Review: Dancing the Feminine

Abstract

In March 2016, new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that the number of Australian residents born overseas had risen to its highest point in 120 years, reaching 28 per cent of the total population. ABS data has also revealed that migration from Asia continues to rise. Settling into a new country is never easy. Not only are migrants faced with many practical issues, they must also come to terms with giving meaning to their identity in a new context. Dancing the Feminine tells the tale of how Indonesian migrant women in Perth address issues of identity and belonging, and use cultural performances to create social and cultural agency.