Authenticity as a Western, Improvisational Belly Dancer

“The borders of culture and rainfall never follow survey lines.” — J. Frank Dobie

“Authenticity” in belly dance.

I think about it a lot.

Even more lately because I have Facebook and, apparently, cannot help myself from watching the debates.

The idea of authenticity in belly dance makes me think of the many old VHS videos I've studied.

The countless “follow me” style workshops I took with Egyptian dancers.

The old days when I hung on every word of a “fellow American” workshop instructor as they said, “Always this and never that”… and then hung on every word of their colleague who said the exact opposite.

All before fact-checking was a thing.

It makes me think of my trips to Egypt and Lebanon...

Of watching...

Learning...

Trying to cut out the middle men and women and see things for myself.

And it makes me think of the years—from 1972 well into the early 2000s—when I tried my best to mimic what I saw, memorize and practice the things that seemed to be relatively universal fundamentals, and learn anything I could about the culture behind it all.

But I was always the American ballet/jazz-trained blonde one.

Would anyone have ever called my belly dancing “authentic”?

Maybe back in the days before every hair was split... Maybe.

Now? I doubt it.

But…

Authenticity in Belly Dance Improvisation Is Different

And, in my opinion, this is where it gets good.

Because this is where the lines get blurry.

What's more authentic?

1. Knowingly sticking to the script of “legal,” coded combinations?

2. Unknowingly guarding your movement vocabulary because you're afraid of veering too far from those “legal” combinations?

By the way…

Did you know that guarding your movements (even when you're doing it with the best of intentions) can actually preclude you from hearing much of the detail in the music?

Uh huh.

Or…

3. Having the skills to listen to music at multiple levels while trusting your trained body and your respectful intentions to deliver a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated interpretation?

I vote for #3.

I believe authenticity is a different thing when we're talking about improvisation.

And it's a VERY DIFFERENT thing when we're talking about improvised dance created by listening and responding to phenomenal improvising musicians.

And it's a VERY, VERY DIFFERENT thing when we're talking about improvising your dance to music created by phenomenal musicians…

Over and over.

For a YEAR.

In an effort to learn and grow.

Not just perform.

That's Project Band.

Project Band isn't about handing you another list of combinations and sounds and telling you which ones are “legal” and when.

It isn't about turning everyone into the same dancer.

And it certainly isn't about learning how to look authentic.

It's about developing the skills to listen. Really listen.

To hear more.

To understand more.

To trust a trained body.

To respond instead of recite.

To develop enough knowledge, vocabulary, musical understanding, and experience that eventually…

You stop trying so hard to figure out what you're supposed to do.

And you start discovering what you actually have to say.

We've built an amazing community of dancers who are using live music to explore that path.

And, for this American ballet/jazz-trained blonde who spent decades searching?

Project Band is where I finally found my authenticity in belly dance.

Not because somebody gave it to me.

Because I finally developed the skills—and had enough experience—to find it myself.

💌
— Karen