Ask Yasmina #3
Dance Fusion, International Travel to Study, Dancing the Taqsim
by Yasmina Ramzy
posted 2-4-09
Dance Fusion
Question:
Some people were notably disturbed about the representation of Bellydance
at a recent
Fusion Competition in the United States, citing issues like: “Spitting
out blood is not part of Bellydance,” etc. What is your take on these fusion
or experimental issues?
Answer:
It does raise such questions as: "Is Bellydancing defined as ‘anything
goes’ as long as the belly button shows?" Perhaps one could be concerned
equally with "dancers" in cabaret costumes, using Isis wings (not
part of the Bellydance I was taught) but unable to isolate the hips or execute
a solid shimmy; maybe this is not Bellydance as well.
Personally, I am all for any kind of creative expression (blood, snakes, flowers, even fake chicken heads and urine) as long as it comes from a place of inspiration and with the intention to move members of an audience to think about the world around themselves and their own relationship to the substance or reference of choice with a new and wider point of view (maybe an even more loving point of view).
To achieve this goal without making an audience watch something meant
for the therapist's office would take much skill, years of intense and serious
training, and deep philosophical investigation. Using shock tactics to make
up for lack of skill and talent is not all that admirable.
One of the greatest modern Bellydancers ever known is Sohair
Zaki who managed
to bring audiences to tears while staying in the same modest costume for one
hour, using a “bare bones” number of musicians and very little variety in steps.
Now, she was an artistic talent and someone who really knew how to communicate
creative expression through dance. I thoroughly enjoy an artist who pushes
boundaries and steps outside the box, but I want that artist to communicate
to me through the art, as well as knowledge and awareness of the boundary they
are pushing. I like to understand why they are pushing it, or which box they
are stepping out of—and—why?
I am the director of the International Bellydance Conference of Canada and
have encouraged that the majority of the performances on the two nights of
performances on the main stage be either experimental or a fusion. Obviously,
I am a great fan of pushing the envelope. Most of the fusion artists have solid
training in both or all of the forms they are fusing. Actually, we allow only
one Cabaret style Bellydancer per night. These two nights every year find me
in awe of the creativity into which Bellydancers are able to tap.
International Travel for Study
Question:
Bellydance is rapidly increasing in popularity; so much so that even small
towns all over the world now have their own Bellydance communities. Do you
think this has deterred students from traveling internationally to seek out
instruction, and thus, may diminish international communication?
Answer:
Although I live in a fairly cosmopolitan city, I did have to travel to the
Middle East to get the bulk of my training in the early 1980s. The quality of
training in most major cities all over the globe is much higher now, so this
need is not as prevalent as it used to be. As well, many master-instructors
travel to these centers to teach in workshops. For the most part, I think a
student can achieve some good solid training at home. For the light hobbyist,
this is quite sufficient, but if she or he wants to specialize and dig deeper
into the roots of field of study, they may need to travel to a foreign destination
where they can study with the artist(s) who have attained what the student aspires
to achieve. I guess traveling will still continue for serious students and for
teachers, but now, there are more places to go! It used to be that Bellydancers
were famous for their international communications because many of us felt alone
and isolated in our small cities and towns. In fact, when the Internet was introduced,
there was a time in which the Bellydance community was the sixth largest community
on the web! Now we can enjoy both worlds, I think—our home community and the
international scene as well.
Dancing the Taqsim
Question:
I am having trouble trying to master the art of dancing to taqsim. When I see
an Egyptian dancer do this, it seems she repeats the same one movement throughout,
but I have been taught so many moves to implement the taqsim. Which is correct?
Answer:
Both can be correct, depending upon the artist. I learned from my instructors
that the taqsim (solo improvised musical expression without rhythm) is where
the dance artist conveys her/his artistic talent. The drum solo is a demonstration
of her/his technical prowess, and the rest of the performance is showbiz, which
anyone can be taught to do. This is also true for musicians as well. Any musician
can play a piece of music but only an accomplished artist with natural talent
can play an original taqsim.
Thus, it is the interpretation of the taqsim that
separates the dancers from the real artists.
The reason that a Middle Eastern dance artist can get away with performing
(seemingly) the same step over and over again for minutes at a time is because
to her/him or the Bellydance enthusiast, it is not the exact same step! It
is constantly evolving and reacting to the nuances of the taqsim, and in some
ways, becomes a clearer interpretation, as long as the observer understands
what he sees. Sometimes, many changing steps can be a distraction to the subtleties
of what the musician is expressing.
The taqsim is a moment in time where the dancer can forget all the training
and can allow an almost trance like state in which she/he explores the emotions
being expressed by the solo musician. Whether it is a flow of movement constantly
evolving into new shapes or one movement with many nuances, a taqsim can never
be repeated—either in movement or music. It is a precious experience locked
in time—at least, it was until the invention of the video camera. Ah, but it
can never be copied!
Have a comment? Send us a letter!
Check the "Letters to the Editor" for other possible viewpoints!
Ready for more?
12-1-08 Ask Yasmina: Evolution,
Oum Kalthoum, & Cover ups by Yasmina Ramzy
A first column in a once-a-month series: GS is proud to present this passionate
and knowledgeable expert in the field of Middle Eastern Dance; she is an artist,
pioneer, and creator of the International Bellydance Conference of Canada.
1-15-09 Ask Yasmina #2, Handling
Media, Choreography, Name Our Dance by Yasmina Ramzy
In creating a work of art that will enlighten or move an audience emotionally,
the artist's intention is to communicate a message or an emotion.
1-27-09 Improvisation, Taqsim,
and Teaching, Things I Love by Rahma Haddad
Because improvisation is so instantaneous,
the performer doesn’t know what
he is going to do until he does it. Likewise, the dancer may not remember
what was done when the dance is finished. This is why creating improvisational
dance is rarely boring.
9-15-06 The
Taxim from a Dancer's Perspective:Tarab or Tyranny? by Najia Marlyz
Sometimes, these improvisations can be quite elaborate. The effect is somewhat
like modern jazz and stays within the framework of the traditional maqam or maqamat.
1-8-09 Apprenticing at ADC by Laura
At first rehearsals were terrifying. The girls were learning new choreographies and positioning and I would follow along in the back, feeling like a bit of a dolt and getting in everyone’s way.
12-5-06 The
Ethics of Fusion by Naajidah
If the culture that you’re borrowing your moves from objects
to your fusion, does it matter? Are you being respectful or exploitative if
you borrow steps from a culture that doesn’t want their music and dance
used that way?