You Dance the Oro, I’ll Dance the Valle
Ann Schillig, MAC XI
W
ell, it is our third
month at site, and I
don’t know about you,
but I haven’t built a bridge, a
wall, or dug any wells yet.
Most weeks I’m lucky if I get a bit of
cooperative teaching and some English classes
for adults in. It is easy to constantly re-consider
if I’m doing any good, what impact I’m having
here, and if I’m not just wasting two years
of my life here. Sean Delaney’s article last
issue helped, when he wrote about “building
monuments to ourselves” instead of aiding
in the greater community movement. I had a
moment of enlightenment about this on Ecology
Day. Sadly, I didn’t go to school that day; I was
told to not come to school because the students
would just being working outside (which I
later found out about through my Macedonian
counterpart).
My counterpart told me that after they finished
cleaning up the school yard, an Albanian band
showed up to play. All of the Albanian students
started to dance the valle (for those who do not
live in the west and may not know, the valle is
the exact same dance as our beloved oro). After
watching for awhile, my counterpart walked up
to some Macedonian and Turkish students and
asked them why they weren’t dancing as well.
“It’s the Albanian dance,” they said.
“But it’s the same dance!” my counterpart
explained.
“They’re playing Albanian music,” the students
countered.
“But it’s the same dance!” my counterpart
replied. Finally my counterpart left those
students. She decided to join the Albanian
students in “their” dance. Shortly after, one by
one, the Macedonian and Turkish students joined
hands with her. Pretty soon, the entire school
was dancing together.
I wasn’t there; I had nothing to do with it. But
afterwards, when we met up, she told me about
it with pride. She knew I wouldn’t think she was
crazy, and that I would be proud of her for what
she did. She knew that I would understand her.
Sometimes, I think that is more “our job” here.
The revolutionary people are already here and
already making changes in their communities.
I think it is important that we recognize it
and encourage it. This teacher may have been
revolutionary long before I stepped off the plane.
She may have had support in her community, or
she may have been laughed at and scorned.
We don’t need to build the bridges; they’re
already being built. But I am sure that
many builders are tired and are grateful for
encouragement.
So We Dance:
She decided to join the Albanian students in
“their” dance...one by one, the Macedonian and
Turkish students joined hands with her. Pretty
soon, the entire school was dancing together.
PAUZA
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