Catholicism, cultural nationalism and traditional dance in the Irish and Croatian communities in Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article describes the tripartite relationship between the Catholic Church, nationalism and traditional dance in the Irish and Croatian communities in Australia. Within both homeland and diasporic milieux, dance embodies culturally specific knowledge that binds communities and transmits that knowledge to subsequent generations. In Ireland, the Catholic Church not only exerted political power; it directly influenced many aspects of dance praxis. In Australia, the Church and its ancillary organisations took an active role in fostering dance activities including competitions for several decades, until specific bodies for dance administration were established. Likewise in Croatia, the Catholic Church promoted specific Croatian cultural activities such as dance through several iterations of colonisation. In Australia, the Church provided requisite infrastructure for dance activities to be replicated in the new environment. These two community case studies exemplify the vital role of the Catholic Church in supporting traditional customs to maintain cultural identity in the homeland and to support immigrants as they recontextualise that identity and reconfigure their lives in a novel environment.