A piece of advice to younger/newer
dancers who might tend to view the less-technical style of previous
generations with a bit of snark, disdain, or condescension: consider
reevaluating your judgment. This isn't an admonishment, just a note
to let you know what you are missing and how you may appear to
others. It's okay to like whatever you like and to be proud of what
you do, but I would encourage you to consider what your own dancing
would look like had you begun your education in a different era, and
what the top stars will be doing in 15 years. Yesterday's visionaries
weren't any less gifted and industrious than today's trailblazers.
The bar didn't raise itself. Don't be an airhead, and don't embarrass
yourself. Appreciate what has come before you as the gift that it
is.
I became a good dancer very quickly in part because of focus, discipline, and affinity, but I was also in a good place at a good time. But if I were 25 years old today and taking my first belly dance class, I could probably get done in 2 or 3 years what, 15 years ago, it took me 10 years to figure out. (This would be especially true in some sort of confusing time warp where I got to study from my own DVDs and YouTube videos and start learning now from the foundation of what my own students and students' students have done in their careers.)
This isn't just belly dance, by the way. Compare any Olympic time/score/routine from the 50s to the expectations for today's athletes. Or just compare your cell phone to the one you had 5 years ago. Our dance builds on the achievements of those who came before us, and continues to evolve thanks to the examples and challenges we set for one another. The resources that are now available not only make it possible for gifted dancers to get very good very fast, they continually push the standard higher, constantly shifting our perception of what is possible.
I'm not telling you to be deferential and respectful to your teachers and to dancers of previous generations. Do as you see fit—a gracious outlook is good for your mental health and good manners are a good policy, but teachers don't deserve all the credit for their students' work and respect should be saved for those that deserve it. But don't kid yourself about the foundations your work has built on. To think that your dancing (or mine, or that of fill-in-the-blank OMG Big Name) sprang like Athena fully-formed from the head of Zeus is pathetic ignorance and foolish self-importance. Stop advertising that ignorance, or, better yet, divest yourself of it entirely. You, lucky you, are the beneficiary of an amazing legacy. If you'd like to be a better dancer or just a more sensible grown-up, wrap your head around the idea that whether or not you like the legacy that's been handed to you is different from having the wisdom to appreciate it. Why appreciate it? The more you do, the more you'll be able to do something amazing with it. (And the dignity you gain won't hurt either.)
I became a good dancer very quickly in part because of focus, discipline, and affinity, but I was also in a good place at a good time. But if I were 25 years old today and taking my first belly dance class, I could probably get done in 2 or 3 years what, 15 years ago, it took me 10 years to figure out. (This would be especially true in some sort of confusing time warp where I got to study from my own DVDs and YouTube videos and start learning now from the foundation of what my own students and students' students have done in their careers.)
This isn't just belly dance, by the way. Compare any Olympic time/score/routine from the 50s to the expectations for today's athletes. Or just compare your cell phone to the one you had 5 years ago. Our dance builds on the achievements of those who came before us, and continues to evolve thanks to the examples and challenges we set for one another. The resources that are now available not only make it possible for gifted dancers to get very good very fast, they continually push the standard higher, constantly shifting our perception of what is possible.
I'm not telling you to be deferential and respectful to your teachers and to dancers of previous generations. Do as you see fit—a gracious outlook is good for your mental health and good manners are a good policy, but teachers don't deserve all the credit for their students' work and respect should be saved for those that deserve it. But don't kid yourself about the foundations your work has built on. To think that your dancing (or mine, or that of fill-in-the-blank OMG Big Name) sprang like Athena fully-formed from the head of Zeus is pathetic ignorance and foolish self-importance. Stop advertising that ignorance, or, better yet, divest yourself of it entirely. You, lucky you, are the beneficiary of an amazing legacy. If you'd like to be a better dancer or just a more sensible grown-up, wrap your head around the idea that whether or not you like the legacy that's been handed to you is different from having the wisdom to appreciate it. Why appreciate it? The more you do, the more you'll be able to do something amazing with it. (And the dignity you gain won't hurt either.)
