UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECTING THE CULTURE AND HISTORY BEHIND YOUR DANCE STYLE

Silhouette of a dancer (hula). Source: Shutterstock.

I am a practitioner of dance that has great cultural significance. For the cultures I present though my art, these dances are not merely movement for the sake of movement. Today, I will focus mostly on Polynesian dance, but some of the concepts to be discussed pertain to Middle Eastern/North African dance (belly dance) as well as Indian dance. This post is more of an overview of the topic. In future posts, I will go more in depth about this topic for different styles of dance.


WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY AND CULTURE?
Many people take a dance class to get more exercise. That is a valid reason to want to dance! However, when one chooses a dance such as Hawaiian hula or ‘ori Tahiti (among the many other Polynesian dance styles), one has chosen to learn a dance that has deep historical, cultural, and spiritual significance. For example, you may have been inspired to learn hula after seeing a dancer at a luau. Chances are, that dancer (assuming they were dancing hula) showed you hula ‘auana (modern hula). It is likely that the dancer did not present hula kahiko (ancient hula), which would have likely had a deeper, sacred meaning to it. Don’t be surprised if you join a hula hālau (school) or dance studio and you learn more serious dances and chants in addition to the cute and fun routines you may have seen at a party.

While there is nothing wrong with wanting to learn based on a “more fun” version you’ve seen, it is important to allow yourself to learn everything you can about the culture. Why? Because understanding the meaning behind the dance routines will help you move with more intention, thus improving your overall performance and the value of what you’re learning! Fortunately, Polynesian dance itself is a great avenue for learning more about the cultures represented, as the dance routines often depict significant historical events, legends, and mythology. The same is true for dances from other cultures as well, such as kathak from India. The routines in kathak often depict significant events or are presentations of devotion to a god. For Middle Eastern/North African dance, cultural significance can come in the form of knowing what gestures are used by the people of the country you’re representing (i.e. Egypt if you’re using an Egyptian song) and what gestures may be inappropriate in that culture. Knowing this will spare you embarrassment and even the possible disdain of audience members of the culture.

Another important piece to point out is that the dances I’ve talked about so far each had a historical period during which they were disallowed by colonists. When you take that into consideration, it should become clear why these arts are so significant to the people of the culture today. These beautiful forms of art were almost lost forever. It is important to preserve what is left today, and the only way to do that is to hold onto the roots of the dance. If you are an outsider to the culture, it is not your place to update or put a new spin on a dance with ancient roots. Learn it the way it was meant to be learned, and allow that to connect you to more people in the world.

HOW TO START AND STAY INFORMED?
A great way to start learning more in depth about the culture associated with your chosen dance style would be, in the case of hula, to find an authentic hālau. In some cases, that is not possible due to location. In that case, find a good hula studio or studio with hula classes in which more than just movement is taught. This goes for ‘ori Tahiti as well—find a good studio in which the teacher teaches more than movement by itself. Make sure the teacher explains the meaning of gestures done in each routine. Make sure they talk about the background of the songs used. Make sure they explain or show the lyrics of the songs. If you have to, ask for these things. If the teacher cannot provide these things for you, or if they don’t wish to, it may be time to find another school.

Another way to learn more in depth is to seek out lectures pertaining to the dance and the culture. In the last couple of years, many teachers from around the world have been teaching online dance workshops and giving online lectures. I have taken advantage of both, and I have learned so much about Tahitian culture and history as a result. 

There are some books you may be able to find on the dance and culture you’re studying as well. These may be more difficult to find, especially if the book was written in a language other than your own (there are often no translated versions available), but you may be pleasantly surprised if you search! If you’re studying a culture and history on your own, it is to your benefit to diversify your sources. Hearing things put a different way can help you gain new understanding of a concept, or you may learn a little more about a given topic from one teacher to the next (or even from one class to the next of the same teacher).

CONCLUSION
​Dancing is fun! Learning about other cultures through dance is enriching. Allowing yourself to take a deep dive into understanding a culture and its history will help you grow as a dancer, as there will be more meaning and intention in your dancing. People do notice that, whether it’s other dancers, teachers, or an audience! Even if you are not a professional dancer, being serious about learning cultural significance will expand your horizons and give more meaning to your hobby. For many, that means they won’t lose interest after a few classes. Instead, they end up with a life-long, fulfilling way to be healthy and creative.

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