When Politics and Dance Meet

by Anne Maclean

The attacks of September 11, 2001 have opened a dialogue in the community of Middle Eastern dance artists. Each of us has reacted differently, but we all share one thing in common: a heightened awareness that our dance form comes from the very same part of the world as the terrorists. Many people are asking:

Should we quit purchasing Oriental dance costumes made "over there" as a way of stopping the flow of money into the pockets of people who funded the atrocities?
Should tribal-style dancers quit wearing Afghani jewelry, knowing that the reason so much of it has been on the market is because women are being killed or selling their jewelry in their struggle to make ends meet?
By doing this dance, are we celebrating the culture of people who would like to kill us?
Would we be putting our own lives in jeopardy if we travel to the Middle East or Central Asia to experience the culture and see the dance forms we love performed in the context of the culture they come from?

These questions have no easy answers. You and I will each have to examine our own hearts and make our own choices. I'll share my own thoughts, but of course you'll need to find your own path.

First, please remember that not all Muslims are terrorists. Many are hard-working decent people who love their children, chat with their neighbors, and just want to find what pleasure they can in life. Many are afraid of the United States and Europe because they're exposed to a large amount of propaganda that claims we're enemies of the Arab people. This propaganda, which is distributed by people who have something to gain by fueling hate between the U.S. and the Arab people, mentions the Gulf War in which the United States invaded Iraq and the economic sanctions that followed, but it does not mention the fact that the United States was trying to assist Kuwait or the fact that there is credible evidence the Iraqi government has been building weapons of mass destruction. It mentions the fact that the United States sides with Israel against the Palestinians, but doesn't mention the massive amounts of money that the United States government gives to Egypt and other Arab countries every year in foreign aid. Do you remember how many Americans feared and hated the Soviets during the Cold War? That's the way many Arabs feel toward the United States today because of what they're exposed to in their news media.

Many Oriental dance artists have developed a passion for authentic Middle Eastern music, styles of movement, and costumes made "over there". Recent political developments have made them question whether they should continue to embrace an art form that arose in the same countries where many terrorist groups are operating. Is bad that these dancers continue to appreciate the rich cultural heritage of those countries? I don't think so.

First, we need to remember that dancers and the people who supply them are themselves threatened with violence even in their own country. In Egypt, it used to be traditional to hire a dancer to perform a candelabrum dance for a wedding celebration. But many people aren't hiring dancers for their weddings any more, because terrorists have threatened to violently disrupt any weddings that feature dance performances by a woman. Many dancers in Egypt are now struggling to make a living because the number of jobs has declined. But you can't blame Islam - the fault lies with a very specific group of people who use Islam as their excuse to spread hate. The Christians did the same thing in Europe during the era of the Spanish Inquisition, and even in the 20th century the Catholic church teamed up with Adolf Hitler to destabilize and overthrow the fledgling Spanish democratic government by using propaganda to spread lies.

A U.S. vendor who imports Oriental dance costumes from Egypt has reported that one of her suppliers avoids getting to know his neighbors in his new apartment complex. Why? Because a jealous or annoyed neighbor who learned what he does for a living could pass information along and if the terrorist cells in Egypt were looking to make a statement they might target him and his family.

If we quit buying costumes, props, music, and accessories made "over there", we harm people who are actually part of our community. The artisans who make those beautiful bra/belt sets, dresses, skirts, beaded hip scarves, and other accessories are themselves afraid of the terrorists. So, rather than withdraw my money from these hard-working people who were kind to me when I traveled "over there", I prefer to continue supporting them with my business. I believe it's a good thing to keep the voices of musicians, dancers, and the people who supply them alive during a time when they themselves are under extreme societal pressure.

For more information about the role of musicians and dancers in Middle Eastern society, read the book A Trade Like Any Other by Karin van Nieuwkerk. The academic writing style makes it difficult to read, but the cultural insight is extremely valuable for us Western dancers to understand.

The issue of Afghani jewelry is another one to consider. Much of the heavy, chunky jewelry that tribal-style dancers like to wear originates in Afghanistan. Most of us (including me) never thought much about it until the events of 2001 pushed Afghanistan into the news.

Did that fabulous necklace once belong to a woman who was beaten to death because she tried to protect her 9-year-old daughter from being forced into marriage with a 50-year-old government official? Or did that bracelet once belong to a widow who starved to death because she was forced to abandon her career as a physician and stay inside her house? Or was a divorced woman forced to sell the jewelry you're wearing to get enough money to feed her starving children?

And on to a more practical question: what should we do about it? Should we quit buying Afghani jewelry? Should we quit wearing the pieces we already own?

You'll have to listen to your own conscience and make the decision that's right for you. I've decided to continue wearing what I've got, but every time I handle it I whisper a silent blessing for the souls of the women who died under the Taliban and another hoping for an improved future for the women who still live there and are now trying to rebuild their country.

Finally, it's time to consider that question of whether remaining involved in Oriental dance means that we're celebrating the culture of people who would like to kill us.

Oriental dance may have originated as a performing art "over there", but the dance has taken on a life of its own in the United States where I now live. I'm sure the same could be said of Canada, Australia, Europe, Brazil, and other places where this dance has taken root. Wherever we live, many of us make our own costumes, dance to music played by local musicians, and invent our own dance moves. A week after September 11, 2001, I was hired to dance at a birthday party, and the crowd clearly did not view my dance as having any relationship to terrorists. They were just as friendly as any audience I danced for before the attacks.

And why not? As Amaya has said, ballet may have originated in France, but today people who perform or even just watch this art form don't think of themselves as celebrating French culture. To most of us, ballet is just "dance", and we don't link it to guillotines, Napoleon, or Joan of Arc. We might link it to impressionist painting because of the paintings Degas made of dancers. But for most of us, when we go to watch a ballet production, our purpose is to appreciate beautiful music, gorgeous costumes, incredible feats of athletic mastery, and fabulous sets. Even though The Nutcracker was written by a Russian composer, it remained the most popular ballet in the U.S. throughout the Cold War.

I would also still consider traveling to the Middle East, but first I would exercise appropriate caution by checking whether there are any governmental warnings about traveling in the area I'm planning to visit. With the escalation of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians, the U.S. war on terrorism, and the ongoing concerns with Iraq, I expect the situation in the Middle East and Central Asia to remain unpredictable for some time, and it's best to seek out the latest information before actually traveling there. If I should conclude that it's probably okay to visit a particular country, I would also consult someone familiar with the current situation for advice on clothing and behavior to minimize my risk.

Acknowledgements

This article originally appeared on the Suite101 web site, in the Middle Eastern Dance category, on October 20, 2001.