A high school dance performance “really missed the mark” with its interpretation of black culture.
That’s how Rhiannon Hoover felt after watching Eastview Secondary School’s performance last Thursday during the Simcoe County District School Board’s SPARK Dance Competition at Bear Creek Secondary School in Barrie.
Hoover, 17, a Grade 12 student at Bear Creek, filmed part of the routine that was performed by fellow Barrie students from Eastview.
Titled “Black Dance Evolution,” the performance had students attempting to show the progression of black dance and culture and its influence on modern dance.
“It sounded like it would be possibly problematic,” Hoover said of learning of the theme, “so I was interested to see where they were going with it.”
Hoover, who is of mixed race, was not impressed.
“In the moment, it was a lot of disbelief,” she said. “To dress up and pretend to be a slave on stage should have been the first thing they recognized as a problem.”
Hoover posted the video to her Twitter account Thursday. By late Monday afternoon, it had been retweeted more than 700 times and received more than 1,200 ‘likes.’
She said the beginning of the performance — which she did not record — focused on slavery, which she felt was also a misrepresentation.
“African tradition did not start with slavery,” she said.
When it came time for the disco/funk portion of the dance, Hoover was appalled to see the performers come onto the stage wearing colourful afro wigs — “clown wigs,” as she put it.
“I found the hair to be the most offensive part of the dance,” she said. “Hair is such an important part of black culture, especially in a world where people of colour are constantly attacked because of their hair.”
Some people of colour will opt for wigs, feeling it will be easier to find a job or acceptance in general, Hoover added.
She said people sometimes have “a fascination” with her hair and want to touch it, not realizing they are crossing a line.
It appears the school board has realized the performance did cross a line.
“We are confident that there was no ill intent, but acknowledge that the performance was not culturally respectful. It was not the intention of those involved to be offensive or disrespectful,” it said in a statement.
“It obviously is a sensitive situation,” Sarah Kekewich, the board’s communications manager, told OrilliaMatters. “We understand and acknowledge that people were offended by the performance.”
She said the board’s mandate includes a commitment to “equity, diversity and inclusion.”
In fact, the board has a principal of equity, diversity and inclusion, who will work with the board to “provide coaching to those involved in this situation,” according to the statement.
“We’ll continue to learn,” Kekewich said.
Hoover also sees this as a learning opportunity, but one that should not be limited to those involved with the performance.
“Ignorance about cultural appropriation is so much bigger than just those who were involved,” she said, adding someone on staff at Eastview should have seen the performance as being inappropriate.
Hoover would like to see broader education about cultural appropriation — not just as it relates to black culture, but to all cultures.
“Sometimes it’s easy to forget things like this happen around the world until it affects you directly,” she said.
Hoover, too, said she understood the performance was not meant to offend. She said one of the dancers apologized via a direct message to Hoover on Twitter.
“I appreciate her honesty and owning up to the fact she’d done something wrong,” Hoover said.
She was happy to see her tweet received so much attention.
“I’m glad that I was able to spark a conversation.”
