Black Dance/white public

The impact that consumer American culture has had on representations of art and identity is in my opinion the greatest tragedy of our society. From the way we receive our news to the ways in which deep intellectual thought and artistic vision is presented, the emphasis on quantity over quality, profit over profundity undermines the many purposes artist and thinkers should serve within a society. While the conveniences and accessibility to many of these imitations art surrounds us through advancing technology, and excessive over supply, the ability to appreciate and value these representations becomes lost and convoluted.
In addition to this consumer mentality is a general misinformed/ misguided perception of racial construct. The racial constructions within this society run so deeply and so subversively, that it is often difficult to identify the definition of the term Black. The article from last week touched upon this conundrum briefly. However, to go further on this point, since an “afircan” is only an African when he/she leaves Africa, and enters a sphere where his identity is ambiguously linked to arbitrary and elitist constructions of race, nationality and identity- completely undermining the plethora of ethnic groups that make up the massive land mass that is the CONTINENT (not country) of Africa, what then are we labeling? I do not say this to suggest that racial constructions are not relevant, or impressionable, but rather to illustrate the role that power plays in the black and white dichotomies. The syncretisms that are inherent within American ideology become lost, and replaced with dichotomous and essentialist attachments to art and identity.
The article touches on this sentiment with its discussion on the perceptions and consumption of white audiences towards black dance (or perhaps only black aesthetics or assumptions of blacks in dance). The concept of an artist being so, in addition and not as a consequence of being black is a highly contested point. Brenda Dixon writes: “Black dancers are defined and delimited by the white consensus that black dance and black dancers are synonymous.” Because the white view point of this statement is rooted in the former assessment, it keeps black artistry in a very confined box, and perpetuates inferior power complexes within black communities.
The point in the article regarding the definition of black dance is particularly salient, because its digs to a deeper point about black identity and issues around “authenticity” within the trajectory of black art. Whether it be music, literature, dance etc. The question around the origin of content often comes in to play. Is simply being black a transformative agent? When will this not be viewed as the sole defining element of expression for blacks? Is the ability to sell this identity coupled with consumer/capitalist nature of this country allow this to be truly challenged?