Shange utilizes dancing as another form of ritual for communing and remembering the ancestors. The expression of “love,” “adoration, ” and the “union of spirits” are attributed to dancing. There is no form or requirements, but the act of dancing is its own ritual for remembering the past, for embracing the present, and creating a new future. In order to discover oneself and one’s history there is no need to be tied to a particular tradition, but rather what makes dancing so strong and valuable is how it makes one feel. Cypress discovers this as she learns multiple forms and finds herself and others through dance. Cypress’s growth as a dancer brings her closer to embracing her history and potentially creating a new future following the work of her ancestors.
Cypress initially began her journey as a dancer attempting to excel in a predominantly white environment that did not allow her to explore herself and her form of dance. Being told that “Ballet is for white girls” (122) and that her body was not meant for this style of dance. Cypress wanted to “find out the truth about colored people’s movements” (123) and she would do so regardless what form of dancing she chose.
Although Cypress learns many styles of dance and they offer her freedoms of expression, her lifestyle was affecting her relationship with dancing. Dancing is an expression of oneself and Cypress’s environment being unhealthy lead her to seek out another form of expression with another groups of people. The ability to create relationships through dance is visible through her relationship with Idrina and how Cypress’s love for her influences her dancing and Leroy points out.
Understanding that dancing values balance within the person, for Cypress to finally feel comfortable to dance she needed to be emotionally, physically, and mentally able to express herself. The form of dance Cypress needed in order to express herself and embrace her history did not need to be tied to her culture or her past. Ballet offered Cypress the the greatest forms of self-expression and comfort. Embracing the body of a black women that had been dismissed, being a descendant of slaves and partaking in the form of dance most attributed to whiteness, was a way for Cypress to vindicate her ancestors. To be “free” just as her ancestors became. Being comfortable with herself made Cypress feel “inspired” (147) and empowered. Through her dancing, Cypress now paid homage to her ancestors, working towards becoming better than her white counterparts. And eventually using dance to support the Civil Rights movement which would lead to more freedom for those shared her history.
Discussion Question: Why does Shange allow for Cypress to express herself through a form that is less tied to her culture, while Indigo’s rituals are directly tied to her culture and ancestry?
In response to your discussion question, I think Shange’s divergence from a passion that is directly associated with Cypress’ culture emphasizes the book’s flexibility. The stories we read about these sisters both together and apart make it clear that they are all very different. Not only that, they lead very different lives that reflect their relationships with others and themselves. Early in the book, Indigo is a lead character, and Shange emphasizes Indigo’s voice, her attitude, and her strong outlooks about herself and her life. Contrastingly, we only see a distant version of her sisters.
As the story progresses, the narrative shifts from Indigo to her sisters. In this switch of characters, we see a different emphasis of the story. I see Cypress and her expression through dance as a way for her to both connect with herself (and therefore her culture) but also to separate herself from her family. She uses dance as a means to work against people who perpetuate stereotypes against her. We also see this in Cypress’ personality, as she is very focused on her ability and success.