Response 7: Stripping the Emperor

JJ Janikis
DANC 163
20 October 2009

Brenda Dixon Gottschild explains that “Africanisms” pervade our “everday lifestyles, in ways of talking, creating hairdos, preparing food, and acting “hip” and “cool”” (332). Gottschild shows that the “Africanist aesthitic” is defined by: embracing the conflict, polyrhythm, high-affect juxtaposition, ephebism, and the aesthetic of the cool. To illustrate these points, Gottschild uses examples of Earl “Snake Hips” Tucker and ballets of Balanchine to show the contrast of the American/ European and African dance aesthetic. Therefore, the use of “Africanist” contrasts is infused in many aspects of our pop culture.
The Africanist perspective embraces diversity and difference in both music and the aesthetic of the body. Therefore, there is constantly conflict of pairs such as “awkward and smooth” and “detached and threatening” (33). The illustration of “Snake Hips” shows the transformation of the body and the use of “polycentrism” in which multiple parts of the body could be moving in contrasting ways, such as in different concentrated movements in the arms and in the legs. In addition, “ephebism” underlines the “power, vitality, flexibility, drive, and attack” that was innovative and unique to the “Africanist aesthetic” (334). This energy had been “muted” in European ballet tradition. The “aesthetic of the cool” explains the attitude and overall composure of black dance. The attitude of the dancer was to remain detached and unemotional to their vibrant movements. While this seems like it holds true for social dance, it does not seem like a successful approach for concert dance where the dancer must be aware of their emotion to convey it to the audience.
Balanchine uses the “Africanist aesthetic” to produce the “Americanization” of modern ballet. His attention to the contrasts of speed and coolness changed the way ballet was perceived in the U.S. Therefore, Balanchine changed the overall attitude of ballet in America. While Gottschild suggests a direct relationship between the “Africanist aesthetic” and modern dance, I also feel that there is an extent to which the changes in dance were created by the changes in society and the people. The relationship between dance and music allows people to find new ways of expression based on the rhythms in the music. Therefore, one can always find similarities in dance if there is a similar sound in the music, regardless of culture.
In conclusion, it is important to not the American dancing body as “a portrait in black and white” as symbol for the fusion and progression of music and dance in America based on the “Africanist aesthetic” (340).