Dance and Music in a Foreign Language Rant
Before I get started, I'm just going to express how I feel about the current situation I'm in. You can agree or disagree with me on this, but this is something I feel the need to express. Also, there might be some strong words used. Yeah, I'm that angry.
For starters: I LOVE K-POP. Duh, that's why I'm even on this site. But that's not my main concern. Earlier, I had posted a blog expressoin which song selection I should use for the Homecoming routine. I finally decided to go with I Got a Boy since it expresses my dance style the best.
When I told my dance coach that I had my idea, the first thing she asked me was "Is it in English?" I honestly didn't know how to reply to this because I've been asked this so many times. Well, the part that I want... Half of it's in English. (The chorus). The main reason I didn't know how to reply is because I was pissed. It's my part. My dance for the homecoming routine. Plus It's my senior year! And I can't use a song that express my style of dance? What the hell?!
I know Facebook isn't really supposed to be a diary but I just posted the abridged version of my feelings in a post and one of the girls on the dance team replied with something that pissed me off even further.
I posted, "Dance is a universal language. So tell me why I HAVE to DANCE to a song that's in English? It truly baffles me how nobody understands this." And she replied, "Because we live in America lol :D"
Pissed. Me. Off.
So does that mean that since I live in America, do I have to strictly listen to songs in English? No. The last time I checked, America doesn't have an official language as of yet. And what about Gangnam Style? It's in Korean, everyone listens to that but I can't listen to other songs that are in the same ing language?!
Well, two girls on my dance team saw this Youtube video of a dance with Walk it Out and Gangnam Style. Our dance coach loved it when they presented the idea to them, but when I propose an idea for a routine that's in the same language as Gangnam Style I get shot down before I even get to say what my idea is. Even when the idea is new and inovative to our team, I still get shot down.
So someone tell me: Why can we do a routine to Gangnam Style but not another Korean song? Well, our dance team is doing Roly Poly since I taught it to them, but I pracitally had to beg our dance coach and everyone on the team liked the routine. But any other time...
To me, I personally think K-pop is a hell of a lot better than A-pop. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing A-pop; it's just 98% of A-pop is about , money, and drugs. K-pop to me has better lyrics, catchier music, and it inspires.
K-pop inspires me to dance, sing, and rap. So why am I not allowed to use my inspiration to express myself? That's what dance is all about!: expression based off of movements of the body, not words in a song.
Just because it's in a different language, doesn't mean . Good music is good music no matter what language it's in! How does nobody else see this?!
Isn't the main thing taught in schools in America is to "express yourself?" If it is, I don't see it. Dance is the way I express myself and if I can't do that... I seriously want to leave this country. No A-pop song has my exact style of dance. K-pop comes extremely close. The only place I suffer that handicap is as school dances but I'm okay with that.
But on the dance team where I am the only 4-year senior? I should be able to use the song that matches my dance style for the most important routine of the year. I've been so tolerant with routines since freshman year... It's about damn time I get a chance to be the one in charge but I don't get that.
It's called the DANCE TEAM not the ENGLISH MUSIC TEAM. I understand that some people don't understand the lyrics, but that doesn't mean they still can't enjoy the music and the dance that's being performed in front of them.
Take Break Down by Super Junior-M for example. The song is in Chinese and I only understand two phrases in that song. Does that mean I can't enjoy the song? No, it does not. Do Americans understand the lyrics to Gangnam Style? No, but they still like the song, right? So why can't they be more open to other songs that are different languages?
This subject is really touchy with me, (if you couldn't tell already), but music is an important part of my life along with dance. If I can't dance to music that inspires me to dance, then you're taking away all that I have in my life.
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