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Hey All,
In the past two months, I've heard disparaging comments towards hip hop dance from well known dancers, dancers in my area and dancer posts on tribe. Most of them frame hip hop dance as highly sexual, as lacking moral boundaries and as degrading towards women. However, I've noticed that most of these people (ok, all of them :) are Caucasian. They seem to do it in order to say 'well, people might see bellydance's bedlah as sexual but at least we're not as sexual as all that booty-shaking in hip hop dance.' or to say 'why will parents send their kids to hip hop over bellydance considering how overtly sexual hip hop is.' One poster did call hip hop all that 'booty-shaking.' But, hello, the three-quarter shimmy is all about 'booty-shaking.' When I've pressed the people I know to name hip hop videos where they've seen overtly sexual dancing (or any at all) they usually come up blank and I have to point out that Eve, Usher, Queen Latifa, Lil Mama, Black-Eyed Peas, etc. all belong to the hip hop genre, and the videos they produce are far from derogatory. In fact, I always try to emphasize that hip hop dance is an art form, and just like bellydance it can be misappropriated. I'll also point out that the videos they hear about are from male hip hop artists whose videos only appear 'after hours' and are mainly created to titillate or for sensational purposes. However, it upsets me that dancers who speak out against society's denigrating construction of bellydance as overtly sexual, have to put down another dance form to make themselves seem 'normal' and 'better'. It also concerns me as it covertly reminds me of 19th century mindsets that frame the movements of certain cultures as salacious, rather than looking at who is using them. Has anyone else come across this?
In the past two months, I've heard disparaging comments towards hip hop dance from well known dancers, dancers in my area and dancer posts on tribe. Most of them frame hip hop dance as highly sexual, as lacking moral boundaries and as degrading towards women. However, I've noticed that most of these people (ok, all of them :) are Caucasian. They seem to do it in order to say 'well, people might see bellydance's bedlah as sexual but at least we're not as sexual as all that booty-shaking in hip hop dance.' or to say 'why will parents send their kids to hip hop over bellydance considering how overtly sexual hip hop is.' One poster did call hip hop all that 'booty-shaking.' But, hello, the three-quarter shimmy is all about 'booty-shaking.' When I've pressed the people I know to name hip hop videos where they've seen overtly sexual dancing (or any at all) they usually come up blank and I have to point out that Eve, Usher, Queen Latifa, Lil Mama, Black-Eyed Peas, etc. all belong to the hip hop genre, and the videos they produce are far from derogatory. In fact, I always try to emphasize that hip hop dance is an art form, and just like bellydance it can be misappropriated. I'll also point out that the videos they hear about are from male hip hop artists whose videos only appear 'after hours' and are mainly created to titillate or for sensational purposes. However, it upsets me that dancers who speak out against society's denigrating construction of bellydance as overtly sexual, have to put down another dance form to make themselves seem 'normal' and 'better'. It also concerns me as it covertly reminds me of 19th century mindsets that frame the movements of certain cultures as salacious, rather than looking at who is using them. Has anyone else come across this?
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New York
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No I haven't but I think people may feel like this because they don't understand hip hop as a culture. All they see is what is on TV now and they may not understand the essence of our music or our culture. Remember alot of people hate on things they don't understand. Don't let it bother you. Folks will have an opinion and whether it is valid or not don't let it affect your views or opinions.
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Let's be real though. I didn't get a chance to see where you live but I'm in NYC. The majority of the videos that are on prime time- and I'm talking morning, kids getting ready to go to school (MTV, VH1, BET-especialy 106 & Park) or evening coming home ARE overtly sexual, the lyrical content is overtly sexual no matter how the censors try to push for "clean versions." Media pushes it, we as black people/people of color let it ride (including buy it and dance to it in the clubs) and it gets worse and worse. If you watch Indian TV or Arabic TV you don't see anything like that at all.The most you see is a short closed mouth kiss-even in the more contemporary stuff. Its about how culture/society tolerate certain things.
No, not all hip hop is bad and about booty shakin' or about "pop-lock it-drop it" to quote one of the more recent songs out now. And YES it is about us EDUCATING people and letting them know that this is not all hip hop is about- once upon a time it was about social conciousness, just having a good time, who had the better rhyming skills or who could rock the mic the best. It was totally different.
On a purely dance related note, hip hop and belly dance are sometimes so similar in the isolations as you mentioned about the shimmies. Also with chest pops, omies(calypso and reggae), shoulder rolls, etc. This dance originated in Africa. All of the elements are similar. I will say they diverged at a certain point but the core is still recognizable.
Also they need to separate the music form the dance sometimes. Have they ever seen pop-locking?break dance? That's not overlty sexual -it's displaying an art form.
I will say though that to me, belly dance although it's sensual, and maybe cheeky/sassy is not and should not be overtly sexual. You take the dance to another level if you do those things. But by the same token, just because you dress it up in 12 inch beaded fringe doesn't chance that it's a woman's dance, can be a very sensual experience, but can also be seen by non dancers/people nnot familiar with the art form as sexual. I've had so many people when I say I'm taking lessons make remarks that I have to check them on.
We need to stand up- not just to educate the dancers that say these things, but on another level, too. It wouldn't be an issue if we would not helo perpetuate this cycle in the media.
Ok, I'm off my soap box now!:)
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P.S. I was with you on that non degratory comment until you metioned black eye peas- was Fergie not doing some serious booty shaking in "Hey mama?";)
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I agree with what you are saying about others looking down on hip hop. People just need something to make themselves feel better; the only thing is they have no idea what they are talking about.
"P.S. I was with you on that non degratory comment until you metioned black eye peas- was Fergie not doing some serious booty shaking in "Hey mama?";) "
^^Yea, Fergie and the BEP were not the best example. They are waaay to comercial to use as an example. I think to really show people the art form, they would have to look at all the underground dancers. Not people shaking it just to keep their record deal. -
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OK, I'll admit that outside the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie does a lot of booty-shaking. However, when she's with the Black Eyed Peas, she plays the role of the 'pretty woman' but not of the female object. And, even when she's 'fergie-licious', when I compare her dance moves with those of women in most male-produced hip hop videos or even the Pussycat Dolls, I feel it's more playful than anything else. Admittedly, the BEP are commercial, but I don't hold that against them and they remind me of Arrested Development in certain ways. However, thanks for all of your comments. I'm feeling way less 'fight the power' now :)
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The truth is that the kind of hip hop that gets commerical play is hand picked by, predominately white, record company executives. African American hip hop artists who are race and gender positive by-in-large don't get the record deals and certainly don't get prime time air time on tv or radio. If they did, you wouldn't see so many sexist and self-hating images. There is a great documentary called Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes, www.pbs.org/independentl...op/index.htm, that goes into these issues in a pretty balanced way. I view the way that hip hop has been abused and misused, the same way I view how bellydance is often misrepresented by the mainstream. I try not to play a role in supporting it with my time or money, do my best to support the good representations of the art and try not to loose any sleep over what I can't control.
T
