thoughts on dance

Education and knowledge 
images, imagine and imagination 
in the world of oriental dance (in Italy??)
considerations of a teacher, always a student!

Every once in a while, this QUESTION re-surfaces in our world (of oriental dance): where is this dance going?

When this happens, right away there are those who look for answers, that soon turn into accusations and declarations, and those that sadly surrender face that reality.

In my opinion this question is just the tip of the iceberg, or better just one part of the question. If we really want to try to look for answers, to understand and to grow from there, we have to be bold enough to ask the real question, that is: how did we get here?

When I look around, and see what happens, it seems clearer to me that there are some basic misunderstandings, that carry our focus in the wrong direction, and force us either to not find the answers or to get too far from the real core of the question.

Starting from this “realization” I share, with whomever will like to read this paper, my thoughts, provocative and not, that are not solutions (I am looking and searching for my “solutions” but my purpose is not to give readymade “answers”), but simply incentives to think and re-think about our dance, its journey, and how we got where we are now.

A little, if not no, attention and consideration is given to the study of the culture, history and societies from which this dance has originated.

This hits a nerve, and worries me a lot. There isn't in general (apart from some beautiful cases) a little curiosity toward the REAL history of this dance, (I am not talking about the easy erotic/exotic/feminine vision that I hear more and more and that makes me sad). This for me is a very important point, given my educational background, gained through 4 years plus one of university studies, travels in the middle east and elsewhere, and through my former job as cultural mediator, but what I want to ask you is … are we really willing to accept and promote a vision of the middle eastern worlds, its history, its cultures and societies that is summed up in the words: veiled women, female exploitation, harem, odalisques, and One thousand and one night? Why when we talk of oriental dance the main themes are usually linked to a sensuality that recalls the exotic caliphates, or the use (often unconscious I hope) of orientalist exotics images and imaginations, that surely do not help us bringing out to the public what this dance really is.

It's years now that I fight a silent battle on the importance of history and “theory” when teaching and learning a dance like oriental dance, that comes from a place OTHER than ours, instead it seems to me that we want to break down all the above, into different parts according to what is more “functional” to us. (Not only the pre-islamic period where the goddesses cults were prosperous, but also and more the post-revelation period, has been the cradle of this dance, its music and its evolutions, and has made it the beautiful dance that is today).

Tightly linked to this “ignorance” comes the matter of what are the “styles” of this dance, often confused with personal, theatrical, spiritual developments and creations, and together with this the ability to recognize what is really based on “tradition” and what is instead based on individual creativity. This ability is not judgment on a better or worse “dance”, but simply awareness, that is: to be able to know what we present to the public.

There is also, in my opinion, a lot of confusion on terms such as “training/education”, “professional”, “dancer”, “teacher” and “student”. I share here my thoughts on these, (based not only on my personal delirium but also on thoughts of people more important and more educated than me):

“training” and “education” is a journey that never ends, it is a starting point and NOT the end, “professional” to me is not only a person that lives on dance (economically speaking) but also that approaches its study and its dissemination with responsibility, because he/she is part of a “profession” that consist of all the people that are in this dance, having a responsibility toward the “profession”, because we are all ambassadors of this dance.

“Dancer” is someone who talks through his/her body, that delivers meanings that go beyond a simple sequence of steps and result in something that goes deep inside.

“Teacher” is the person that imparts knowledge, but also methods and instruments that allow his/her students to find and go their own way, and that is also willing to “lose” them.

“Student” is someone who faces the teacher and his /her teaching with attention but also with critical sensibility, a person first of all with his/her potentiality and difficulties, as we were, and as we still are even if teachers.

What is a training path? What are the characteristics that a good training should have to be useful and helps build on solid bases the “dance of the future” and the future of this dance?

First of all a training (for teachers and for students as well), even if it lasts for years (and there are cases even in oriental dance), cannot be exhaustive and complete in itself, a training doesn't give you answers, but should give you the instruments to formulate new questions, and only sometimes find answers. A serious training must, and I say must, give different study materials (yes lots of books, because reading about dance and not only dance is part of a serious training), it must be multidisciplinary and inter-disciplinary. A serious training must demolish some certainty, to build a new consciousness. Finally a serious training is just the beginning of a journey that will bring you to grow and being a good teacher, and maybe a better person.

Teaching dance to me is not only teaching steps (my students know it very well), but also to “teach” an attitude that will flow into everyday life.

All the above brings with it another consideration, the lack of use of terms like “intellectual honesty” and “teaching ethics”, usually not considered when students look for a teacher, and how they evaluate what a “good” teacher is.

I am not here to determine who should and who shouldn't teach, but I share my considerations that arise not only from my teacher-training but also and mostly from my experience and impressions as a student through all this years.

An honest teacher shouldn't have all the answers, and should not be afraid to say so, but surely should know where to find answers to questions. An honest teacher should know how to value every student work based on the persons “journey”, on his/her potentials and difficulties. An honest teacher with a teaching ethics will be open to other realities, complementary or even opposite to hers/his, so to be able to direct students to the best training for them in that moment, not necessarily his/hers.

The “ethic-teacher” is not afraid of “losing” students, she/he is not jealous of his/her knowledge or of other teachers, he/she will keep in mind what is the best training for her/his students not what is best for her/him.

All this said, being a teacher I am not saying that I'm not sad when a student leaves, or else thinks she is already a master after a year of dance, but this is not the point.

My last consideration has within itself the “one million euro question”: what are the reasons that make us choose a teacher? What are we looking for in a teacher?

(a very important question to understand why we got to this point).

Are the reasons the “very affordable” lessons? That is closer to home? That we have fun because she lets us “dress up” once a week as a “feminine woman”?

Given that the reasons why a student approaches this dance are many and different, some just do it to have an hour for themselves, some to become a professional dancer, some to “get in touch” with themselves, still, in my opinion a teacher should be chosen because she/he gives us something, because she/he makes us face our difficulties, but also helps us going through them and obviously to grow up, because wants to nurture our mind and our body as a whole, all this said “niceness” and cheapness should NOT be reasons to choose a teacher, but instead his/her preparation and training, ( today that is very easy to check...). We should remember also that inside the “price” for a lesson are included the money that that teacher will spend for her/his future training, to buy books, music, teaching materials …. etc... to become a better teacher, and also is included all the knowledge she/he has, and all the effort she/he makes to give not only imitative but also creative lessons.

On the other side, the teacher that “sells off” his/her knowledge, that is willing to “adapt” to the requests of “the employer” , without having a project or a teaching method, should give a thought to what is behind the choice to “lower” the prices. One thing is making your lessons accessible to most, one thing is “devalue” the job of teaching.

The romantic idea that “art” and “artists” live off “love and air” (an italian way of saying), and that if you make of your passion also your job money will “corrupt” your art, is often just an excuse to not give to culture and the commitment, that makes it grow, the right recognition.

Finally I share with you my last consideration, to be applied also to all I have written, ( I have no TRUTH in my hands, on the contrary): when in doubt, ask, if someone gives you absolute certainty, start to have doubts, and remember if only for a few of us dance is something “serious”.... it is the responsibility of all to make it grow in a good direction, and that the will to change should start from “the woman in the mirror” instead of blaming others for the situation we are in. I have, in my career as a student and a teacher, made mistakes, I have disappointed and have been disappointed, I got it wrong, and will sure get things wrong (luckily I say... experience comes also from mistakes), but apart all this I believe I can be the means to a change, I'm already seeing that change even if just sparkles of it.

I end all this wishing to the reader a lot of dance in his/her life.

Francesca Calloni