video link is broken :(

This is made even worse given the incredibly gory history that Russia has of dehumanizing its own minority and native groups, far less extending that practice across the globe.

Frankly, I don't see what is so wrong about this. They were inspired by a dance and came up with their own routine. They are not promoting destruction of the natives or showing them as anything bad. This is a dance.
If you start getting upset by such things, then all artists are somehow at fault. People are influenced by many things in life, artist and performers especially.

It would be interesting to study why everyone gets so offended when someone's culture is on the show. This blog is a perfect example of people who get offended who like to scrutinize even the most insignificant things. (Thats not to say that many stories presented here are real prejudices in the world.)

good point

Perhaps if they had incorporated elements of aboriginal dance into their routine without the appropriation of costuming and makeup elements (the origins of which they are probably completely ignorant to), this would be less offensive.
As it stands, though, I can see where they crossed the line between inspiration and appropriation.

I would say that part of the issue is that many aspects of many cultures (western and non-western) have a significance beyond just their appearance, and in many instances this significance is spiritual. One perspective would be that to appropriate spiritually significant culture is offensive. Another might suggest that you're mucking around with stuff you don't understand, without being cognisant of the possible consequence. I'm personally not a particularly spiritual person, but I don't discount the possibility that the spiritual beliefs of people who are may actually be 'real' (whatever that means). Therefore I take great care when involved in spiritually relevant activities. It seems highly unlikely that the couple in question here bothered to research the possible significance of what they were doing.

a working link to the performance at this time is available here :
http://www.news.com.au/national/aborigines-claim-culture-theft-over-oksana-domnina-and-maxim-shabalins-olympic-ice-dance/story-e6frfkvr-1225822375720

What do you think of the American ice dancers who dance to an Indian-inspired short program? This routine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrKL488gIMU has gotten wonderful scores worldwide and it looks like it's appreciated by people all over the world (including Indians). The first time I saw it I was surprised that everyone loved it so much - it seemed like cultural appropriation and cashing in on the Slumdog craze to me. Do you think that there is a difference between this routine and the Russians' because the American team worked with an Indian choreographer?

you know, this could have been done well - it would be possible to use elements of aboriginal dance in a routine respectfully, by actually working with aboriginal dancers to create the choreography and costumes.

Australian ice dancers Greg Merriman and Danielle O'Brien performed an Aboriginal-inspired dance about a year ago. However, they actually worked closely with Aboriginal leaders for quite some time to make sure their choreography and costumes were respectful. You can see it here and the difference is striking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCUKYUD3RiM

Here also is an article, written by Aboriginal Land Council chairwoman Bev Manton, commenting on the dance: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/russian-ice-dancers-should-rethink-their-routine-20100121-mnwj.html

"It's important for all Australians to understand why our dance and ceremony is so sacred — and so fiercely guarded — by Aboriginal people.

My people have already lost so much. Surely it's not hard to understand why we might fear a loss of control over the parts of our culture that we have managed to hold onto?"

I recognize Shelia Chandra's very distinct singing in the song Domnina and Shabalin danced to, who is a British musician. So not even the music they used was Australian!

I hate myself for loving this ice dance. How is it possible for something to be so racist and so awesome at the same time? My liberal guilt takes a backseat to my inner ice skater on this one.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/aboriginal-skating-routine-has-russian-pair-on-thin-ice-20100120-mls9.html

In tangentially related news ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn0aWEFFOMw

That music is awesome, and picked because it moves people in the right way! The ice skaters were obviously a Cirque du Soleil act. These things are not for historical and cultural accuracy, so why expect it? What happens when an Aborigine dresses like a Russian, and skates on ice to Russian music?

Many comments here keep trying to refer that there is religious symbolism behind the dance. True, but these dancers aren't at a religious ceremony and are not performing some sort of ritual. This is ice skating. THe aboriginal culture will not suffer because of this dance. If anything, as I said before, it might interest other to learn more about the culture.

"Ignoring the whole costuming issue, performing dances without understanding the meaning or importance behind them is problematic."

Ice skating is not a religious ritual.

The First Nations groups involved in the 2010 Winter Olympics have asked to speak to the Russian ice dancers. It is not so long ago that in British Columbia, First Nations peoples were sent to residential schools where their language, culture and religion were literally beaten out of them.

To my mind, there is a horrible irony here. Europeans appropriating the dance and "look" (for lack of a better term) of a First Nations people whose recent history includes a period where Europeans deliberately set out to obliterate their culture.

"How is it possible for something to be so racist and so awesome at the same time?"

I ask myself the same thing any time I read Joseph Conrad or T.S. Eliot. ;)

"What happens when an Aborigine dresses like a Russian, and skates on ice to Russian music?"

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

P 9:58 pm on January 23, 2010 | # To be clear, I use “being offended” to mean “finding the dance offensive” in the above post.

For some reason, the reply button is no longer available for this conversation, so hopefully it can be continued here.

I grant you that a culture cannot take offense but surely representatives (as Bev Walton surely is) of a culture can give opinions on what they find offensive? If a representative cannot speak on behalf of a group of people, then why do we have them? I would guess that she is voicing the opinions of many members of the Aboriginal community she belongs to.

