Gimmicka the Trickster
Or
Drama Shmama
As Written by Zaina Hart
Stand up,
sit down, Turkish drop
Tail
spin, kick step, and a chest pop
As
Isis wings flail, with all their pleats
To
be tossed to the floor in a big heap
Hand
wave, point point, Rockets high kick
Basic
steps? No, not a lick!
Dance
team rha rha, this arm that arm,
Up
in the air, out to the side, alarm alarm.
Next
it was Genie, cross cross head pop
What
in the world is all this crop?
Butt
crunch butt crunch
Please,
I’ve just had lunch
In
performance, does it belong?
To
me, it just seems wrong.
Double
veil, triple veil, oops they just fell
OMG
I am really in helll-O . . . . ?
Ohhh, this is hard to say, and
will no doubt be harder for some to read - AND I may take some flack over it.
As I offer my opinion, I am not trying to target any particular “style” but
rather speaking up as to how I feel about tricks, gimmicks and false drama in
our dance.
You’ve seen them - - on a stage
somewhere - - lit up like the proverbial Christmas Tree - - not really seeming
to hear the music but rather flinging their bodies at it (sometimes it is
almost as if they are running across the stage and hurling themselves at an
unseen wall), oblivious to “dance” as s/he is totally focused on chasing one
trick or gimmick after another. It
is an exhausting thing to witness and as an audience member, with each over
lock (locks that are done so deep it hurts) my own body is reeling by the end
of their dance. There is the
dancer seemingly with no real “basic” training and often when asked proudly
states, “Oh, I learn from videos and watching people” like that is a feather in
their cap, or badge of significance to wear. They have become dancers who have gleaned merely the tricks
and/or those spectacular signature moves of teachers, other performers, and
icons, to then offer one gimmick after another with no transitions or basic
steps in between. They fail to understand why most of the audience is not
“enraptured” with their performance and sometimes will even complain, they are under-appreciate
because the rest of us are jealous that they can do “all the tricks”. Well, for the record, seasoned dancer
that I am (giggle) I am NOT jealous, but I am sad. Why? Oh, hmmm,
must be seeing our dance art beat to death with gimmicks and producers who
appear to believe without a gimmick in our industry, we simply are not WORTHY
and certainly not “star quality”.
Producers who say from one side of the mouth they love the art, the
history and culture that are the roots of our dance, but from the other side
say “give me a gimmick and I will turn it into a star”.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am a big (big) fan of fusion, alternative music, and fun, but even with that there often is gimmick after gimmick and trick after trick until even what is trying to be accomplished is lost in the craziness. I have even performed with the music of Rob Zombie, Josh Groban, and so many more. But I "dance" and "feel" and offer it whole.
It seems there is a plethora of
gimmick dancers out there. And
don’t get upset with me I am not talking about any specific style - - I say
again, I am just talking gimmicks with no foundational movement to connect. How has our dance come to so many
tricks by tricksters, gimmicks by Gimmicka? Who thinks to cheapen what we have
worked so hard for – for so many years with this fakery? With the onslaught of
videos and DVDs dancers are better able to find new movement and signatures,
especially with DVD after DVD of merely execution rather than instruction. Sadly some viewers are not paying
attention to the performer’s technique, true style and soul for an
understanding of how movement and steps are executed, why they are in specific
areas of music, where they may come from, and what is at the core, the roots of
our dance. But rather, they focus
in on that one “signature” move.
Add to that the dancer who has
spent little to no time trying to understand the music. Not just the
translation of lyrics, Arabic, Turkish, etc. to English, but the translation
from sound to body of the many emotions our music provides. You can listen to the voices of John Bilezikjian,
Pat Olson or Khatchig for example and even without understanding the lyrics if
you really and truly listen, you can feel the emotion, the highs, the lows,
what’s sad, joyous, when there is longing or love or more. If it is an
instrumental with no vocals, there is phrasing, changes from music that is
saucy, to playful, to sad or joyous and energetic. It is this emotion that ones body should as well translate
with the music, rather than multiple gimmicks.
