"Forrest Gump" (as in been everywhere, with in-person experience) signing in here. I always find Neon's questions & thoughts intelligent & interesting, which is why I give her so much of my time & the results of my own intensive, long-term, in-culture research & experience.

There are very real problems with accepting/using the term "cabaret", in addition to & aside from the totally negative connotations it has everywhere else in the world (Americans being so historico-politically/culturally ignorant) and the very real fantasy/sexy-shmexy connotations it assumes, which are included in Neon's excellent commentary.

The most obvious is that assumes limits to venues for oriental dance. This is patently incorrect.

Raks Sharki is not / was not ever limited to night clubs / restaurants "over there" (or "over here") *&* pre Badia Masabni's Opera Casino in Cairo, was found mostly in homes (even performance-wise), for/at family celebrations and at moulids. Prior to the Opera Casino, performers in ahwas & chaykhanas were either all male (and often "full service") or, when female, "full service", where dancing & singing were secondary.

With the current zeitgeist in Egypt resulting, since 1993, in an over 90% dimunition in the former Cairo night club "scene", it has "returned" mostly to the homes & *some* family celebrations: the hiring of ANY female dancer being *totally* suppressed even for weddings, engagement parties & moulids in Upper Egypt & other rural areas...

In the "golden era" of the US ethnic restaurant-clubs, we *real* Oriental dancers made additional/major money at weddings, engagement parties, family/ME community / church picnics, festivals, church socials, etc. – in our fancy costumes, which were what was being worn "over there" by professionals.

*&* the ethnic restaurants we danced in 6 nights a week were mostly family-oriented (Chicago & Vegas being notable exceptions), so most of us DID dance with/for the women in the audience – or for ourselves, while allowing the audience to watch.

Pushy people like myself kicked down the doors of museums, concert halls, Lincoln Center, Riverside Church Dance Festival, got the first Arts grants for ME dance because after we managed to get the chance to show what we can do / what this dance really is, it was so much other & better than what was feared/expected of the cliche & incorrect fantasy.

Hardly any sort of "cabaret" & it IS a real "dis" of those accomplishments to use that term in these contexts!!!

All this was *outside of* the mostly unsavory American/burlesque fantasy "belly-shmelly" emporia, where they catered to the sexy-shmexy, underdressed harem cutie Western orientalist (in the Edward Said sense of the term) male fantasy & expected "sultan acts" – that was "cabaret" & what was alluded to by the fantasist (as in a polite term for liar) creator of the "category".

I also feel that some of your feelings/assumptions re: Oriental/"cabaret" are a result of the "take" on Oriental dance assumed at the school where you got your basic technique (nothing wrong with that part, just quite limited).

It pretty much limited itself to, in the founder's own words: "American 'belly' dance – I find 'folk' dancing boring." & a totally "cabaret" approach to it at that, for specific reasons I won't elaborate on here.

As to American Tribal, I have said many times on many chat lists: when done well, it is really good theater, but in its basic "principle" (everyone following a "leader"), movements & costuming it bears NO resemblance to the real thing.

As to the various forms of fusion, when it's good it is also great theater: the fuser has to know enough of the real technique of whatever is being "fused" in order to do it well/effectively. Otherwise the result is inadequate & bad theater – CONfusion.

MY main concern is truth in packaging & not to present the excellent theater forms of Fusion, Tribal, Goth, whatever as "real" or "authentic" Oriental, but under their own valid, rightful names.

As to anybody laboring under the fantasy that "genetics" confers any sort of "innate/ automatic knowledge" of any music or dance form: can it!

If that were true, I'd be one of the world's greatest violinists, since my granduncle was & Tarik would be a great Gospel singer. Sure. Don't ask me to play the violin & my Gospel is lots better than his.

Morocco

Comments
Ziad
Dear Morocco, Great article! Thank you for all the work you’ve done for the dance and the arts. Here is my big BUT...The issue with “genetics” and “automatic knowledge” has been a debate in every field and it’s no different in dance, whether it is belly dance, ballet, hip hop or any other form of dance. I happen to stand on the side of those that believe that “genetics” have a lot to do with our ability to perform whatever we’re doing and there is no question in my mind that it will take me many decades to learn a skill that another may be able to have without a single lesson. This has been exhibited in almost every profession and it’s no different in this form of dance. By the way, this doesn’t take any thing away from those who break their backs trying to learn how to dance. Yet, they still have the hardest time trying physically and emotionally…and many of those are the ones that should be rewarded the most. Oh …and thanks for “genetics” otherwise we wouldn’t have had Da Vinci, Einstein or Mozart…. Ziad

alWajdi
I think what Rocky meant by her "genetics" comment was that just because, for example, one is Arab, doesn't mean they can dance raqs sharqi better than, say, a Swede.

Parthena
Hi Aunt Rocky, I so enjoy you. I grew up in NJ and you remind me of home with your eastern accent and words like "malarkey." You said: "MY main concern is truth in packaging & not to present the excellent theater forms of Fusion, Tribal, Goth, whatever as "real" or "authentic" Oriental, but under their own valid, rightful names." Maybe it's because I am a dancer and when I get involved in something I do dorky things like check into its history - but if these branches of the dance are being misrepresented, I've not seen it. I've understood from the beginning that these styles are something that grew from "authentic" middle eastern dance. I can't think of any troupes, sites or shows that have omitted their rightful names. I have the BDSS Live at the Folies Bergere DVD and tribal was introduced to the audience as tribal. I heard your comments in American Bellydancer and I do understand what you mean. My feeling is that while these unique styles should not be confused with authentic middle eastern dance, they still evolved from the original dance. They should not be separated or cut off because they are modern or American. Maybe what we should be concerned with is the distinction between the dance as a folk dance and the dance as an art form. As a folk dance, I agree that tradition should be preserved. All art naturally changes and develops over time and dance is no exception. Personally, I think it's wonderful that dancers like Carolena Nerrichio have created new styles of the dance. As an art, oriental dance should be expected to change and those changes should be respected. What do you think?

Ziad
Of course, I understand what Morocco meant about “genetics”, but “genetics” means a few things and I thought I would comment on this side of it. However, given that I am from the Middle East this point is mentioned often when I sit in with my family and friends (Arabic) and here is what they would normally say “hilow bas ma fi taami” or “ shatra kthir bas ma ainda hel ehassas” translation: “ beautiful but I can’t feel the taste” or “she’s very good but she doesn’t have the feeling”. Of course this may be just prejudice, but trust me there is some truth to it. A dancer can posess incredible technique but is unable to deliver with the right feelings. On the other hand an Arabic woman will stand up at a home gathering and she can barely perform one single “hip drop” and knows absolutely nothing about “undulation” but you can still feel her emotion, you can feel that she’s got something even though you can’t put your finger on it.

Blanca
Hi Ziad, What country are you from? Are you saying that only dancers born in Arab cultures can have a "Middle Eastern" feeling when they dance? Or have you ever encountered any Westerners that can actually have the same quality of movement/energy/feel of women of your culture?