I had a great time yesterday at First Night Boston - more on that later. For now, I bring you Reflections on Diversity, by a recovered Awkward Massachusetts Liberal. Diversity is great. Its best celebrated without talking about it. (Side note: here I mean strictly celebrating, not talking about multicultural issues, which of course requires talking and listening). The more abstract and academic it gets, the lamer it gets; and its lame because diverse people stop representing themselves, and start representing this sanctimonious kumbaya concept instead. Piety replaces passion. For example, based on things I saw yesterday, DIVERSITY IS: An Afro-Caribbean dance troupe totally killing it to polyrhythmic medleys, followed by a Chinese dance company presenting gorgeous traditional fan dances, and an Irish step group stomping and high-kneeing like it aint no thang. AWKWARD LIBERALS: Have a contemporary dance team with watered-down technique, choreograph pieces to New Agey spoken word, Chinese music from a kung-fu movie, and a horrible remix of Vivaldis seasons. The owner says, instead of We are [who we are] performing [what we do], We are [name of dance company] and we perform [I quote] many kinds of diverse pieces. When you say that, youre saying youre doing other peoples dances. You can have a ginger on a West African Dance team, or a black girl doing fan dances, and anyone whatsoever choreographing ballet, so long as they know and get what theyre doing. Because if they dont, it looks awful. DIVERSITY IS: Singing a varied selection of choral music whose arrangements do justice to each song. The conductor introduces pieces thus: This song was composed by Mary so-and-so with lyrics taken from a poem by the late Maya Angelou. AWKWARD LIBERALS: Present the songs as being written by a female composer for womens voices, with lyrics taken from a female poet. I understand that Mary and Maya are female, and that gender is an important part of shaping ones identity. But its a song. It sings for itself. Besides, Maya Angelou has a far more interesting legacy than simply an anonymous female poet. Dont be an awkward liberal. Relax. Dont force diversity. Theres no need. Just chill and enjoy it. CHEERS to 2015.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 19:50:57 +0000
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