I’m Drake.

As a dancer, student, and scholar, my priority is to joyfully and critically engage with raqs sharqi as a movement practice and a field of inquiry. That is, I aim to share the history, culture, music, and movement practices of raqs sharqi with others in a socially aware manner that attends to cultural appropriation, colonialism, imperialism, orientalism, and cultural sovereignty. As a practitioner of raqs sharqi and fusion belly dance, I value rigorous anti-racist education and critical reflexivity in order to perform, teach, and practice this dance with integrity and respect.

I became interested in raqs sharqi/belly dance through lifelong pilgrimage to renaissance fairs. The confluence of kitschy ren faire character acting, joyful movement, and the way the dancers had full agency and precise control over their bodies had me captured. I have since pursued raqs sharqi dance training and teaching certification, as well as fostering an intimate connection with Arabic music through learning to play several Arabic instruments, such as the frame drum and finger cymbals. Additionally, I have sought interdisciplinary training in other dance styles, such as West African, contemporary modern dance, and ballet. Interdisciplinarity has been a useful tool as a performer and instructor. Enrichment from several styles of dance has diversified my movement vocabulary, my pedagogical philosophy, and how I embody movement.

I am inspired by music and education. For me, dancing is an embodiment of the music, and they cannot be disaggregated. When choreographing or improvising, I become a vehicle for the song. Continuing education in raqs sharqi and transnational fusion is a fulfilling, necessary part of my dance practice. By training with other artists, my dance is reinvigorated, and adds nuance to my understanding of movement. My pride as a choreographer is curating dances that emphasize musicality and an intimate relationship with the watcher.

It is my intention to observe respectful and appropriate language choices, both as a philosophy and a practice. The term “belly dance” has been advocated for retirement by dancers and scholars in the SWANATH countries of origin. In solidarity with these individuals, for which these dances are a cultural inheritance and lived experience, I vow to adapt language practices to de-center the usage of the word “belly dance” in favor of more appropriate language.

“Until the hunter learns to listen, every story will vilify the lion”.

Gender studies: In my published research, Masculinity in American Belly Dance, I used qualitative interviews with American male belly dancers to elucidate the unique struggles and privileges they experience. By using this research as an analytical framework, for my master’s thesis I constructed an oral history of the late male belly dancer John Compton. Using John’s story has allowed me to draw attention to gender discrimination in the belly dance industry, and destabilize the misinformation commonly disseminated about male belly dancers. In spring of 2021, I co-taught a workshop with Professor Donna Mejia of Colorado University Boulder on deconstructing and reimagining gender in dance studies. The course included humanities and critical theory content (transfeminist theory, critical dance theory, and men’s and masculinity studies), and challenged the relationship between dance constructing our gender versus gender constructing the performance of dance. I intend to use my work regarding gender, masculinity, and belly dance to continue nudging the belly dance industry towards gender inclusivity.

Teaching belly dance: My approach to teaching belly dance is informed by my research into belly dance history, and my pursuit of technical precision. To teach these tenets, I use the Dance Cohesion method developed by April Rose. This is a multi-stage dance format that uses historical lecture combined with technical, musical, and pedagogical training. Dancers are encouraged to engage with belly dance not only disciplinarily, but intellectually through the reconciliation with belly dance’s history of appropriation, colonialism, and imperialism. In spring of 2022, I co-taught a seminar workshop with my colleague Liz Azi of University of Colorado Denver titled “So You Want to Research Belly Dance?”. We drew from our own experiences as scholars in the fields of cultural anthropology, dance, and GS to provide instructive material on conducting ethical, culturally and historically responsive belly dance research.

In technique classes, I establish a highly structured environment, with emphasis on precise musicality and legible body column isolations. I utilize video feedback to monitor students’s progress and allow students to evaluate their own performance. This reflexive practice allows for efficient, progressive growth. Along with technical training, I teach Arabic rhythms on frame drum and finger cymbals, and periodically evaluate students on their knowledge of these rhythms. Developing an ear for these rhythms allows students to make informed, thoughtful choices when dancing to Arabic music.

Strength training: I reinforce my technical training with supplementary strength and conditioning to build endurance and prevent injury in my students. By leading rigorous warm-ups and modeling my own supplementary weight training, I am demonstrating how important it is to attend to your instrument—your body. As dancers, we ask a lot from our bodies, and by maintaining consistent training habits, dancers will develop more agency and power in their dance, which results in stronger technique.

Classroom practices: In addition to my commitments to combating fascism and white supremacy culture, I am committed to fostering learning spaces that are inclusive, safe, and accessible. I collect students’ pronouns, preferred/correct names, accessibility needs, and student concerns so that I can curate a classroom environment that treats everyone equitably. I utilize emerging and established technologies (such as video conferencing and closed captioning) and teaching methods to make sure each student can access class materials in the way that best supports their learning.

I encourage learners to lean into the discomfort of being challenged. Professor Donna Mejia uses the phrase “fumbling forward”, which I am invoking to describe the phenomenon of how learning sometimes means making room in your mind for new information. I model this by always stating that I welcome dissent, criticism, and opposition to the knowledge and the validity of my authority. To quote Dr. AnaLouise Keating, “I enter each classroom with the reminder that my understanding is always somewhat inadequate and incomplete”.