A Quick Note at Being a Guest in Someone Else's Culture

Taking into consideration what is going on in our world right now, I thought I would address the topic of cultural respect and acknowledgement as it pertains to Dancehall. I personally operate in a distinct realm because I am a foreigner who has a strong passion for a cultural dance that is not my own. The harsh truth is, is that there are many people in my same position. Some people do acknowledge that, and consistently pay respect to the creators within this movement, and when confronted with the reality of the racial inequity that exists within the United States, will actively fight against it. 

 There are some people who don't, however. Some people will dance the steps, create choreography, and not realize the bigger picture they are existing within. They will never travel to the country where the dance originated from, they will never give credit to the creators of the movement, and when it comes to a political movement, they will remain "neutral", and try to not get involved. This is why this is a necessary dialogue to have. 

This problem doesn't solely exist within Dancehall, of course. There are many people that dance Hip Hop, Salsa, and even Jazz, without fully recognizing the cultural context in which they are operating. Dancehall just pertains to me, and my own journey. The real root of this issue remains, ( and is universal), which is that if you dance a dance of Afro peoples, you need to be deliberately anti-racist by: consistency paying respect to that culture, checking your knowledge, and your training, and being on the front line of the Anti-racist fight. 

Dancehall itself is not just a dance. It is not just music. It is a culture. Dancehall rose from the ashes of poverty as an expression of the hardships of daily life in Jamaica. The movement is rich with history, and characteristics of the streets of Kingston. Many dancers don't only dance because it is their passion or because they are following their bliss, they dance because they have to. It's a means of survival, and a way of bridging the gap, and creating a better life for themselves and their families. So, when foreigners begin learning the movement from Youtube, or another foreigner, and then start teaching, and never step foot in Jamaica, or take a class from a Jamaican, they are only adding to the problem. 

They forget that, ultimately, they are a guest in this culture. When you're invited over for dinner at someone's house, you don't just ring the doorbell, take the food and leave. You come in, you pay respect to the person who invited you, you dine with them, hold a conversation, and when you leave, you give thanks. This is how we should approach our position as foreigners in Dancehall. 

For me personally, I never wanted to teach Dancehall, because I loved it so much. I thought it wasn't appropriate to teach it because it wasn't mine to share. I only started teaching because I had two master teachers in Jamaica who told me that I, out of anyone was a good person to share the movement in my city because I could properly educate my students on it. When I eventually did for this very reason, I made it my mission to educate my students not only on the steps, but who created them. As of now, it is my goal not only to do this, but to take my students there too, and bring Jamaicans to my city to teach as well. 

So, I personally wanted to make it clear that my documentation of my dance journey, and my journey within Dancehall is not just a surface approach. For me, properly sharing the culture goes hand in hand with my passion, which goes hand in hand with the anti-racist fight happening in our country,    ( and our world) at this very moment.

I have included a link with resources about how to take action in this fight below. 

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co