Beginnings

I had the opportunity to break-in the soles of my feet and dance during the winter break while I was home in Boston. (nice way to stay warm!) I took classes in Flamenco, Ethno-Hatian dance, American Tribal Style belly dance, Tribal Fusion belly dance, and Middle Eastern dance. Unfortunately I was never able to take classes in Kathak nor Tahitian dance as I had planned; it was really difficult to get in touch with dance instructors and schedule classes during the winter holiday.

Through my experience thus far I have had the opportunity to reassess and reignite my creative development as a dancer. There were many more moments than I expected where I found myself hitting some walls: Are there limitations that came with a dance’s expectations, rules, and etiquette? Will different aspects of dances contradict each other? Can a fusion/collaboration be created while keeping intact the integrity and authenticity of the individual dances?


I attended a lecture at the beginning of my break in Boston titled: “The History of Belly Dance: From the Sacred to the Profane.” It was presented by Naraya of Vadalna Tribal Dance Co. based in Boston. Naraya is absolutely amazing, she is not only the founder and artistic director of Vadalna but she is also a wife, mother, and Ph.D candidate at Brandeis in the field of Anthropology. Her lecture peeled away layers of hidden history. Belly dance is a product of creative imagination and it continually changes with what the dancer want to take away from it and give of it. But the beginning of “belly dance” is not exactly clean and clear cut. Its origins derive from profane paintings of women in which explorers claimed danced for men in North African and Middle Eastern countries in which they had explored and eventually colonized. The idea of belly dancers were further explored at Chicago’s world’s fair where Middle Eastern culture was exploited, misrepresented. Colonialism, exploitation, male dominated sexual desires drove the thoughts that began the ideas behind “belly dance.” Even today belly dance does not get the respect it deserves from general audiences despite the evolution it has seen. As much as dancing has been an outlet for artistic expression it has also been a means to speak my mind and demonstrate my power as a being and as a woman.

I’m in the process right now searching for music and creating the troupe and solo choreographies for Arts Affair in the spring. I talked to the ladies I teach on the weekends and we may do a rehearsal performance for Stern Hall in a common space in front of the dining hall if we can get permission to do so before spring break.