Back for round two.....

[brooklynite]

I still can’t stand white belly dancers

I’ve written about the Boston bomber; about the U.S. government’s attempts to deport my brother, which kept him in jail for weeks; and about Israel detaining me – a U.S. citizen – and denying me entry in March 2012, but the essay of mine that has sparked the most impassioned responses is one about …

Belly dancing.

The volume of the published response to the essay – a personal opinion piece – was surprising. Guys in the Washington Post and the Atlantic wrote whitesplanations about how cultural mixing is a good thing; other men on racist blogs called me a moron. Daily News Egypt published a response by a non-Egyptian, non-Arab woman. G Willow Wilson wrote in defense of me (and since she’s not an angry woman of color, her argument is being touted as reasonable and sane). Muslimah Media Watch did a roundtable about the piece, and some dancers are saying they need to do better.

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/18/i_still_cant_stand_white_belly_dancers/

Part 1 for your enjoyment:

[JustAnotherGen]

1. To her I say - To each their own

[el_bryanto]

2. It's a tricky argument

Basically the west has profited greatly from stealing from her culture. This isn't an exchange of equals, but an exchange of dominant culture stealing from a subordinate culture, and to watching the dominant culture stealing from her culture in the form of appropriating belly dancing sickens her.

I can see where she is coming from; and it does answer questions about black ballet dancers. It does also imply that whites shouldn't necessarily play Jazz or the Blues, as those are also cultures we've stolen from.

It's a bit like men calling themselves Feminists (to hit another hot button issue from some months back) - it's claiming and even forcing kinship when such kinship doesn't really exist.

Bryant

[JustAnotherGen]

4. I was the black ballet dancer

Late 1980's/early 1990's - and she has no clue what she is talking about. Even then - it was tough being the only black girl in the corps. But - unlike say - technology (still tough for black women - I work for a major wireless telecom now) - you only get to that level when you have sheer talent and skill.

I don't think the non black woman who has never danced in a major ballet company has the slightest clue about what that's like or should be making comparisons. Just my two cents, bad hip, bad knees, every single one of my toes en pointe while broken. I know - she doesn't.

[el_bryanto]

6. yes - but that's you participating in the dominant culture

And there's nothing wrong with that in her conception - white culture has stolen so much from black culture, that you taking something back is fine. It's different when White Culture, that has already done so much harm to Arab Culture, takes something else from her and her family. Even if it's something like belly dancing.

Bryant

[JustAnotherGen]

7. Aha

But I'm bi-racial - and my ballet training was a 4th generation thing. All white women (mom, grandmother, gramfeathers) - family traditoin.

To me el_bryanto - a day without dancing is a day wasted. Any dancer at heart knows that. I have no middle eastern heritage in me (that I know of) and greatly enjoyed belly dancing. Does she only extend this to white women who wish to dance? Or does it also extend to black, latina, asian - perhaps even Native American women that want to learn this? I took belly dancing classes for several years and it is an amazing work out and perfect for any woman that hates the gym - but loves to dance.

I've sent her an email - as I'm sure there were white dancers (I know of TWO) that really really HATED my spot in the ballet. And now I wonder - did someone NOT want me in those belly dancing classes? It's a fair question.

A day without dancing (regardless of the style) is a day wasted. Dance. Life is too short to not enjoy music!

Pssst - I also used to line dance (country and western bars) when I was younger and loved it. No one in this mostly white environment was ever mean or acted like I had no right to be there. And the 'billy bob' crowd can be the absolute worst about their 'culture'. That said - when I was still doing choreography on the side for a competitive studio - do you not think I integrated these other ways to move your body into the routines?

I absolutely did. Perfect example was a group of male/female late teens modern/jazz dancers that kicked ass on the competitive circuit that year going up against a very hip hop centric and fosse style of dance. Enrique Inglesia's Can't Escape My Love that I choreographed? That had both line dancing and belly dancing elements in it as well as a distinct throw back to fosse. The expectation would have been to give the group that was classically trained - 'latin/salsa' steps-

You stand out when you bring in these other elements and disregard what is expected by the judges.

And I would encourage any young dancer that wants to go to work on a cruise ship or say - Vegas to take a belly dancing class or two. It's core driven and requires a tremendous amount of core and NECK control.

[el_bryanto]

8. That makes sense to me; and I do think her argument has some flaws

But I can also see where she is coming from.

Bryant

[Xyzse]

9. Actually, thanks for explaining a bit better.

Her first composition did not really explain what you just mentioned in such a concise form.

Where the feeling of her culture being suborned by those she feels have taken over. Where she has flaws in her argument since she can't really explain it properly as it is not through logic but a feeling instead of the west "taking" part of what she considers hers through culture.

Like a larger power taking aspects of what they are proud of, and feel like they didn't get much in return.
Something of that sort perhaps?

Saying that, I once saw a video of this girl dancing with a hula hoop and it was distracting to say the least.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. The argument she uses was and probably still is used by ballet companies to explain why

only tall white European looking people, especially women, should be allowed to dance the great roles in ballet. It is the exact same argument.
If the author of 'Belly Dancing Belongs To Us' is comfortable sounding like a racist 73 year old ABT board member in the 80's, more power to her.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Thank you

And it's why I danced Coffee/Arabia. I performed her Very Very well - but Sugar Plum wasn't open to me. Not in 1990.

ETA - Arabia. Where was she complaining back then. Should only a ballerina of middle eastern descent danced that? Genie costume and all?