Reconfiguration of Kalbeliya dance in neoliberal economy: Negotiating traditions, tourism and (non)recognition

This article traces the journey of Gulabo, a renowned Kalbeliya dancer of India, to uncover her pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of Kalbeliya dance towards global recognition as UNESCO-listed Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. It examines her lived experiences of marginalization, marked by social stigma, economic deprivation, caste-based discrimination and cultural appropriation. Gulabo’s narrative reveals the dominance of state institutions in shaping a tourism-driven discourse about Kalbeliya dance, while the Kalbeliya community itself remains largely excluded from safeguarding its own heritage. This article examines the interconnected and intersecting forms of marginalization that have defined the Kalbeliya community’s struggles for cultural recognition. Rather than viewing these challenges in isolation, we argue that their marginalization results from overlapping structural pressures driven by neoliberal ideologies and policies that mutually reinforce one another. Within this context, we identify three dimensions shaped by neoliberal agendas: (a) gender discrimination, social marginalization and stigma; (b) heritage (non)recognition and political marginalization; and (c) tourism, commodification and loss of heritage transmission.