i should have learned well enough to steer clear of this thread. authenticity is a big issue to me. my opinion is that in the context of our learning there will be very little authentic middle eastern dance coming from european/american countries. cultural nuances are so ingrained. one cannot learn about another culture simply by partaking of one factor from it. not to mention this is a dance that many middle eastern people have VERY different opinions on.
i think it is so americanly arrogant to assume that you can do someone else's dance as well as them. we do the best with it. nothing wrong with that. we put it into our own context and make something out of it. that is why i call it belly dance rather than ME. it isnt ME. it wont ever be ME for most people. and to me, this is no big deal. i'm not trying to glorify the dance or a culture i know very little about.
the whole idea of one girl ruining the reputation of "the dance" seems a bit extreme. i think that in time her reputation will be decided. if she performs authentically, then her audience will reflect that. if not, well in a remote area, i'm sure she will still be able to draw a crowd. for those who like what they see, perhaps they will do some digging and come to find that there is much more to belly dance than they knew.
i think it is so americanly arrogant to assume that you can do someone else's dance as well as them. we do the best with it. nothing wrong with that. we put it into our own context and make something out of it. that is why i call it belly dance rather than ME. it isnt ME. it wont ever be ME for most people. and to me, this is no big deal. i'm not trying to glorify the dance or a culture i know very little about.
the whole idea of one girl ruining the reputation of "the dance" seems a bit extreme. i think that in time her reputation will be decided. if she performs authentically, then her audience will reflect that. if not, well in a remote area, i'm sure she will still be able to draw a crowd. for those who like what they see, perhaps they will do some digging and come to find that there is much more to belly dance than they knew.