The Anti Prop

[Jane]

I've been on an anti-prop kick recently and am trying to only dance with an appropriate prop when the music really calls for it. There are too many props and not enough "plain old good dancing" these days.

One veil looks lovely, so ten must be BETTER! One cane is nice, I need FLAMING ONES! I also enjoy quilting, so I had better tie myself up with artistic shreds of fabric to EXPRESS MYSELF! I collect dragon figurines so I'm inventing DRAGONWINGSOFISIS!

Just because you can, does not mean you should. There is so much prop crazy-ness and gimmicks that just dancing well is getting lost.

If it were only you and some real honest to g*d Middle Eastern belly dance music would you panic?

 

[Shanazel]

I was considering spinning flaming basketballs on the tip of my index fingers, but you talked me out of it.

 

[Jane]

I will approve if Dina does it first :lol:

 

[gisela]

I am right there with you Jane! For me the prop usually gets more in the way of expression than it helps. I should probably practice more to be better with veil and cane though.

 

[Darshiva]

I will admit to being a die-hard wings addict. But that said, the prop always comes second to the dancing (as it should!)

 

[Mosaic]

I was considering spinning flaming basketballs on the tip of my index fingers, but you talked me out of it.

C'mon! I want to see a video of you doing that But you will also need to add a tennis ball spinning on your nose to really impress me Hang on don't worry about the ball on the nose thing, the seals beat you to that ... dang seals, they sure steal a girl's thunder
~Mosaic

 

[Salome]

Amen. Aside from occasional veil, I can't remember the last time I used a prop... I am so into pure dancing and that in itself is such a complex exploration that I feel constantly challenged. There was a time when I did props on the reg and this had more to do with venue than my personal craze over props. I got really burned out on using them and never felt like picking them back up again. I can't say that I would never use a prop but there definitly needs to be a reason. I'd rather see a dancer DANCE incredibly well, use her body to express the music and emotion than an object.

 

[Shanazel]

When zils fell out of popularity I was soooooo grateful. I was never really proficient in their use and learned to dance with them only because it was expected "back when." I teach assaya because my students get a kick out of it but I don't know that I've ever done a performance using a cane. Another ten years of dancing, though, and I might have to incorporate one into all my routines.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

If it were only you and some real honest to g*d Middle Eastern belly dance music would you panic?

Jane, simply waking up in the morning makes me panic.

I'm still new enough to bellydance that I love props, but I do agree with everyone that a dancer should be proficient at DANCING before adding props, THEN become proficient at said prop.

My personal problem is that some of our choreos call for props, but I still need a lot of work on simple basic moves and smooth transitions. That's hard enough for me to do, let alone trying to learn to use a cane without killing myself and my dance sisters.

 

[Zorba]

...use a cane without killing myself and my dance sisters.

That is usually considered bad form... :lol:

 

[Kashmir]

.. or you can use belly dance prop training as preparation for other dance forms. One night at fire gig someone handed me a firestaff - really just a long cane that's hot at the ends. Ohh - but because I'm a belly dancer does that make my passes with the staff "belly dance"?

 

[Leilah]

Personally, I hate zills. I understand the appeal, but my performances always suffer when I have to use them. I focus so hard on the accuracy of zilling that I think it shuts down the emotive, creative side I dance with.

 

[Duvet]

Props can be so exciting and novel!! You can hide a lot of bad dancing by distracting the audience with a pretty veil. It also means you don’t have to do any dancing; just spin a cane (or two or three) and the audience goes oooh!! Do it standing on a drum wearing Isis wings, whilst gripping a chair between your teeth and balancing a sword on your head on top of a tray of glasses, and who needs novelty? All the old props are just as bad. No wonder people think anything goes. Perhaps one of them will discover something fab, and then we’ll all be doing it. Candles anyone? - Shamadan optional. I’ve even seen a dancer with mini cymbals on her fingers!!

But I agree, despite my admiration for the skill involved (or attempted) in using them, props too often get in the way of the dancing. Which is why it is so good to see them used with skill and dexterity when they do work within the dance. But the creativity would be often better focused on doing what you already do, but better, not on imagining which new circus skill or novelty prop to incorporate. I sometimes wonder if the dancer is just bored or insecure with their own dance.

BTW – when does a piece of music actually ‘call for’ a prop? Isn’t that just a personal choice, or peer pressure?

 

[Farasha Hanem]

That is usually considered bad form... :lol:

I know, right? :lol:

 

[Mosaic]

Zills are the bane of my life - I would never use them if I didn't dance in a troupe and I groan like hell when a choreo is created that uses them. I love watching a dancer who just dances without any props or maybe an entrance with a veil occasionally.
~Mosaic

 

[Sophia Maria]

I was considering spinning flaming basketballs on the tip of my index fingers, but you talked me out of it.

Haha that would have been wondrous.

You know, I've never really understand how fire is supposed to be related to bellydance. Don't get me wrong, everytime someone dances with fire, whether it's fire poi, fire fans, torches, candles, what have you--it's absolutely fantastic. It looks entrancing, and obviously takes careful practice. I wouldn't lie and say I don't ever watch it. But how can it be called bellydance? In what way are flaming scimitars and snakes representative of the Middle East?
In the end it's lovely, but you must acknowledge it's all fantasy style. I wouldn't mind if that branch of fusion was just called "Fantasy" or something like that. :think:

 

[Zorba]

Zills are the bane of my life - I would never use them if I didn't dance in a troupe and I groan like hell when a choreo is created that uses them.

If you only knew that *POWER* of the dark side...

Seriously. Zills {insert rant here about them NOT being a prop, but rather a musical instrument} really add to the impact of the dance when played well.

As I've been a musician my entire life - Zills weren't too hard for me to learn. However - dancing and playing at the same time? A different kettle of fish - it was one of the hardest things I ever set out to learn. But its been one of the most rewarding - although I don't always play Zills, I'm slowly getting to the stage of feeling naked without them. I just dance better with them (usually! :lol. I emote better, I dance better, my arms and hands are better. "Better" is, of course, relative. I'm still pretty mediocre a dancer in the greater scheme of things.

OTOH, we've all sat through bad zilling - and there's nothing worse. It takes a huge amount of practice to do well. I encourage everyone to "embrace the horror" and learn them - it WILL be worth it, I promise!

Of course, being able to play them does have its down side... Guess who has been tasked to choreograph an a capella zill dance for our troupe? Sigh...

 

[Shanazel]

{insert rant here about them NOT being a prop, but rather a musical instrument}

So if I dance with my cello...

I started to acknowledge the musical instrument aspect in the original zil post but decided, nah, a prop by any other name...

 

[Farasha Hanem]

I came back to this thread to rant about zills being a musical instrument and not a prop, but Zorba beat me to it! :lol:

I've been a musician all my life as well, so of course, I love zills. I'd go on and on about my growing love for Arabic musical instruments, but I'll make it a topic for another time. :wink:

I'll say it: I love props. Maybe because I'm still young yet in the dance, but I live props, and want to learn how to use them well. In fact, I've been kinda on a prop binge lately on eBay, there are some great clearance sales. Plus a good friend of mine recently retired from dance, and sold all her stuff. *hides new cane, new zills (wait, those aren't props!), a pair of fan veils, two new silk veils, and 4 pairs o super clearance sale Isis wings, and tries to sneak out of topic with her goodies*

 

[Sophia Maria]

Must admit I'm a zil person, too. So far I am still at beginner level, but I think they really add something when you use them right. Of course it shouldn't be the focus of the dance, but as an accent, especially over a simple recorded drum solo perhaps (or a live one if you're more daring than me)...:dance: