After reading this weeks assigned reading, "An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance": by Joann Kealiinohomoku, I came up with two conclusions; 1. the author loves using exclamation marks! and 2. ballet is a form of ethnic dance. At first it took me a while to get into the article because she seemed like she was just constantly bitching but after a couple breaks and alcoholic beverages, I started to understand what she was trying to say. Her argument is clear, why isn't ballet looked as a form of ethnic dance?
Throughout her ranting she had no problem questioning the thoughts of her fellow anthropologists which seemed pretty funny to me and courageous. She is changing the way dance should be seen in her field, she is making changes and she's progressing as things in life do. My favorite part of the article is when she is describing that western performers are not recognized unless they are in a "hit". She also gives an excellent example of Claire Holt's article "Two Dance Worlds", that displays two pictures, one with javanese dancers but no recognition and the other picture of Martha Graham, a very well accomplished and famous western dancer. It is just like western culture to popularize the popular even more(if that even makes sense). Obsess over the well recognized and pay no attention to the equally talented ETHNIC yet not famous dancers.
I think it's ignorant to call one form of dance ethnic and the other non-ethnic based on it's region. If you were to ask different cultures around the world about how they live and what they accomplish during their daily lives you would see things are not that different. What distinguishes the difference is the way there are done. I liked the article because I understand her appreciation for wanting ballet to be seen as ethnic dance and I understand her argument. I think it was a well written article and I would hate to get into a heated argument with her about any topic she's passionate about.
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