Why is dance considered subversive?

Cafe Society
1

I was doing research for a story I’m working on about a kidnaped belly dancer, and I was surprised at how many references I came across that indicated that dancing, especially any kind of sexy dancing, is considered subversive and Must Be Stopped.

I’m not talkng just about the long-standing prohibition against dance in fundie religions of various stripes – they’re a valid example, but they’re also just a tiny part of the whole. There’s also the way local and state governments have consistently opposed nude dance wherever it occurs, and in whatever form it occurs, whether it’s 1950s burlesque, 1920s Salome dancers or 1990s lap dancers.

Most recently and most pointedly, there was the recent attempt by Congress to pass a law suppressing raves.

Is there something subversive about dance apart from its (in many forms) highly sexual nature? Or is the sexiness of dance a sufficient explanation here?

The exception would seem to be belly dancing, which seems to enjoy a widespread popularity and an almost wholesome image, perhaps because its practitioners are primarily women doing it for themeselves, their friends and/or their spouses rather than professionals.

Any dancers out there who would care to comment (and by dancers I don’t just mean professional dancers but anyone who likes to dance and dances regularly, whether in clubs or wherever)?

2

Dancing brings together issues of sex, gender, and economics.

I’m assuming you are largely talking about women dancing on stage. In most places, it is primarily women that dance in public.

You can delve into the world of feminist conspiracy theory (come on, you know we all need to do this every once and a while) and see that dancing usually involves women, and they have to at least look like they like what they are doing. Women, of course, are not supposed to know their bodies that well, much less enjoy moving them. Thus writhing around with a smile on your face is scandelous.

Also, in the past, dancing was one of the few professions that a woman could make money at. And that alone could equate it with prostitution.

Women on stage alone was looked down upon pretty heavily in many cultures for a good part of history. In many times/places, men play women’s parts on stage. It’s just not considered appropriate for a woman to put herself on display (which I’d venture is because it gets them out of the home and provides some economic and sexual empowerment) In America, acting in general was considered a pretty shady profession- perhaps because it lacks a steady income, often involves traveling and odd schedules, and may involve you kissing strage people.

You can also look at how race affects dance. Vaudeville, for example, involved a lot of minorities. There is also the stereotype of the soft-shoe black person that just loves to sing and dance. And when minorities get associated with something, it often becomes “inproper” for a white person to do, and thus generally scandelous.

However, race can also act as a cover for sexual displays. In old musicals there are often “exotic” sequences that draw upon the stereotypes of an exotic location. These scenes usually have more risque costumes and sexier dancing. This clearly has to do with some commonly held beliefs about the sexuality of people of other races (the submissive Asian woman, the “animalistic” black person). This is considered less “scandolous” than white people doing the same thing (or anyone doing similer things but using European based dances and costumes). Maybe this exotism explains why belly dancing is so acceptable.

You might want to note the Egypt is cracking down on belly dancers pretty heavily recently, in response to a rise in Islamic fundamentalism.

3

I think you have a point about race acting as cover for sexual display, especially in the first half of the last century – I suspect that’s why belly dancing was introduced by someone named “Little Egypt.”

The prohibition against dance isn’t just for stage dancing, though that seems to draw more attention because it tends to involve nudity more often. But the rave dances involve both sexes dancing, and not generally onstage. To be fair, I think the thing that has the legislators all cranky about it is the rumors of rampant illegal drug use at raves, but still, it’s the dances they’re outlawing, not the drugs.

My own suspicion that the various dance prohibitions are part of the centuries-long culture war between those who are comfortable with public expression of sexual feelings and those who are not. I was hoping to get some feedback on the topic from folks but with the exception of you, Even Sven, doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen.

4

I’ve attributed the anti-rave thing to a general dislike of youth- especially youth that has found something to do that doesn’t involve spending money at the mall. You can find countless examples of all-ages music venues, community events that become popular among youth and other free-to-low-cost youth entertainments (even “hanging out” is illlegal due to loitering laws, and God forbid it be after curfew) for no good reason.

Think about what are considered “legit” things for teenagers to do. Mostly they are shopping, going to movies, eating fast food…ummm…maybe going to church. Even sports are become more money intensive- sports with expensive equipment and playing fields are look well upon while cheap sports like skateboarding are looked at as a step above sacrificing babies. We work hard to de-legitimize and de-legalize leisure activies that don’t involve huge amounts of consumption, especially for the youth demographic, whom America pretty much despises (except for the money they spend) and wishes they’d go away.