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comment by someguyfromcanada
someguyfromcanada  ·  2463 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible

I was discussing this with my sister today and learned something about her experience.

She lived in Jamaica four summers during high school working with a modern dance troupe, specializing in providing a Jamaican interpretation for the style. She then did a BFA in modern dance while touring with the troupe in the summers. Then moved there for several years and was incredibly immersed in the Jamaican arts scene. Knew the Marleys. The Toshs. Dated a member of reggae royalty for years.

When she decided to return to Canada to do an MFA she had a hard time getting an advisor for her proposed thesis on Modern Jamaican Dance. Because she was not born and bred Jamaican. She was accepted by the Jamaicans but not by certain profs who thought she did not have the background to do so in a respectful manner. They preferred that the genre go undocumented. And btw she is not even white.