Comments on: Schtick it out.

By: anja

anja — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:54:47 +0000

i am new in tribal world and i have to admit, i haven’t thought about using any props or schtick in my “home based” performances. I’ve been reading your blog and i like it very much. This is one of your articles which gives you the motivation to dance honestly and to do it as a professional. The meaning of the dance in the first place is to feel good in your skin, not to try and look good to everyone else. Showing what you’ve got is the next stage, but you have to master the first on first

By: victoria

victoria — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:00:51 +0000

im scared for what might happen to this beautiful art form… especially that sashi girl ruining and bringing people from the goth punk scene who are doing nothing than satisfying their own ego by prancing around in lame costumes all the while they ruin the dance and what it truely means. we seriously need to put and end to this, its getting out of hand, and take this from someone who is a tribal fusion dancer and grew up goth!

By: vanessa

vanessa — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:38:26 +0000

Thank. You. Sister.

I thought the same thing after seeing this year TF vids. Shame. Such disappointment. Too much froo-froo-frills for froo-froo-frilling sake.

By: Nikki

Nikki — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:57:20 +0000

I enjoyed reading this as well as the other blogs on TF. Not getting to go myself this year I have been watching videos where I can and have found myself really inspired by multiple performances. I enjoyed reading this and I do agree with a lot of the sentiments. I have to say I don’t mind a bit of theatrics in performances. There are some dancers out there that I feel really tell a story with thier performance and take on a character…BUT…thier performance is chock full of dancing. Good, talented dancing. Not shallow theatrics. I’ve seen this recently actually…not comedy but a troupe of girls who had a particular theme and costumes and props that followed with such. I saw all the effort they put into thier set up and costumes and I was excited to see what they would bring, then promptly disgusted when it turned out to be nothing but running in a circle and crawling on a floor.
In saying all of this though, I will say I do like some of the vaudeville / antique kind of look. I myself had an idea for a dance, built around a specific song, that would of had slight touches of a circus theme…with a bustle belt. I know it’s overdone, but the song inspired me and besides a little flair to my costume, everything else is about the actual DANCE i’m going to do.I’m all for people expressing themselves and having fun, but this is an art form! As Asharah said..it’s belly DANCE!!! THE MOST important thing should always be…learning and mastering the DANCE!!!

Sorry for the novel!

By: Bo

Bo — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:30:40 +0000

Love ya for saying this. I had the experience this year of being unable to fully enjoy a really -good- burlesque fusion act because I was so tired of just seeing it, period.

By: Rya

Rya — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:33:44 +0000

I was starting to think that I was the only one who had a problem it! So tired of gimmicks and people falling back on props because they really just can’t dance. If they’d practice dancing more, maybe they wouldn’t have that propblem.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:05:37 +0000

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU and I just can’t thank you enough! I often wonder if other art forms so easily fall victim to schticklers. It seems like everybody’s a professional bellydancer these days. But in the end the real dancers will prevail.

By: LaneEllen

LaneEllen — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:35:58 +0000

Give me authenticity, or give me death!

Instead of trying to dig deeper into the music, the dance, the expression, the easy route is being taken and there’s a focus on new/outlandish fusion. And those who aren’t doing that are riding on the coattails of the current bellydance fad.

So tired of props being the main focus of a dance, and not dancing. Isis Wings went through this period for a while about 5-7 years back. Inexperienced dancers who had not perfected their dancing found they could wow an audience with wings and turns, and soon, everyone and their mother was using these wings, without a hip movement anywhere to be seen.

It’s one thing if the prop has a cultural/folkloric aspect. It’s another if it’s just glitz.

I have to say, though, that comedy has been in bellydance (and dance) for a very long time. It’s just the ways that it is coming out lately that aren’t very successful.

By: Desiree

Desiree — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:58:49 +0000

I remember one day in art school where the teacher had us do some light-hearted abtract drawings. After we were done with the drawings he told us that we were now going to take turns presenting our art to the class along with a schtick we made up to justify it. He told us that as artists we had to have a schtick. When it was my turn I told everyone was that my schtick was not having a schtick (there was no dark, brooding, highly intellectual or lofty concept behind by drawing – I was just enjoying the process of working with line, color, etc.). They did not take that very well. Schticks are everywhere it seems.

By: Tribal Dancer

Tribal Dancer — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:22:24 +0000

I certainly agree! I admit I was disappointed to see The Indigo (and in particular Rachel Brice) drinking alcohol as part of their performance this year. Does that really need to be an element?