A4 Refereed article in a conference publication
Hips don't lie? Affective and kinesthetic dance ethnography
Authors: Laukkanen A
Editors: Dunin, EI; Foley, CE
Conference name: Symposium of the International Council for Traditional Music Study Group on Ethnochoreology
Publication year: 2014
Book title : Dance, place, festival - 27th symposium of the ICTM study group in ethnochoreology 2012
Journal name in source: DANCE, PLACE, FESTIVAL - 27TH SYMPOSIUM OF THE ICTM STUDY GROUP IN ETHNOCHOREOLOGY 2012
First page : 118
Last page: 123
Number of pages: 6
ISBN: 978-1-905952-53-3
Abstract
The Egyptian style of belly dancing is often characterised in terms of music making. The dancer's most important skill is the emotional interpretation of music, which is sometimes referred to as creating or expressing "Egyptian feeling". In this paper, I discuss the affective and kinesthetic ways of knowing in a transnational space created by belly dancing. What kind of knowledge is available to one who gets moved by music and dance? Taking a feminist post-colonial position, I also ask how does Egyptian music and feeling move differently positioned subjects. I rely on ethnographic field work that I conducted among belly dancers in Finland (1999-2006) and Egypt (2006). I argue that affective and kinesthetic ethnography is a method through which one is able to trace the constant changes and points of fixation in the relationship between sameness and difference.
The Egyptian style of belly dancing is often characterised in terms of music making. The dancer's most important skill is the emotional interpretation of music, which is sometimes referred to as creating or expressing "Egyptian feeling". In this paper, I discuss the affective and kinesthetic ways of knowing in a transnational space created by belly dancing. What kind of knowledge is available to one who gets moved by music and dance? Taking a feminist post-colonial position, I also ask how does Egyptian music and feeling move differently positioned subjects. I rely on ethnographic field work that I conducted among belly dancers in Finland (1999-2006) and Egypt (2006). I argue that affective and kinesthetic ethnography is a method through which one is able to trace the constant changes and points of fixation in the relationship between sameness and difference.
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