Quote:
Originally Posted by Suheir
Absolutely. There is a tendency for some audiences here to be of the opinion that a dancer "isn't doing anything" unless they're rushing about the stage, arms and legs flailing. I've heard comments from "experienced" teachers and performers here which would indicate that they have no understanding and no appreciation of the subtleties and nuances of Egyptian dance; they are *always* the performers who are, themselves, completely "dead" in the abdominal area when they perform, believing that emotion is expressed onstage through grimacing and mock-anguish. And, of course, their students can be heard expressing the opinion that *their* teacher is a better dancer than Randa or Dandesh or whichever Egyptian has just performed!
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Someone somewhere has to initiate change. Audience education is an important aspect of what we do.
At some point we have to do what is true to the dance, it's essence, heritage and culture etc. We must resist the urge to be driven by an audience who either dont know what it is about, or are students watching to learn.
Nobody wants to be bored watching dance but this has no relation to speed and people need to learn this. Sometimes I feel we are stuck on a wheel and cant jump off on this one.
I love high energy pieces but I have no fear of expressive pieces either.
Clarity is so important in dance. We need to see the 'full stops' when people dance, we need time to absorb what they are doing. How can we get this if everyone looks like a wasp around a honey jar?
Feeling has to be called upon like an actress in a scene. You cannot fake emotion and 'put on a face'. When we dance for a living (or because we made a commitment to someone etc.) we dont always feel like dancing, there maybe personal problems etc. so we have to draw on an emotion we have experienced which relates to the muisc. Some people only conjour up the last image of themselves having sex and recreate it to music..Porno face. Either this or they think it is authentic and looks like Dina? the mind boggles.