on a lighter note... bellydance silliness
Jul. 3rd, 2006 09:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keryxThere are a couple of things I've seen in bellydance circles lately that I find odd and a little silly.
The first thing. So, there were performances this year that apparently shocked and scandalized everyone at various shows (namely someone doing a stripperesque think at Rakassah and then Sashi doing a thing at Tribal Fest with the wing piercing). There is really no way that I can talk about the bellydance community's tendency towards gossip and chatter without resorting to sexist gender prattle, but yeah. It bothers me. Not liking something is okay, but this particular flavor of delicate sniping makes me hate. I've seen photos and video, and neither performance was all that shocking; both had good moments and bad. Most of the conversation seems to be the same thing my peeps get - OMG alternative culture is joining ours! Like bellydance isn't an alternative culture item itself. Not that everyone talks like this - there are plenty of people who look at the new fusion stuff and think about cultural appropriation and shit rather than just saying ew.
The other - in all the online groups where people talk about teaching and running troupes, it sounds like everyone else everywhere has like 10^23 rules (things like "thou shalt not dance with others" and "thou shalt intently guard the secret movements of the troupe" - alright, so I added the thous, but y'all get it). I've never been part of an arts organization with as much bureaucracy as some 10-person bellydance tribes apparently have, and I've worked professionally at an Equity (union) theater. Are other dance organizations like that, or are bellydancers just suckers for bureaucracy? I don't get the need for such long lists of rules, particularly not considering that many of these other folk apparently charge all their members [sometimes quite expensive, thereby limiting the economic class of their membership] dues just to belong (beyond expenses). I have no interest in charging dues - the time, costume, rent and other commitments are enough proof of our dedication. And rules? Hell, I think we've got more than enough now - we're there to make art and fun, not to create organization for organization's sake. But I always consider it possible that I just have everything all wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.
The first thing. So, there were performances this year that apparently shocked and scandalized everyone at various shows (namely someone doing a stripperesque think at Rakassah and then Sashi doing a thing at Tribal Fest with the wing piercing). There is really no way that I can talk about the bellydance community's tendency towards gossip and chatter without resorting to sexist gender prattle, but yeah. It bothers me. Not liking something is okay, but this particular flavor of delicate sniping makes me hate. I've seen photos and video, and neither performance was all that shocking; both had good moments and bad. Most of the conversation seems to be the same thing my peeps get - OMG alternative culture is joining ours! Like bellydance isn't an alternative culture item itself. Not that everyone talks like this - there are plenty of people who look at the new fusion stuff and think about cultural appropriation and shit rather than just saying ew.
The other - in all the online groups where people talk about teaching and running troupes, it sounds like everyone else everywhere has like 10^23 rules (things like "thou shalt not dance with others" and "thou shalt intently guard the secret movements of the troupe" - alright, so I added the thous, but y'all get it). I've never been part of an arts organization with as much bureaucracy as some 10-person bellydance tribes apparently have, and I've worked professionally at an Equity (union) theater. Are other dance organizations like that, or are bellydancers just suckers for bureaucracy? I don't get the need for such long lists of rules, particularly not considering that many of these other folk apparently charge all their members [sometimes quite expensive, thereby limiting the economic class of their membership] dues just to belong (beyond expenses). I have no interest in charging dues - the time, costume, rent and other commitments are enough proof of our dedication. And rules? Hell, I think we've got more than enough now - we're there to make art and fun, not to create organization for organization's sake. But I always consider it possible that I just have everything all wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.
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Date: 2006-07-05 04:43 am (UTC)