Over the last 16 years, our dance troupe has aimed to learn about and share the art and history of belly dance with the Princeton community by bringing together students with a diverse range of experiences and exposures, from those who had never danced before to those who grew up with it as part of their culture. It is difficult to demonstrate through a two-hour show the extent of thought and preparation we dedicate to what we do. We take weekly classes taught by a professional belly dancer; we continuously practice the traditional movements; we take great care to learn not only the techniques but also the foundational context behind the art of belly dance.
We respect the points that Zeena has brought forth in her article, as the issue of how to appreciate the art of different cultures is one with which many artists have to contend. Unfortunately, belly dance suffers from a history of being over-sexualized and exoticized in the Western world. Our troupe, too, was created under a misnomer from which current members are in the process of formally distancing themselves. However, through the efforts of the women who have loved and practiced it over the years, public perception has moved away from this inaccurate attitude. We also endeavor to displace this patriarchal Western lens imposed on belly dance and instead more accurately represent the artistry of the dance form.
Along with sharing the movements and styles of belly dance, we aim to bring its spirit to our show. Recognizing Princeton’s vocal and boisterous attitude toward dance shows, we introduce the audience to cheers that are commonly used in but certainly not exclusive to the belly dance community. This includes "Aiwa" (an emphatic "Yes" in Arabic), for which we present the mnemonic device "Iowa" to help people who are unfamiliar with the language remember the term. We also present the "zaghareet," not as encouragement of "needless sexualization" but as a means of vocal applause since its primary purpose is to express joy.
It is unfair to make the hasty conclusion that we do not understand the meaning of the music we use based on a lighthearted statement in the program notes, which only sought to acknowledge the occasional difficulties of literal translation. We do not claim to be fluent in the languages that belly dance encompasses nor do we assert ourselves as experts in the many styles of the art. Rather, we explore their translations, incorporate them as inspiration and do our research in order to learn and best represent the styles we practice and feature in our shows.
While we regret if any individuals felt troubled by specifics of our show, we strongly believe that what is problematic is not the presence of our group, but rather the misconstrued perspective from which belly dance is all too often viewed. As a troupe, we look to shift the narrative of belly dance, starting from within our orange bubble by emphasizing its capacity to empower dancers and foster self-expression. We welcome dialogue with students or student groups about how best to improve our practices and hope to use such constructive feedback to become a better troupe and better representatives of belly dance.
Signed,
Angela Wang, President
Michelle Park, Artistic Director
Ava Torjani, Publicity Chair
On behalf of Raks ORead More
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