Egyptian Baladi, Australian Style in Lockdown: Seeking Connection

ABSTRACT

This article is an autoethnographic account of a participatory action research project conducted in Australia during COVID-19 lockdown. The research explores the potential for asynchronous multitracking performance to facilitate social connection and intercultural understanding, drawing on the knowledge of six arts practitioners. The account is written by an Indonesian-Australian researcher and dance practitioner engaged in rags sharqi (Arabic term for belly dance). Through the process of collaborating on a performance of ashra baladi, an improvisational form of Egyptian music and dance, issues emerged requiring consideration including how to respectfully navigate intercultural music engagement, the barriers and opportunities for intercultural understanding presented by digital platforms, music and dance, and how to navigate cultural identity in a super-diverse world. Taking a phenomenological perspective, autoethnography provides an appropriate method to critically reflect on these personal and cultural questions. The author offers insights from her lived experience, her exploration of various philosophies about cultural exchange, and her involvement in a community of practice engaged in intercultural musicking.