Plagiarism

A few years ago, a dancer, who was visiting and giving workshops, told me a story. She had given a workshop on a paper she had written. It had taken a lot of work to write the paper and create the workshop. Just 1 month after she had given this workshop, she saw an advert for the same workshop by a dancer who had attended her workshop. Someone she knew went to the workshop and reported back to her that it was identical to the workshop she had given. She was very upset about it, but there was nothing she could do.

This dancer teaches choreography workshops when asked to and says you are welcome to perform them, but you must credit her as the choreographer and don't teach it to anyone else. They have to have learnt it from her. We've based all our workshops and choreography rights around her model. We always credit the choreographer, even if it's our own choreographies. If we are dancing one we have learnt from another dancer, we get their permission to perform it under their name. I think this is standard across the belly dance world. However, not everyone obeys this un/spoken rule.

I've personally witnessed dancers perform other peoples choreographies without crediting them. Sometimes it's a choreography I've learnt myself (from the choreographer) and sometimes it's a choreography I've seen someone else dance or on YouTube.

I'll give you another example:

My late teacher always insisted we showed her our solos or group choreographies for any of our shows a few weeks before the show so she could help us change what need to be changed or just help with neatening. She set up times for everyone and I walked into my time slot with the previous girl storming out. My teacher told me that the girl (about 15 at the time) danced "her solo" and it was step by step from a YouTube video. It was exactly the same. So she told the girl she couldn't dance it. Plain and simple.

This should be everyone's standard. However, I keep seeing people replicating what they see others do, and I don't mean a combination, I mean a whole dance. There is nothing good or artistic about copying someone else's work. You can be inspired by something you've seen. Inspiration is NOT copying but having your own idea that stems from you watching someone else. You will never be able to dance it like the choreographer or for whom the dance was choreographed. It's better to do your own choreography and put your own personality into it. Then you will shine.

Imagine you are watching videos on YouTube and suddenly you see one of your choreographies being danced by another dancer. Perhaps you know them or perhaps not. How would you feel about that? I would be so angry.

Some dancers think the solution is to not have any of your work posted on YouTube or Facebook or wherever. I don't think that's a good solution. People can get your work from workshops, videos of festivals and even from events where they've videoed you dancing. Social media is a good way to share and get known. I think the ultimate solution is for people to learn respect for others and their work, as well as respect for themselves (that they have worth and their choreographies have worth).

In summary: Don't copy, steal or replicate. Be original. Be yourself. Don't try to be someone else.