Raqs is more than Style.
I have a ton of mixed emotions about the Tribal vs. Nightclub/Raqs Shaquri controversy. Lucky for me, it's not currently running through med-dance, nor any of the other lists I'm on, so I can speak without feeling too much like my view is affected.
When I wrote my Root Magazine article(s) on "The Continual Re-Mixing of 'Bellydance'", I spent some time avoiding the Elephant in the room, and trying to give all sides in this debate a positive spin. It wasn't the place, nor the time, to re-hash decade+ long arguments about the birth and intersection of Tribal from Raqs Shaquri; it was enough work just trying to give entertaining evidence for the overall act of raqs having grown and evolved in ways that we, as dancers, tend not to consider. We have few historians in the Western sense of someone at least once-removed from the actions involved; like Winston Churchill, many of our historians made history. And being in the way of history tends to expand your viewpoint...but also narrow it. Part of my goal was to be as detached as possible from whatever I'd been involved with, look at the data, and write about the historical track from a hopefully-new and innovative perspective.
Even though I didn't touch overmuch upon the brawl between Tribal and Raqs Shaquri, it was, and is, on my mind. This article, based on a talk the author gave, gives a hint as to part of that solution. This bit reached out and struck me hard enough to force fingers to keyboard:
Given that many people I know can barely tell the difference between Awalim and Fat Chance, it's obvious that, in many cases, the issue is far more about style than about any sort of substance. We're reacting, in many cases, to the appropriation of something like ethnic identity from native cultures, and re-working them in a Western mode. And there's a lot one can say about that, for both good and ill, but it rarely is heard over the Greek Chorus of Doom that some in the Dance community lay down upon the altar of Tribal. Which is interesting, given the amount of Hollywoodism that's part and parcel of 20th Century Raqs Shaquri -- a part that Tribal clearly rejects.
I contend that dancers, on average, fall in love with the dance from it's look and feel, it's style, rarely with the movements underneath; that seems to come later, after the sequins and veils, or cholis and tattoos, draw us in. Our internal fights reflect this, reflect that interest and focus in how we look over anything else. I fear the word "superficial" comes to mind, yet it's not, in a way; even as I underline the point of the quote, that style is unimportant, it also is true that, if nothing else, that which drew you in might draw a mainstream person out. And that's important to remember.
What's also important to remember is that the core issue is not to be pure, especially in art, but to encourage excellence and skill. Art survives because artists thrive. And in this climate in the West, especially in America, we risk far more by locking out honest artistic effort than to be open to new interpretations, even if they might be unwise, or even offensive. The work to do for education of new dancers is immense, and really hasn't been done -- but that's a whole story in itself. Worse, much of what is out there pushes a certain style -- rightly or wrongly -- without realizing that the best option for encouraging dancers is not to bludgeon them with your historical viewpoints, but to encourage them to seek out and study for excellence in whatever style that aim to go for.
Why skill over all other concerns? Skill and excellence, in and of themselves, teach nothing about ethics and social norms. Yet exposure teaches much, and travel -- be it to different countries or different teachers -- broadens the mind. Stepping out of one's "Style Chamber" teaches about how to look at dance from other angles. And striving for excellence over style teaches how to focus on substance over style. From there, the student will be more likely to understand the history in a deep and meaningful way, and to pick and choose based upon her/his real interests, rather than cloning the teacher's personal passions and studies.
With a cadre of dancers trained to be great dancers first, we would, indeed, see a sea change of dance. Now, as to how to educated them...hmmm.
When I wrote my Root Magazine article(s) on "The Continual Re-Mixing of 'Bellydance'", I spent some time avoiding the Elephant in the room, and trying to give all sides in this debate a positive spin. It wasn't the place, nor the time, to re-hash decade+ long arguments about the birth and intersection of Tribal from Raqs Shaquri; it was enough work just trying to give entertaining evidence for the overall act of raqs having grown and evolved in ways that we, as dancers, tend not to consider. We have few historians in the Western sense of someone at least once-removed from the actions involved; like Winston Churchill, many of our historians made history. And being in the way of history tends to expand your viewpoint...but also narrow it. Part of my goal was to be as detached as possible from whatever I'd been involved with, look at the data, and write about the historical track from a hopefully-new and innovative perspective.
Even though I didn't touch overmuch upon the brawl between Tribal and Raqs Shaquri, it was, and is, on my mind. This article, based on a talk the author gave, gives a hint as to part of that solution. This bit reached out and struck me hard enough to force fingers to keyboard:
STYLE IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED.
[...]style is irrelevant. In every one of these cases, from extreme abstraction to acute naturalism they are extraordinary regardless of the style. It's absurd to be loyal to a style. It does not deserve your loyalty.
Given that many people I know can barely tell the difference between Awalim and Fat Chance, it's obvious that, in many cases, the issue is far more about style than about any sort of substance. We're reacting, in many cases, to the appropriation of something like ethnic identity from native cultures, and re-working them in a Western mode. And there's a lot one can say about that, for both good and ill, but it rarely is heard over the Greek Chorus of Doom that some in the Dance community lay down upon the altar of Tribal. Which is interesting, given the amount of Hollywoodism that's part and parcel of 20th Century Raqs Shaquri -- a part that Tribal clearly rejects.
I contend that dancers, on average, fall in love with the dance from it's look and feel, it's style, rarely with the movements underneath; that seems to come later, after the sequins and veils, or cholis and tattoos, draw us in. Our internal fights reflect this, reflect that interest and focus in how we look over anything else. I fear the word "superficial" comes to mind, yet it's not, in a way; even as I underline the point of the quote, that style is unimportant, it also is true that, if nothing else, that which drew you in might draw a mainstream person out. And that's important to remember.
What's also important to remember is that the core issue is not to be pure, especially in art, but to encourage excellence and skill. Art survives because artists thrive. And in this climate in the West, especially in America, we risk far more by locking out honest artistic effort than to be open to new interpretations, even if they might be unwise, or even offensive. The work to do for education of new dancers is immense, and really hasn't been done -- but that's a whole story in itself. Worse, much of what is out there pushes a certain style -- rightly or wrongly -- without realizing that the best option for encouraging dancers is not to bludgeon them with your historical viewpoints, but to encourage them to seek out and study for excellence in whatever style that aim to go for.
Why skill over all other concerns? Skill and excellence, in and of themselves, teach nothing about ethics and social norms. Yet exposure teaches much, and travel -- be it to different countries or different teachers -- broadens the mind. Stepping out of one's "Style Chamber" teaches about how to look at dance from other angles. And striving for excellence over style teaches how to focus on substance over style. From there, the student will be more likely to understand the history in a deep and meaningful way, and to pick and choose based upon her/his real interests, rather than cloning the teacher's personal passions and studies.
With a cadre of dancers trained to be great dancers first, we would, indeed, see a sea change of dance. Now, as to how to educated them...hmmm.
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