Rethinking (Or Reviving) Old Forms of Protest - Dance

 

This post is partially inspired after finally watching the movie, "Sinners," last night (LOVED IT, by the way, writing a longer post on it now-  but for now, one particular scene starting me thinking (which may or may not be a good thing 😂)

So we know that most effective way to protest, according to historical record, is silent or spiritual civil disobedience, right?

In Martin Luther King's day, it was quiet sit-ins or marching while singing hymns, arm-in-arm.

Though righteously angry, he won over/gained respect from whites this way - quiet sit-ins, marching while singing hymns ...

Gandhi, the same, but praying rather than singing - tack on a hunger strike while in prison (which is a little extreme) ...

In Chile, during the "reign" of the murderous right-wing dictator, Augusto Pinochet (whom we put in office), it was dancing Chile's national dance, the Cueca ... 

The Cueca is a partner dance, similar to Flamenco ... 

However, in the 1970s/1980s during Pinochet's reign of terror, the Cueca was the only form of protest they were allowed, and even then, only certain days a year.

The women danced alone, still waving handkerchiefs, as if dancing with a partner, the "invisible ones" - husbands, sons, and fathers who had disappeared at the hands of the right-wing dictator. 

Or for the Native Americans, it was the "Ghost Dance" (though they unfortunately believed their dead loved ones would rise and dance and help them defend territory against the white man on a certain day and time, but of course, did not happen.)

Of course, no one is dying or quietly disappearing here in the US, at least not yet, of course, but meaning the general concept, right?

You say nothing at all - except humming or singing along, or just dance quietly.

You do nothing at all - except dance.

In an age where most of our modern musicians have failed us when it comes to protest songs, like we saw in the 1960s, and speaking/yelling rallies and protests get flipped back onto us and can even get you deported or your citizenship revoked, what about returning to quiet civil disobedience, saying nothing at all?

So what about dance, maybe to an already-existing song or old protest song, since our musicians aren't creating new protest music?

We could get a famous choreographer to do it, but it could be just something basic that everyone can do like at weddings, like the electric slide?

Or like the old Soul Train dance line, where two people dance off down the row between two lines of people, in their own self-expressive way, good or not?

No judgment, just laughter and praise for being yourself 😊

Perhaps the song itself doesn't even have to be political, that person or band itself just being known to support these issues?

That way, nothing can get flipped back onto anyone into violence or riots, it's simply a dance that everyone is doing at a certain location at a certain time?

Of course, there are always going to be those few bad apples that show up in every bunch, but what if we all just said nothing at all, true civil disobedience, and just ... danced?

I think there are already some small pockets of people who already did this in certain cities over certain issues like George Floyd, but a coordinated social media effort to do so nationally might be better?