Hello and welcome to news, thoughts, and ramblings by me. This may seem like a heavy topic to start this blog but here is it. It has been brought to public attention that blackface is being used as a “costume element” by a variety of dancers including the most heated recent example Anna Borisova. As if that was not offensive enough the language and comments included with these photos and videos on social media platforms are degrading, insensitive, and prime examples of racism. So, as our community internalizes this on the heels of much needed but still processing conversations of cultural appropriation~ what can we do? Well, first I’d like to say we have an incredibly diverse dance community all across the globe. AND marketing and systemic racism have made it more difficult for people of color to gain access to higher professional opportunities and thus exposure. So you may not know some of the amazing POC artists in our community. So here are just a few of the artists that I find inspiring for their unique artistic style and beautifully crafted work~ ENJOY! CUZ REPRESENTATION MATTERS!!! It's time to boost the signal on some of these amazing artists doing incredible work within the art of bellydance~ Amar Garcia, Donna Mejia, Adore, Ahava, Selwa, Ebony, Nefertiti, Marjhani, Rin Anja, Khadijah, Sadira Lady Liquid, Chudney, and Danielle Hutton.
Diversity and the need for representation