Don’t be too quick to throw out “old style” just to try some
thrill-seeking movement of new advant garde dancing.
Yes, whatever we perform becomes “history” – but as Raqs
Sharqi comes from a culture usually beyond our own, we
must respect this dance genre and art form.
Personality
Many dancers’ performances are technically correct, but lack
personality. The dance moves are so perfectly done, that you
could be watching a programmed robot. So many dancers
perform technically correct moves in a safe manner and the
result is dancing that is not individually unique or exciting.
Their dancing does not represent them and their passion for
the dance.
Lackluster dancing can occur when new dancers begin to
perform solo and just take either troupe choreography or
dance a memorized choreography learned from social media
postings. They see beautiful videos of dancers on social
media and try to recreate the same professional look by just
memorizing, copying, and emulating what they see; rather
than taking the time to make the dance movement their own.
Often people are unsure of themselves and don’t know, or
don’t feel they can bring their own personality into dance
movement. I recall years ago, before the advent of video
recording, when an Egyptian orchestra and dancer visited
San Francisco, CA. We were enthralled with the beauty of
the music that sounded just like the few records available
at the time. However, an amazing phenomenon happened
after we watched this Egyptian dancer perform her unique,
personalized signature movement live in person at that
show. Soon, many dancers were copying and many were
teaching this Egyptian dancer’s signature move that was
so cute on her – fingers pointing to dimples in her cheeks
– which when copied on dancers without these dimples…
really looked strange. The lesson here is to determine
whether what you see is an individual interpretation or
whether movement is authentic.
What to try for PERSONALITY: Review your body of
knowledge about the Raqs Sharqi: the music, the rhythms,
the movements, the cultural differences by region. Combine
this with performance viewing of video recordings or live
performance with an analytical approach where you look
for what makes the dance a quality performance. Look for
a cohesive theme and styling – then notice the details that
Jillian -
Personality
support the theme and styling. Look for the final touches
that make the performance unique and bring together a total
performance dynamic that succeeds. Then, think about your
own movement quality, technique and taste, preferences and
styling that express your own personality.
Harmony
What creates a harmonious performance? Harmony comes
with the understanding of the source of the dance – the
genre, the music, and the culture. Consider, what is the
source of dance movement that creates good vibes? Then,
consider how those movements can coalesce into something
more beautiful when aligned with your own personality.
What to try for HARMONY: Like the exercise of arranging
a bouquet of flowers, some just stuff the flowers together in a
vase as a bunch. Being of Japanese heritage, I know that the
art of flower arranging in Japanese culture requires the flower
July 2017
The Belly Dance Chronicles
25