Odious Dance

[shanmonster]

I'm part of a very small, and somewhat fragile, dance community. My classes are small, and when I get the opportunity to travel for seminars, they're rarely attended by more than fifty people. The performances aren't much more popular, and the audiences consist primarily of dancers and their friends and families.

The vast majority of the dancers in this community do straightforward raqs sharqi, whether it's Egyptian style or North American belly dance. A more sizeable minority also dance American Tribal Style dance. And a scant minority--no more than five or six people--dance fusion styles, incorporating raqs sharqi with some other movement tradition. I fall into that latter group.

I am also part of an umbrella organization which ostensibly ties all of us together. It represents the raqs sharqi community in the Maritimes, and hosts events and performances by and for its membership. When they host events, they specify that they will accept no fusion dancers. Oddly enough, they say they will accept American Tribal Style dance, which is definitely a fusion dance, incorporating elements from other cultural dance traditions, such as flamenco and classical Indian dance.

Granted, I wouldn't be able to make it to the next few workshops anyhow. This isn't a sour grapes scenario, but because of time and money constraints. However, I can't help but feel like I'm being singled out for exclusion. I can understand them not accepting non-raqs sharqi oriented performances, but when the foundation of the dance is just that, why would they want to alienate part of their small group? I really don't understand.

Comments

[sidruid.livejournal.com]

I suspect they feel that, given the difficulty in persuading the public to attend/host their events, they need to use the cultural/historical-accuracy angle. Thus it is an educational performance rather than an entertainment performance.

However, they really need to find better ways to promote themselves and the art form.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Then why would they allow American Tribal Style dance, or performances done to pop music?

[sidruid.livejournal.com]

Well, the "American Tribal" because it sounds traditional. But performances to pop music? Ideally they should simply have "traditional" dances meant as education and "innovative" dances that riff on the others (fusion, pop, etc).

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

American Tribal is definitely not traditional. It's a modern variation which fuses elements of Egyptian, Spanish, Indian, and other dances together into a (usually) unchoreographed group performance.

I could see that if they wanted to put on a traditional style show that they would by necessity leave out more modern variants. But since this group is supposed to be representative of the various "belly dancers" in the region, it doesn't make sense to me that they would intentionally bar a very small contingent from dancing in the show. I am pretty sure it's an entirely political situation, but I don't understand what the dancers in question could have done to offend the powers that be. We're pretty nice people, I think!

[threemilechild.livejournal.com]

You're the subculture the subculture is picking on, I'd imagine.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Pretty much.

[lickthefrog.livejournal.com]

it's like here, Arabesque was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo anti-Tribal for years! their lead, fought with Alexis (my tribal teacher) and put her down and told people it's not really bellydance and just based it to death. BUT NOW! That a former teacher of Arabesque is close friends with Rachel Brice and has had her do workshops here and performances and EVERYONE goes (even if they were still bashing tribal, I asked one girl why she came if she hates tribal "oh rachel isn't tribal and she has great technique' then snubbed me and turned away). So MOW Arabesque is holding tribal classes by an SCA Dancer, but I bet they will never addmit that there was already Alexis and a small group of us before they even thought about it or that they bashed tribal so much.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

It doesn't help when higher-ups in the dance community do trash talk.

I know that when Yasmina came to Moncton to give a workshop, she was trashing everything but "pure" Egyptian dance. She said Turkish dancers were basically sloppy, failed Egyptian dancers, too.

I found it particularly interesting that her Ishtar performance is primarily fusion, considering what she'd said to us.

And Hadia was trashing tribal bigtime (and saying the strangest things about it, while doing so) at the last workshop I attended with her, and this with several obviously tribal dancers in the audience.

Sigh....

All I want to do is dance.

At least Morocco isn't death on ATS. She calls it "good theatre."

[lickthefrog.livejournal.com]

It's also funny becasue Yasmina teaches several workshops in Khaligi, Saiidi, Zhar and Trukish!

Is this the Hadia from Montrial? I've heard a few interesting things about her tonight acctually.

All I want to dance too, I hate people looking down at me beacuse I do more then Egyptian. It's all "life-giving" so why are people so negative and take away peoples joy away.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

That is peculiar. She did show us Zaar, Khaligi, and Saiidi, but she only had bad things to say about Turkish. I guess she's expanded since then. I'm glad to hear it!

Yes, it's Hadia from Montreal. She's an excellent instructor, albeit extremely opinionated. That's pretty common amongst dance divas, I've found. She's an awesome teacher, though. I definitely recommend her. She's definitely one of my favourite instructors, personal disagreements notwithstanding.

You might find a home here

[(Anonymous)]

If you snoop around the Cirque de Soleil - they might have everything you need. They even have cruise ship shows starting up soon - which if I recall, was something you were asking about a year ago. Start here - http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/jobs/onstage/opening/danseurs_mystere.htm?display=year - to get a sampling of what they might offer for you. You may want to visit their school outside of Montréal. I bet you'd be really happy with them!

Re: You might find a home here

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Now that would be an interesting job, but I do not qualify.
They want:
1. Professional-calibre dancers (male and female) with strong stage experience;
2. Height: Men and women between 5'4'' and 6'2'' (165 et 188 cm);
3. Solid classical training;
4. Improvisational skills;
5. Experience in a corps de ballet;
6. Experience in pas de deux;
7. Agility on toe.

I have 1, 2, and 4, but not the rest. So I'm weeded out already.

Re: You might find a home here

[(Anonymous)]

It was just an example. They have lots of other possibilities to offer you. But thanks for saying 'thank you' nonetheless. With that defeatist attitude and lack of gratitude - I wish you good luck with your call centre career.

Care to identify yourself?

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Er, I'm not sure where you perceived ingratitude on my part. I really mean it when I say it would be an interesting job. Auditions were held fairly close by recently, and I did not qualify. They are specifically seeking dancers with ballet backgrounds, and that is something I do not have.

No disrespect was intended.

One of the key reasons I am moving to another city is so I can get out of a call centre and into an environment less stifling to my dance career.

Re: You might find a home here

[lickthefrog.livejournal.com]

do know Shan? She is the last person I know to be ungratful or self-demoting. She is probably one of the most strong willed people I know. She's just been dealt a few bad hands, but she plays with them the best she can. And she's very gratful for everything she's got, especially her chinchillas :)

Re: You might find a home here

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not terribly grateful when they crap all over the place. Heh....