Passion is not a substitute for technique

I've been seeing this quote from Martha Graham floating around lately, and I gotta say: It's stupid, it's wrong, and I hate it. After much conversation in comments, I'm amending this to: It's stupidly misused, it's wrongly taken out of context, and I hate it.

Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.

BZZZZZT. Thank you for playing, Martha. You should have kept your ideas in your choreography and out of Bartlett's Quotations (I don't think she's actually in Bartlett's but you get my point). See amendment, above.

One can make the argument that this motto works for people who are just sorta dancing along to life. You know, like at drum circles or dance clubs or whatever. But more often than not, this piece of garbage gets dragged out to justify Some Really Shitty Dance Performances.

"But I feel it in my heart!"
"But so-and-so dancer does this!"
"But I have passion, and that means you should respect my dance!"

Shut the fuck up. No, really. Shut. The Fuck. Up. And sit down while you're at it.

Passion is all well and good, but having it does not mean that you should perform for an audience. Dance at a hafla. Dance with some friends. But until a range of people (not just your best buds) agree that you are competently skilled in a style, refrain from performing for a public audience. This goes for experienced dancers, too! If you're trained in classical Egyptian and you want to try some Tribal Fusion stuff, don't assume you'll be fine with just a few classes and practice videos. You're learning a new style. Humble yourself and get some honest feedback from people who are trained in that style.

When/if that range of people gives you constructive criticism, don't justify your lack of precision and technique. There is no quicker way to alienate yourself from people who want to help you than to discredit advice given from decades of personal dance experience. Of course, if all you're looking for is kudos and back-slapping, then I have no time or patience for you.

Just Sit. Your Ass. Down.

This post brought to you by current ridiculousness on the LJ bellydancing comm. On the plus side, it's been a while since that comm had much activity, so it's nice that someone got it hopping.

SILVER LININGS!

Fuuuuuuuuck

Thanks to this fucking awesome Rule63'd Sherlock and Watson, I am thinking twice about making my Sherlock coat a full-length greatcoat. Because that drawing there is a fucking awesome interpretation.

Damn you, pennswoods.

I...I might be tempted to chuck my pattern and start over. I am approximately five hours away from having a final drafted pattern, ready to cut in Actual Wool Coat Fabric.

WHAT WHAT WHAT AM I DOING.

Update: I just talked myself out of it. THAT WAS CLOSE, YOU GUYZ.