LITMIR.BIZ

      I would like to thank all the Roma friends who have given their time and support to my research. I have learned so much from your creativity, resilience and generosity.

      The beginnings of this book go back to my graduate school years at Northwestern University and I would like to thank Margaret Thompson Drewal, whose work has been a constant model and inspiration, Micaela di Leonardo, who planted many seeds of feminist critical thinking, and Tracy C. Davis, who inspired my historical research and kindly provided feedback on early sections of the manuscript. Dwight Conquergood’s vision, unwavering support, and enthusiasm for ethnography and performance studies have shaped this book in fundamental ways. He is truly missed.

      The formative stages of this book developed with intellectual and collegial support from my dissertation writing group at Northwestern: Leslie Buxbaum-Danzig, Amy Partridge, Karima Robinson, Rebecca Rossen, Emily Roxworthy and Jason Winslade. The spirit of those generous scholarly exchanges continues to inspire me.

      At Berghahn, I am grateful to Chris Chappell, for believing in this project, and to Amanda Horn, Caroline Kuhtz and the whole production team, for their invaluable assistance. Many thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their helpful and detailed feedback. While I have followed many of their suggestions, the final manuscript reflects my own point of view.

      For research leave that has allowed me to conduct fieldwork and to revise the manuscript, I am grateful to the University of Roehampton. Josh Abrams, Lis Austin, Simon Bayly, Ernst Fischer, Laure Fernandez, Sarah Gorman, Susanne Greenhalgh, Adrian Heathfield, Joe Kelleher, Johanna Linsley, Glenn Odom, Emily Orley, Susan Painter, Jen Parker-Starbuck, Maggie Pittard, Eleanor Roberts, PA Skantze, Graham White, Lee White, Fiona Wilkie and the late Peter Majer provided collegiality and encouragement throughout the research and writing of this book. Many thanks to Stephanie Laryea and Judith Stevens for being wonderful colleagues and exquisite administrators.

      For their generosity and for intellectual inspiration I thank Margaret Beissinger, Grégory Busquet, Ana Croegaert, Amber Day, Adriana Diaconu, Matthew Engelke, Suk-Young Kim, Robert Kulpa, Jacob Juntunen, Christine Matzke, Rebecca Nash, Lisa Peschel, Carol Silverman, and Maurya Wickstrom.

      Over the years I have benefitted from inspiring conversations with and the collegiality of Christopher Balme, Robin Bernstein, Bianca Botea, Esra Cizmeci, Karen Fricker, Helen Gilbert, Milija Gluhovic, Silvija Jestrovic, Margarita Kompelmakher, Branislava Kuburovic, Dominika Laster, Bryce Lease, Marin Marian-Bălaşa, Meida McNeal, Yana Meerzon, Lisa Merrill, Stefka Mihaylova, Sophie Nield, Louise Owen, Coya Paz, Suvenderini Perera, Oyku Potuoglu-Cook, Sheila Preston, Janelle Reinelt, Clémence Scalbert-Yürcel, Berenika Szimansky-Düll, Amanda Stuart-Fisher, Aniko Szucs, and Jennifer Tyburczy.

      For their scholarly brilliance, which is a continuous source of inspiration, and for their solidarity, I am indebted to former and current members of the Feminist Review Collective: Nadje Al-Ali, Joan Anim-Ado, Avtar Brah, Rutvica Andrijasevic, Irene Gedalof, Aisha Gill, Carrie Hamilton, Gina Heathcote, Clare Hemmings, Yasmin Gunaratnam, Laleh Khalili, Joanna Pares Hoare, Suzanne Scafe, Sadie Wearing and Kyoung Kim.

      I am deeply grateful to Carol Silverman and Maurya Wickstrom for reading full early drafts of the manuscript, and for their rigorous, detailed and generous comments that have improved this book in many significant ways. Heartfelt thanks to Jen Parker-Starbuck for guidance and support in key moments and to Susanne Greenhalgh, Branislava Kuburovic and Emily Orley for engaging in many intellectual conversations about the book and reading sections of the manuscript. Ana Croegaert has been a constant intellectual interlocutor and dear friend from the beginnings of this project through to the final writing stages; her astute feedback on different aspects of the manuscript and her moral support have been invaluable. My profound gratitude goes to Rutvica Andrijasevic, and Irene Gedalof for reading sections and the entire manuscript at crucial points and for providing insightful comments and generous advice.

      For their friendship, generosity and assistance during fieldwork and beyond, I am grateful to Ioana Ghibănescu, Olimpia Mălai, Mihaela Stoienescu, Ligia Stoienescu, Mariana Soporan, Cristina Marian, Iulia Marian, Daniel Mezö, Dorin Raţiu, Mirela Borza, Caro d’Offay, Laura Gilmore, Tricia Rumbolz, Toufique Khan, Sean O’Neill, Snezana Zabic, the late Rodica Nebert, Oana Stăncioiu, Anca Rozor, Audrey Albert and Beatriz Fernandes. Thank you to Teodora Szeman for helping in so many essential ways that have made the writing of this book possible and to Ishti for all the joy that he has brought into my life.

      Introduction

      Roma are always the last to count, but we won first prize. We would not settle for second or third place.

      —Maria, Roma dancer, interview with the author, 2009

      I’ve worked hard. When you look at me, you can see that I’ve succeeded through my voice, not my looks.

      —Viorica, Roma singer, Romanian reality TV show Clejanii, December 2012

      Moderator: Why is there tension between Roma and Romanians?

      Roma activist: First of all, you should not use these terms; you should speak of Roma and non-Roma, as all Roma [in Romania] are Romanian citizens.

      —Talk show on Romanian national TV channel Realitatea, December 2007

According to Maria, dance was the only avenue of success available to her as a Romni.¹ High rents and unemployment had driven Maria and her family to Pod,² a settlement where people squatted in improvised lodgings and collected recyclables from a nearby refuse site. Living in difficult conditions, without infrastructure or medical facilities and far away from schools, Roma in Pod could be mistaken for refugees in a camp, even though they were citizens of Romania. Local media looked down on Roma from Pod and often described them as poor, dirty and lazy. A far cry from such stereotypes, thirty-five-year-old Maria – always impeccably dressed in modern clothing – lived with her family in a wooden house, one

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