“Same Old Thing?”
By Nizana
Staff Writer, Nizana
Ok, so I saw a post someone made about being tired
of seeing the same old thing with belly dancers. It got me to pondering later
as I didn’t delve deeper as to what she meant. Did she mean particular styles
like Egyptian or Tribal Fusion? It couldn’t be folkloric, because you don’t see
as much of that any more and that encompasses a really wide variety of styles,
costumes and music. Was it dancers copying other dancers in general? What is
the “same old thing” and what is the best thing about seeing something
different? What would she want to see different?
On the one hand, there are a lot of similarities in
many aspects of the dance. After all, it all fits under the “belly dance”
umbrella (although I personally like to add what type of belly dance is being
presented from an education standpoint.) That’s what makes it belly dance. On
the other hand, for real?? With as much one-upsmanship that has gone on
creatively, what can be mixed with belly dance that’s out there? In addition to
various other dance forms that span the spectrum fused with it, I’ve seen
everything from yoga and karate to hip hop and comedy thrown in. Not to mention
the personalities, accessorizing and variety of a non-fused/blended routine.
I find value in both the “same” and the
“differences” and personally see both at events I attend for the most part. I
of course, like most people, do prefer we all don’t show up to the same event
wearing the same costume dancing to the same music... On the other hand, if we
did, I suppose we all have good taste in that case?? Regarding costumes, some
of the bedlah and Egyptian costumes are to die for and the funky look of
leather and lace and corsets can also be very enticing. I love the Latin Arabic
or a Dunyavi look now and then, and for designated alternative-ok events, can
go alternative. Personalizing and accessorizing can individualize the
foundational pieces that are considered belly dance “costumes.” This makes them
different while still fitting the style of belly dance being presented.
Everyone has their favorite style or styles within the genre.
If it wasn’t costuming, was it technique or
presentation or something else that she was tired of seeing the same of? I have
seen some music, routines or combos over-utilized here and there. Trends come
and go. There’s always a fever going round out with some hot prop out there.
And then it’ll go away for awhile and a bunch of dancers will simultaneously go
“hmmm, we haven’t done or seen such in such in awhile” and everyone shows up
with that going on…ok, we have 6 sword numbers tonight! Or maybe she means repetitive
combos, like you see a troupe do a choreography of 16 counts of the same thing,
change positions or angles and do 16 more counts of the same thing, repeat ad
nauseum….or soloists doing only the same choreography year after year. Ok in
those cases, I totally get her point.
There are some things I personally would like to see
the same. For example, if the program or announcer reads that the dancer will
perform a Khalege, I want to see movements and costuming that are specific to
that style. While there is room to make it your own, the actual movements and
music that make it Khalege are the same. Certain things being the same
make them what they are.
This overall style of dance allows for both sameness and differences and
lots of room for personalization. For the purists, they can perform the same
way as the dancers and peoples they studied before them and those who want to
be more creative and grow the art form to something more individual as an
artist have the room to do so as well. That alone makes for not everything
being the same. Everyone has preferences. We all have feelings about what we
feel is “assembly line” or when it might be “too different” pushing it to where
it’s no longer belly dance. We have our perspectives on what is redundant and
what we prefer and what we don't. And we probably have our own
definitions of what's the "same old thing." I appreciate both the
“Golden Age of Belly Dance,” the now, and the future of belly dance, with (most
of) its similarities and differences!
