I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.
— Winston Churchill
What does it mean to learn and authentically represent — perhaps even teach — a dance style, if one is not from the culture that created the style? Numerous dances I love, for example, emanate from Black culture, including Swing, Blues, and Zydeco, as well as Latin, like Cha Cha Cha and Salsa.
In When is your dance breaking the “rules”? (October 8, 2024), Laura Riva writes “people who are not part of the native culture have to work harder to understand the ‘essence’ of the dance.” She adds that those using the dance professionally, such as performing or teaching, have added responsibilities to “understand the cultural idiosyncrasies of the art they’re practicing.”
“Sometimes, the way someone is expressing a dance feels ‘inauthentic’ or ‘wrong’ because it violates some of the basic rules established as a collective within the dance,” says Riva. She uses Brazilian Zouk’s rules and norms to illustrate. Beginners can unknowingly break rules, which is to be expected. If someone falls in love with a style, however, I’ve observed they’ll often delve into what makes that dance unique and seek to express its essence as best they’re able. “As their ability to dance improves,” says Riva, “they may gain more ability to bend certain rules while making the dance recognizable.”
This level of respect and practice, I feel, is what keeps dances singular and alive. Enthusiasts may study under someone within the culture whom they admire, or travel to where the dance is practiced by the originating culture, to experience it firsthand. The opposite is when a dancer insists they can simply overlay their own preferences and interpretations on whichever dance they choose, i.e., “I have my own style.” Yes, but my acid test is whether you’re likely to seem boorish and annoying to dancers native to a given dance or you can happily blend, eliciting encouragement or even regard.
Work on finding that elusive essence with numerous classes and dance events listed in the online Dance Calendar.
See you on the dance floor —Sean Donovan