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My
first love was - and still is - ballet. I saw a Russian ballerina
dance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and it made me cry. It was the
Bolshoi Ballet's Maya Plisyetskaya dancing The Dying Swan. That's
how I started; I thought I'd last about two months. Eighteen
years later, I'm still taking Russian ballet classes.
During those eighteen years, I've also tried many other forms
of dance: modern, tap, four types of Spanish, jazz, Indian classical
dance, and Middle Eastern. I've always felt that you should have
a class that offsets your main interest - something you can be
less "serious" about; that is, "recreational."
My thinking is that the secondary class teaches you to think
and move differently from your main class, so you can be more
relaxed and receptive in your primary class. Result: you are
not as likely to repeat bad habits.
Throughout these different experiences, I've realized that
Middle Eastern dance has a number of things going for it that
set it apart from other types of dance. Following are my reasons
for proclaiming Middle Eastern dance... the best dance!
- You don't need a big space. There are no flying jumps.
It can be done in an area as small as six feet square. A living
room is fine. (Just think of dancing in a Sultan's tent!)
- There's no need to worry about the floor. You can
dance on shag carpet, wood, linoleum, or cement: it doesn't matter.
Because there really isn't any jumping involved, you needn't
be concerned about injury. A Spanish dancer needs a raised floor
to "sound" her footwork, a ballet dancer needs a sprung
floor with good traction, a tap dancer knows her taps will mark
the floor. A Middle Eastern dancer has no such concerns and can
dance on whatever is there.
- No special shoes required! The only way a Spanish
dancer can get the appropriate shoes is to hope that a friend
is traveling to Spain soon. Pointe shoes cost a ballerina $75.00
- $100.00 per pair, and can wear out in a matter of days. Taps
come loose and fly off into space. We dance in bare feet, or,
if the floor is cold, in readily-available ballet slippers.
- We can practice anywhere, any time, because we don't
need special shoes or a special floor and because our dance makes
no noise! (Note: to practice finger cymbals without making noise,
just wrap a thick rubber band around each one.)
- Supplies are readily accessible. If you can't find
what you need where you live, there are many mail-order sources.
And the choice is unbelievable! You want zills? Do you want big?
Small? Patterned? Plain? Anything you can dream of - belts, bras,
fabrics, patterns, books, recorded music, instructional videos
- can be ordered via postal service.
- The costumes are great! Initially this is what hooked
me. Spanish dress is pretty - hand-painted fans, embroidered
shawls, and flounced skirts. But where's the shimmer, the sparkle?
Is there any sound like the tinkle of a coin belt in motion?
And with so many styles to choose from ... cabaret bra/belt/skirt,
Turkish harem pants and vest, folksy baladi - there's something
for every taste.
- It's virtually impossible to have a bad time at a Middle
Eastern dance class. It's such a joyous form of dance that
problems are quickly forgotten!
- Almost everybody likes watching Middle Eastern dance.
Men enjoy seeing a woman dance so sensuously, and women like
to see one of their sisterhood truly enjoying her own femininity.
- Since it's usually a solo dance, there's no worry about
you or a partner making a mistake or forgetting choreography.
If you are a confident dancer, you just carry on and the audience
never knows the difference!
- The Middle Eastern dancer can use taped music, and
there's a great selection to choose from. A flamenco dancer needs
a live guitarist, because the accompanist follows the dancer
- if the dancer speeds up, then the guitarist must, too.
- The sense of community among Middle Eastern dancers is
very real. There are various associations, newsletters, and
magazines to keep you up to date. Middle Eastern dancers are
generous and truly enjoy sharing - it's the nature of the dance
itself.
- Middle Eastern dance may be the most naturalistic of all
dance forms. Many movements are based on the natural rotation
of the joints. There is no attempt to force the body to conform
to an unnaturalistic ideal. Middle Eastern dance celebrates the
body; it does not seek to transcend it.
- Our dance seems the best way to stay flexible and supple
as you grow older. In many other types of dance, the dance
deteriorates along with the body. But one can dance our dance
at every age.
- Middle Eastern dance can assimilate a wide variety of
dance styles. It is the only form I have studied where I
felt I could bring all I had learned in other disciplines and
they would enhance what I was doing, not work against it. The
beautiful arms I strive for in ballet class are not out of place
here, neither are the sensuous eyes of Odissi.
- And perhaps the best reason of all: Middle eastern
dance accepts women regardless of age, size, or physical condition.
Not only accepts them, celebrates them!
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