Dance, etc.
Dear Forum members,
If we look at dance as a small part of the picture of an entire culture, then I think it is difficult to become a master at more than a few kinds of dances. For example, I have studied many, many different kinds of Middle Eastern/ North African dance and fusion offshoots, including but not limited to Greek folkloric, Turkish Kashlama and other other folkloric dances, Turkish Rom, American Oriental, Egyptian, Turkish and Lebanese belly dance, Lebanese and Palestinian Debke,. various styles of Raqs Beledi including assaya, shamadan, and dancing with sagat. I have studied Ouled Nail, Persian classical dances, Shikhat and Tunisian... to name SOME of the styles that I have delved into.
I consider myself to have enough knowledge to be considered some kind of an "expert" in exactly two areas of dance; Egyptian belly dance and Gulf/ Saudi dance.
No, I do not believe that anyone can have true expertise in dozens of kinds of dances, because the cultural issue alone would stand in the way of a true understanding of all of these different types of dance. And, without the cultural essence and spirit, we are simply not doing the dances!
Regards,
A'isha
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