Dancing on the Weekend: PNG Culture Schools in Urban Australia

This paper will examine the shifting of cultural knowledge from males in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to females in Australia, because of migration patterns, external social pressures and the death of knowledge keepers. It will provide a brief history of Papua New Guinean migration to Australia and the consequential formation of P.N.G. cultural groups, schools and dance troupes in the major urban areas. As the Motu Koita and Solien Besena women in Australia are very active in dance group formation, an abbreviated history of Motu Koita and Solien Besena cultural interaction will be presented as well as a description of their subsequent activities in Brisbane and Sydney. I will employ instances from the experiences of two Soilen Besena/Motu Koita female artists -- Wendi Choulai and Theresa Barlow -- to illustrate the unique role of women as cultural leaders and discuss their efforts to address the conundrums posed in preserving and promoting customary dance and certain art forms. Finally, youth involvement, the future continuation of the dance troupes, and the ripple effect of Choulai's groundbreaking performance piece at the 1996, Second Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in Brisbane, Australia will be examined. Adapted from the source document.