Response on Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance by Joann Kealiinohomoku

Name
Professor
Course
Date 
Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance
Joann Kealiinohomoku examines the debate about ethnic dance among Western dance researchers and anthropologists in her article An Anthropologist Looks at Ballets as a Form of Ethnic Dance. The former believes ballet should be characterized as ethnic dance, while the latter disagrees. As an anthropologist, Joann believes that ballet meets all the requirements of ethnic dance. She asserts that the arguments presented by scholars in their publications are erroneous half-truths formulated from unsubstantiated deductive reasoning (Kealiinohomoku 33). The scholars use a pervasive ethnocentric bias when analyzing non-Western dances, describing them using derogatory terms such as primitive, "retardative," and with no form of structure or organization (Kealiinohomoku 34). Therefore, in this seminal piece of literature, Joann proves that ballet is not different from other forms of ethnic dances despite the elevated status dance scholars bestow it.
Joann presents several points to support her argument. First, ballet qualifies as an ethnic dance based on the context of its origin. The dance was developed by Indo-European Caucasians and spread to the Americas by European descendants (Kealiinohomoku 40). Therefore, it is not international, as claimed by many dance scholars. Second, the themes explored in ballet performances indicate their ethnic bearing. Common themes in ballet, such as fairies, witches, gnomes, villains, seductresses in black, performers of black magic, and humans transforming into animals, show that it is influenced by European heritage (Kealiinohomoku 40). Third, flora and fauna used in ballet performances also reveal their ethnicity. For instance, horses and swans are considered exotic animals in many cultures. In addition, political and socio-e...