Thread: midwestern fellahin?

Being in Iowa, would it be kosher to do corn de-tasseling movements to fellahi? Much of the audience around here would have detasselled in their youth and the movements would be recognizable and make the dance relevant. Or does this remove the dance too much from its cultural roots (get it, farming, roots? Hooo...)? Thank you!

jenny

For whats its worth from me...as long as the gesture is done in a "dance" way; I think it's just fine...tassel on...and what the hell is tasseling corn anyway?

Originally Posted by queencj

Being in Iowa, would it be kosher to do corn de-tasseling movements to fellahi? Much of the audience around here would have detasselled in their youth and the movements would be recognizable and make the dance relevant. Or does this remove the dance too much from its cultural roots (get it, farming, roots? Hooo...)?

I'm not sure I'd personally get the joke because as a teen I was so busy helping my family with field work on our own farm every summer that there was no option to get a job detassling for the seed corn growers! And therefore I probably wouldn't recognize detassling movement!

But hey, I think you should do it! It would be SO much in the spirit of the methodology Reda used to create his folkloric dances! If he could arrange his male dancers in straight rows to depict the fellahin of the Egyptian delta picking cotton (which they did in straight rows), why shouldn't you do the Iowa equivalent?

I hope to see you doing it in the show for the Cassandra workshop!

Michele and I are cracking on it!

Detasselling corn is taking off the silky threads that grow out of the top of the ear (the tassel). I didn't do it and I live in the big city, but as I understand it, it's to get the pollen to make seeds for next year's corn crop.

About Detasseling

See how liberal an education Bhuz provides? How i've missed it!

I would TOTALLY do it.

I detassled corn as a young teen. It may be seperate from Egyptian farming culture but it's still farming.

What a great idea. I can definitely see it working, and it seems so potentially perfectly Reda-esque!

Missed you, QueenCJ! How's life?

I'd totally do it if I were clever enough to think it up and had an audience that might get it. You go!

Suzana
(city mouse)

Wow that's a great idea! I lived in Iowa for two years and it seemed everyone I met had spent summers de-tasseling. I think it could work really well - although I do hope you have a chance to introduce your piece, because I think fellahin would need to be explained to the GP, as well as to some dancer audiences.
Good luck!