As an aside, some of the leaders of the BC First Nations involved in the Olympics have asked to speak to the Russian dancing team. See CBC's article at:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/01/22/bc-russian-skaters-aboriginal-olympics.html

Could I just remind everyone that it's Aboriginal, not aboriginal. To see it written "aboriginal" so often is really quite jarring :/

It is a figure skating routine. That's it. It's not some kind of systematic plot to destroy a culture, it's a figure skating routine. I'd be much more worried about anything in the world other than what two Russian Figure Skaters do.

I have nothing of value to add to this discussion, but here is an official statement from Natalia Linichuk (their coach).

“I, and Gendady Mikhailovich Karponovos, are truly touched by the international interest to our dance, which was only shown once (prior to Europeans) at the Russian Nationals back in December” – states Natalia Linichuk. “We are happy to know that our work is validated by such interest and leaves no person indifferent. Now let’s get down to business.

First of all, in the ISU rule book there is a list of dances which are allowed for use in the Original Dance competition. In black and white it states – “Aborigines Dances” (allowed).

Traditionally, the definition of “Aborigines” means “Original native people of a given land”. When creating an “Aborigines” dance, we were not suggesting a specific geographic region, but rather a tribute to a place and time before the “modern civilization”.

We had no intent to make the dance specifically “Australian”, because we realize our limitations to fully understand all the intricacies. And in our dance we tried to encompass all the basic elements present in ancient tribal dances: hunting, forces of nature, human love. We are not pursuing any specific story line. I consider the issue closed.”

Natalia Linichuk also makes a statement on a possibility that the appearance of the controversy on the morning of the Original Dance event at the European Championship is possibly someone’s intended sabotage.

“If someone thinks that I and my athletes can be knocked out of balance, I am truly sorry for these people. This is a fruitless waist of time.

We cultivate not just “skaters”. We cultivate strong people. Such people are ready for all. The harder you hit us – the stronger we grow” – concluded Natalia Linichuk.

*end of statement*

(As translated by Tinami Amori of FSU)

I am new to this blog. This is my first post and I hope, not my last. I've read all the comments, and viewed the Russian routine and the American routines (Indian and Aborigine).

I'm pretty sure that I'm not the goto person for either side of this issue. I like that the Americans used choreography created by members of the culture/nations involved, and seem to have been careful of costume/make-up issues as well. The biggest fault of the Russians was assigning a culture/nation to the dance when nothing from dance, make-up or costume came from that group. If they had said only that this routine was inspired by their research of aboriginal people world wide, then I might have bought that, but still the costume does seem a bit over the line.

I am not bothered by calling into question the validity of claims made by religion, whether Aboriginal, aboriginal, dead, or currently practiced by millions or billions depending on the make and model. I do find it bad form to claim to represent something and do so thoughtlessly. I think this is the Russian pairs mistake.

Now here's what is likely to get me into trouble, but I'm going to say it anyway. I don't have as much of a problem with the idea of borrowing elements of other cultures. Clothing, make-up, hair styles, song/music, or dance/body movement are all things that have crossed cultures over time, sometimes respectfully, and sometimes not. Where it is used to belittle or dehumanize, there's a problem, but where it is done because of a beauty seen by the one who passes it on, not so much.

The Russian pair created a connection from their routine to the Aboriginals, nearly non-existent of actual Aboriginal culture, and did it poorly to boot. That's a valid complaint. That the Aboriginals might be bothered that some part of their religion/culture is being co-opted? There are few if any religions or cultures that haven't borrowed from the bones of those before, or those defeated, so I'm not so bothered by that one.

All that said, I think both American teams took the more difficult and, yes, more respectful path of seeking guidance from someone who could help to make their routine more authentic, and that is worth something.

the dance is deeply offensive (brownface? really?)/ embarrassingly ignorant (that goofy, surprised looks on their faces as if they are ignorant savages) for me as a viewer.

but, as others have noted it would take an essay to explain why.

i noticed, just to pile on offensiveness on offensiveness, is that the woman is using a lighter tone of brownface than the man- reinforcing the lame notion that lighter skin tone = more feminine....

Ignorance is no defence.

If someone appropriates another's culture in a wide public forum - is it not correct to at least consult with people before appropriating their culture? How fantastic if this pair had bothered. (And I won't even address claims of them thieving the idea from an Australian skating couple who DID consult).

Obviously it's OK to violate (due to ignorance) - if that violation is against an Aboriginal person.

Do any of you know what ochre is?

It's the sacred clay gathered to "paint up" before corroborees of spiritual significance - marking initiations and ceremonies of major importance. it is never used lightly, and never just slapped on without meaning. The mere fact that someone thinks it's quite fine to mis/use symbols and the meaning of ochre is offensive.

If you just don't get it - this performance is akin to a couple of skaters coming out in hijabs because they think it looks good (without consulting with a single Muslim person) - or dancing in priest's robes because they like the way the black material swishes. How do you think the Muslims or Catholics would react to that?

So why now is the attack against Aboriginal people in defence of their spirituality and culture?

PS Yes I'm Aboriginal - Ngarrindjeri actually

I think it's hilarious and shouldn't really offend anyone.

This is disrespectful to my culture on so many levels...