Ballet as an Ethnic Dance

Ballet as an Ethnic Dance

Joann Kealiinohomoku (that’s a mouthful), the author of An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance argues that despite Western dance scholars’ objections, it is appropriate to call ballet just that – an ethnic dance. She explains dance scholars have been highly ethnocentric in their judgments in classifying and documenting dance styles. Many of their published works on world dance are centered heavily around Western-specific styles. Their publications classify non-Western dance as ‘primitive’, marginalizing their stories. Joann also makes a point to highlight the plethora of contradictions between and within writings about the content of the ‘primitive dances’. Among the contradictions and descriptions remains a bias overtone towards the same people the authors call ‘ethnic’ such as the Indians, African tribes, and Pacific peoples. This explains to Joann why dance scholars reject the label of ‘ethnic’. Additionally the writings depict Western dance as superior somehow by implying that primitive dances fall on some sort of evolutionary continuum and that they’ve remained the same for thousands of years. However natural for any group to do, the dance historians seem to be concerned with their own world of dance, and fail to acknowledge that all dance forms are subject to change. 

The Hopi’s paradigm is presented which refutes most of the assumptions written by the dance scholars. Here she argues that there is no significant difference between the Hopi people dancing their prayers for their gods and Christians performing ceremonies to pray to their God. Therefore, their dances should not be viewed as ‘primitive’ or ‘pagan’. Joann strongly proposes the idea that there is no such thing as a ‘primitive dance’ and that it’s a dangerous myth. Each group has its own unique history which has been and will be modified. 

In Ethnicity of Ballet, Joann goes on to explain the cultural significance of ballet and why it is specific to Western/European tradition. Everything from the stage and production outlay, to the characters looks, to their props and the storylines reveal the ‘ethnicity’ of ballet. Scholars are simply afraid to accept the term ‘ethnic’ because of the stigma we have placed upon it. Because ‘ethnic’ minimizes the idea of ‘they’ versus ‘we’ it’s argued that it is quite appropriate to use the term to classify ballet.

Key terms within the article included: ethnic dance/ethnologic dance, primitive dance, folk dance, primeval vs. primitive, dance, and ballet. Ethnic dance refers to all forms of dance that reflect the cultural traditions within which they were developed. The group holds common cultural ties and traditions. Joann asserts the importance to know the difference between primeval and primitive – primeval being ancient history from which we know nothing from and contemporary primitive being something from which we can learn from. Dance is referred to in her own definition as a “transient mode of expression, performed in a given form and style by the human body moving in space…” She explains that her definition emphasizes the human behavior and intent to dance that makes it a thorough definition. Folk dance comes from smaller societies that are not autonomous and are in relation to a larger society. Ballet is an ‘ethnic dance’ which is a product of the Western world typically performed by Caucasians/Indo-Europeans who share common traditions. 

                Joann’s section of Ethnicity of Ballet provides insight to the ethno-aesthetics of ballet. The section doesn’t go into detail, but it sheds light on the significance of certain aspects of ballet that relate to Western culture and what Westerners find aesthetically pleasing.