.IneverthoughtIwouldbeabletobegin writingagain,andmoreso,finishthisdissertation.So,ifanyoneisouttherestruggling withtheirdissertation,Ijustwanttosayitisdoable. BackintheUnitedStates,friendstooktheplaceoffamilyandmanyofthemhave helpedmuchbeyondthecallofduty.Ithankmybaby’ssitter,SaritaLakkakula,whohas notonlyprovidedwonderfulcareformysonEzraKurien,butalsogifteddeliciously cookeddishes.IalsoexpressmydeepappreciationtoCindyandBarryKatz,instructors, ofTM(TranscendentalMeditation).TMisasimpleandeffectiveprocessthatallowsthe mindtogaindeeprest,thushelpingtoregainphysicalandmentalstaminaquicklyand effortlessly.Ithankmyfriends,RajandSusanAbrahamfortheirunfailingloveand support,andNaomiandRaj Abrahamforopeningtheirhometous,andofferingtowatch mychildrenonnumerousoccasions.IthankShubhaKoneruandSindhuraPrabhuforthe