I have my own signature moves,
and dependent on what venue, who is in the audience, etc. I may or may not use
them. But I do not rely on them to get me through a performance. I dance rather
than execute; I translate, rather than chase; and I feel, rather than pretend
or play act. Which leads me to ask
what is this new teaching method of drama shmama? For heaven’s sake, drama is acting a part, it is
pretend. How about instead dancers
listening to the music and feeling it, then dancing it, rather than, as I
mentioned “executing it” (I mean that in more ways than one). Don’t fake it with a drama class from a
local college or acting school, but rather understand this music, its
intricacies, its beauty and if you have a basic understanding of the dance
movement of this industry, you should be able to truly feel it and therefore
move with it, not hurl yourself at it.
I can’t say often enough, the
music we are blessed to have at our fingertips; classical Egyptian, Turkish
love songs, Armenian ballads, etc. is “meant to be caressed and loved” not
thrown up all over.
I know it can be difficult to
understand the music that surrounds this dance (not fusion music, but Egyptian,
Turkish, Armenian, etc.). But if a
dancer does not feel the music how can they possibly translate it with their
body? All the signature moves and
even technique in the world will not help if we don’t have an understanding of
what the music is saying.
Technique also will not help if the dancer is unable to share who they
are from the core. Opening up to
the audience and sharing with them what it is the music is saying to that
dancer that s/he is then offering to the audience. This cannot be done with fakery. One must be willing to offer themselves up to the audience
to share from within.
Is there a fix?
My suggestions would be to sit
down with a musician for help with rhythms, lyrics, the basics of the
instruments – what each is used for as a start. A good teacher that understands more than movement, but
music as well and why/when to use this or that piece. And one of the best exercises in understanding and feeling
is to pick up some of Oum Kalthoum’s recordings such as Inta Omry, Baid Anak
or Alf Lyla wa Lyla. Once you have
put it in your CD player, (please not just your car stereo – play this
beautifully composed and sung music without the distraction of the freeway,
stop lights and traffic). Grab a
cup of tea, sit back, close your eyes, open your heart and LISTEN – if your
heart then doesn’t pound, and tears sting your eyes, well, start over and
repeat this process until you “get it”.
Then go to YouTube and watch Dina and Fatme Serhan; as Fatme sings and
Dina dances you will see in Dina’s face and body, what Fatme is singing. As an example, the New Year’s Eve 1994
performance of these two women, Tahtil Shibbak which was the first performance
I saw of Dina. IMHO, watching
DVD’s and performances of this nature should instill some soul and counteract
the desire to fill every second of the music with gimmicks and/or over locks
and bold movement (the chasing).
Oum KalthoumAs an example of the intensity of
the Lady of the Nile, my son recently graduated from the University of
Washington where one of his majors is in Far Eastern Civilizations and
Language. He called me a few years
ago, and asked if I had ever heard of a woman called Oum Kalthoum. I merely said yes, wanting to hear what
he was going to say, before offering my comments. He then told me that in one of his classes they listened to
one of her performances that had been recorded live. He said he had never heard in any other voice and music such
intensity. He was instantly “in
love” with her and now owns many of her recordings – probably more than I have
even. If someone who is not a
Middle Eastern performing artist (wide range) can hear this in the music, then
those of us responsible for interpretation physically of this art must be able
to hear it in order to truly share it from the body.
I implore dancers to spend more
time on their education; find that Master teacher/performer, the one that when
you watch you “feel” something in your heart, your soul, or that brings a tear
to your eye. The performer that
keeps you glued to your seat, unable to speak, breath, or move – THAT is the
teacher you want. If you merely
want the most outrageous of costumes, the loudest of music, and the biggest
signature moves and gimmicks you can find, then that is of course your choice,
but please call it something other than “Oriental, Raks Sharqi, or even the
broad term of Belly Dance”.
Respectfully,
Zaina Hart
