Kalbeliya Women of Rajasthan, Art and Appropriation
Throughout my research, I’ve seen how open the Kalbeliyas are about their creative skills. They share it generously—dance, music, crafts—with anyone who comes. They don’t claim rigid ownership or practice protectionism. On the contrary, their strength lies in innovation, shaped by a nomadic lifestyle and a culture of improvisation and upcycling. Their dance and crafts constantly evolve—there are no strict “traditions,” and that’s what keeps their creativity alive.
They feel “honoured” that people take interest in their art. I remember a talk I gave with Asha, another established Kalbeliya dancer, when someone asked her, “What do you think of foreigners dancing your dance?” She answered, “Dance is not a possession. Nobody owns it.
It is about personal expression. The only problem comes when our voice is not heard. When others speak about us without really knowing us—or take away our livelihood for their own gain—that’s when I feel hurt.”
That’s the crux of it: the problem isn’t the sharing of art or its creative interpretation—it’s the erasure of context, the lack of interest in listening, the indifference to impact. Like the designer who creates revealing blouses under the Kalbeliya label—he likely doesn’t even know how offensive that is in this context. He may never have considered the impact of his choices on the community at all. It’s a token use of a name, devoid of understanding or regard for meaning and consequence.
I write this with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m uncomfortable speaking for them—I don’t want to become yet another priviledged middleperson in a long chain of cultural dominance. On the other hand, ignoring their call for help would be an ethical failure as an activist and scholar. There is no perfect position in this. But if my written words can help amplify a voice that otherwise wouldn’t reach far, then this is my small, imperfect attempt.
This piece was orally co-created with Suwa Devi, over a series of phone calls in Jodhpur. I have written it down as an interpretative summary and shared it again with her. It is a modest effort to raise awareness—and to send her voice into spaces she cannot yet reach.
(The author is an Associate Professor for the Arts, arts facilitator and curator from Belgium, currently based in India. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)
