Dance as the Writing Muse
Yup, I went to latin dance aerobics tonight and within 10 minutes I was on the Silk Road teaching latin dance to Uigher women at the home of Old Sister. It was great, a few of their neighbors joined us, the naan maker's wife and her daughters, and Guzal's young nieces took off their headscarves and we steamed up the room until we had to move out into the courtyard.
I wasn't sure what to do about music -- would I have brought a tape along? Could I do latin dance to traditional Uigher music? I don't think I could. Bringing a tape along would be possible, but I liked the idea of dancing acapella, no music, just clapping a rhythm. I know they would like latin dance as they love rhythmic music and love sensual dance as I watched a lot of this in the Indian movies that are so popular among Uighers.
I never taught Guzal and her sisters latin dance so I have to be careful how I write about it as I want to reflect how people from this culture are likely to react to it. So I can't have Guzal say very much, she can only be enthusiastic. She can exclaim that it is very sexual, as she was always frank about such things. But when I remark that some of the rhythms are African in origin, I can't have her sister remark on this as I don't know what she would say. The Uigher people's experience with Africa is extremely limited.
Because I am trying to honestly represent someone else's culture, I have to be careful about what I write, there are limitations. I can't freely make up stuff. It has to be something that I experienced or we talked about or it has to be very close to that. Even body language is cultural. Chinese people rarely shrug their shoulders. I don't know if Uigher people do. I never saw a Uigher person shrug shoulders.
The idea of these Muslim women taking off their headscarves is accurate. Guzal and her sisters refused to wear headscarves. Her little nieces wore them but they were bright red and purposely set off their gold earrings. Headscarves were a custom, an ethnic identity, not a religious declaration.
The story progressed during my aerobics class to me trying to teach them Scandinavian folkdance. This would be difficult, as the rhythm is more subtle, so in fact, I decided I would attempt it and be unable. but it would be good to discuss it as it is my own ethnic background and Guzal would understand its importance to me.
Of course, the book is long enough and doesn't need any more interesting passages. Maybe it's too long. It's a little hard to stop with it. This book is an old friend, a rich story, a turning point in my life, an exquisitely colorful foreign culture. Such a wealth.
Reva
I wasn't sure what to do about music -- would I have brought a tape along? Could I do latin dance to traditional Uigher music? I don't think I could. Bringing a tape along would be possible, but I liked the idea of dancing acapella, no music, just clapping a rhythm. I know they would like latin dance as they love rhythmic music and love sensual dance as I watched a lot of this in the Indian movies that are so popular among Uighers.
I never taught Guzal and her sisters latin dance so I have to be careful how I write about it as I want to reflect how people from this culture are likely to react to it. So I can't have Guzal say very much, she can only be enthusiastic. She can exclaim that it is very sexual, as she was always frank about such things. But when I remark that some of the rhythms are African in origin, I can't have her sister remark on this as I don't know what she would say. The Uigher people's experience with Africa is extremely limited.
Because I am trying to honestly represent someone else's culture, I have to be careful about what I write, there are limitations. I can't freely make up stuff. It has to be something that I experienced or we talked about or it has to be very close to that. Even body language is cultural. Chinese people rarely shrug their shoulders. I don't know if Uigher people do. I never saw a Uigher person shrug shoulders.
The idea of these Muslim women taking off their headscarves is accurate. Guzal and her sisters refused to wear headscarves. Her little nieces wore them but they were bright red and purposely set off their gold earrings. Headscarves were a custom, an ethnic identity, not a religious declaration.
The story progressed during my aerobics class to me trying to teach them Scandinavian folkdance. This would be difficult, as the rhythm is more subtle, so in fact, I decided I would attempt it and be unable. but it would be good to discuss it as it is my own ethnic background and Guzal would understand its importance to me.
Of course, the book is long enough and doesn't need any more interesting passages. Maybe it's too long. It's a little hard to stop with it. This book is an old friend, a rich story, a turning point in my life, an exquisitely colorful foreign culture. Such a wealth.
Reva
posted by Seven Authors in A Private Conversation at 9:19 PM
1 Comments:
A blog is the perfect forum for those interesting passages that must be edited out of a book. People can read the compact story in book form and then go to the blog to read additional anecdotes.
Amy
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