Tribal body paint eyes
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Tribal Fusion Belly Dance draws from two components: “tribal” and “fusion”. The combination of tribal influenced costuming, music, and movement is what sets ATS apart from other styles of belly dance. ATS dancers tend to have more of their body covered, and use heavier fabrics and textiles. This type of costuming is very different from the sequined costume traditionally associated with belly dance. Pantaloons, hip scarves, and turbans are also incorporated. ATS costuming mainly consists of a long, flowing skirt (reminiscent of the types of skirts worn by Flamenco dancers and certain Gypsy cultures), choli, coin bra, and tassel belt. Tribal elements derive from textile costuming, elaborate jewelry, tattoos, body paint, hair pieces, folkloric music, and the “tribe” of dancers created through group improvisation. Theresa, Jill Parker, Rina Rall, Beth Frue, Suzanne Elliot, Carolena, (Paulette not pictured)ĪTS also draws from the earthy, grounded movements of folkloric dance, as pioneered by Jamila Salimpour. The central element of ATS, according to Carolena, is “a method of improvisational choreography, using a vocabulary of natural movements and cues allowing the dancers to communicate via gesture when dancing together.” Carolena’s company, Fat Chance Belly Dance, demonstrates this concept by dancing in a chorus line, from which dancers can come in and out of as duos, trios, and quartets. It is from ATS that Tribal Fusion set its foundation. One of her students, Carolena Nericcio, took this goal to a new level by creating an original dance form, which is called “American Tribal Style” belly dance or “ATS”. As a trained painter and sculptor, a core part of Masha’s teachings was the goal of creating art through dance.
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Jamila Salimpour taught Masha Archer, who formed the “San Francisco Classic Dance Troupe”. Props such as masks, snakes, and swords added a theatrical element to the dancing. The need to fit belly dance into a renaissance style led to a show that drew from the tribal dances and costuming of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.
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In the 1960s, the belly dancer Jamila Salimpour created the company “ Bal Anat” and performed with her dancers at California Renaissance fairs. It is this lineage of teachers that has created Tribal Fusion Belly Dance. Yet she herself writes, “The real dance heroes that created and fed my personal dance lineage: Jamila Salimpour taught John Compton and Masha Archer, who taught Carolena Nericcio, who taught Jill Parker, who taught Heather Stants, who taught Mardi Love, who all taught me.” Most people can agree that the poster girl of Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is Rachel Brice. Even in advanced classes, people have credited the origin of Tribal Fusion Belly Dance with the wrong person. Tribal Fusion Belly Dance did not suddenly appear out of thin air. However, in understanding a dance genre, it is important to know and comprehend its roots. History is academic, long-term, and based on a collection of facts. Dance is physical, immediate, energetic, and personal. When one thinks of dance, history is not a subject that typically comes to mind. Since Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is a relatively new dance form, it is especially important to treat the genre with a level of professionalism, or else one runs the risk of discrediting the work of dancers who have dedicated their lives to creating and elevating Tribal Fusion Belly Dance. This can lead to dancers changing or ignoring technique, musicality, and proper training. The other side of the coin is that sometimes Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is interpreted to be completely open-ended. While this can be confusing, both to outsiders and to Tribal Fusion belly dancers, the freedom that fusion grants is exactly what makes the genre so attractive. Two dancers could have nothing in common except a few core movements and a couple costuming pieces, and yet both could define themselves as Tribal Fusion dancers. The “fusion” in Tribal Fusion Belly Dance makes this dance genre elusive and tricky to define. Photos property of photographers and GS – You are not authorized to use without express written permission. Note: Due to increasing content theft, our graphics are now marked with our mark and the photographer’s credit.