This morning’s musings over tea somehow found their way to the concept of “the good old days”. At some point or another, we all find ourselves looking to the past through rose-colored glasses for any variety of reasons – nostalgia, celebration, wistfulness.
In the dance community, I feel there’s been a lot of “looking back” in recent years. Vintage costumes, Golden era dance stylings, older music, all are experiencing a renaissance in Oriental style bellydance and even fusion belly dance and belly-dance-inspired dance styles are using a lot of vintage inspiration in costuming, makeup and music. While I adore the trend because I am a fan of both the older and newer styles of Middle Eastern dance, I hope professional artists don’t forget to look towards the future as well.
Last weekend, Santa Barbara celebrated Fiesta. In my opinion, this is a great example of celebrating the past while looking to the future. The Santa Barbara Fiesta is an annual tradition that brings the entire community together. It began as a celebration to honor the early settlers that came to the area and built the foundation upon which the city and surrounding communities have grown. Celebrants come from all around: Solvang, Santa Ynez, Buellton and even Lompoc to shop at the mercados, enjoy entertainment and take in the festive atmosphere. I bring this up not because of the celebration, but because of my respect for the Santa Barbara Fiesta planning committe. They do an amazing job of expressing that the Fiesta is both a celebration of tradition AND a bright future for the area.
I hope we in the dance community can follow the example of events like the Santa Barbara Fiesta and honor the past while not losing sight of the future we are building for ourselves and tomorrow’s artists.
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Mary is a belly dancer in Santa Barbara County and offers performances for elegant, family events from Santa Barbara to Santa Ynez and San Luis Obispo.
