On Bhuz, there has been some discussion about students who seem to not embrace the compliments about their bodies that a thinner teacher gives. While no one is certain why should comments are not enjoyed, we have gotten back to a body image discussion and what the dance looks like on various bodies.
I’m a strong believer that anyone can look good doing this. Old, young, thin, fat, male, female. Certain bodies will create different lines and some moves will simply look better. For instance, at the Mardi Love workshop, she had this emphasis on the shoulder. I think it looks cuter on her body, which is fuller, than on my very thin and bony shoulder. That isn’t to say I should leave Middle Eastern dance behind, of course, but I recognize that certain moves, at least for my aesthetic, just don’t work or look different. One of my favorite things about my lessons with Danielle is that she is very much for me dancing in a way that looks best on me and concentrating on that. I can’t dance like her or Rachel Brice or Mardi Love or anyone else. I’m simply not built like them, nor would I want to dance exactly like them. Not only is it important to acknowledge that your body is an individual thing, but also I think we should acknowledge that our taste never 100% aligns with someone else’s.
I think it’s great everyone looks a little different doing the same move. How boring would it be to watch the same dancer essentially?
