On labeling

Ah, the labeling dilemma.  The "What kind of dancer" are you.

I thought I had answered this question for myself, and that my style was now simply “Amy”.  All in-depth discussions on the finer points of this or that style were tossed happily aside, and my dance world was suddenly less compartmentalized and cluttered.  I felt free.

After all, I told myself, no one labels Randa Kamel.  In the interview with her on “Masters of Egyptian Choreography: Volume I”, Randa is asked about her influences and she runs off a list of her dance background, from ballet to folkloric.  Yet, I would not call her ballet- or folk-fusion.  She is simply Egyptian, because she is Egyptian and dances in Egypt. 

But then it was time to print up some business cards and “Amy style” is hardly a selling point. So, what am I?  Let the soul searching begin anew. 

If Randa is “Egyptian”, would that make me simply “American”, as I am American and dance in America?  For an American audience, I am working on my “cabaret” set (entrance, slow piece, party piece, drum solo, finale, always a prop thrown in the mix).  Yet, my favorite styles are Egyptian and tribal, in that order, and I would place American cabaret at the bottom of my belly dance preferences.   Would “American belly dance” conjure up images of fringe monster costumes and floor work? And what about the small pile of new Egyptian choreography DVDs to work through?  Does all that effort grant me the right to claim the label, or do I need to spend some time in Cairo for that honor?

In the end, I have decided that I am “Traditional to Tribal.”  Hopefully the public will find this simple and descriptive. 

And it fits nicely on a business card.  

But it has started some new thoughts for me on how I, personally, present different styles of dance.  I sense a new series of blog posts...

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It is hours after posting this and, unable to sleep, I am web surfing online and found this article on Randa Kamel:  http://www.gildedserpent.com/art44/yasminaranda.htm.  In it, the author contrasts Randa's style as not cabaret enough for Egyptians audiences (though the author does not find fault with this).  How ironic!  I also found her quote that "[s]ometimes I feel that foreigners understand the dance better. If I come on stage and I’m not in the mood to dance, they put me in the mood.” encouraging.