I agree Rachel, but sometimes you’ve got to state the facts in order to educate and encourage growth.

I teach tribal fusion at a traditional belly dance studio in south Florida. I recently dug up the best explanation I could find to clarify to my students and studio what my class is all about.

TRIBAL FUSION BELLY DANCE
By Heather Stants
Edited by Tom Rehor

Tribal fusion belly dance is a modern style of belly dance that blends classic Raqs Sharqi, the American Tribal Style (ATS) of troupes such as San Francisco’s FatChanceBellyDance and other dance forms such as classical Indian dance, Flamenco, hip hop, and club dancing which would normally not appear in the ATS or Raqs Sharqi dance vocabulary. Tribal fusion dancers are noted for their strength, poise, precision, and isolations as well as their use of music that often combines Western electronica and traditional Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian instruments. Tribal fusion is also unique in that its costuming combines indigenous tribal textiles from the Middle East and South Asia with modern and Western elements. Unlike ATS, which by definition must be performed by a group of dancers, tribal fusion can be performed in a group or by a soloist.

Tribal Fusion is a living, evolving, dynamic form and in order to understand its innovative direction and future, once must explore its roots. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the American Belly Dance world was struck by the other worldly beauty and power of a new form of dance emerging from a community of visionary artists in the San Francisco Bay Area. Carolena Nericcio and her company, Fat Chance Belly Dance, have begun a transformation in American Belly Dance with their creation of American Tribal Style (ATS). This form focuses on the company dancing as a unit. Most often in an improvisational format of leaders and followers all attuned to the same core movements, cues and combinations. The movement and transitional terminology as well as the costuming is an eclectic blend of influences from the many cultures throughout North Africa, India, Spain and the Middle east. The ATS costume usually consists of layers of pantaloons, skirts, belts, and cholis made of antique textiles and tribal jewelry. The heavy costumes add to the earthiness of the movement style.

The beauty of ATS has spread to dancers nationally and internationally and, like any evolving art form, as it reaches new artist it takes on their characteristics and influences. The latest variant of the “tribal” dance is given the title “TRIBAL FUSION”. A new generation of dancers has discovered ATS and stamped it with their experience and imagination creating a new dance form altogether in its own standing.

‘TRIBAL FUSION” has become a catch-all umbrella term or label for the various representations of this evolving style of creative expression and self-discovery. Tribal Fusion music choices themselves range from authentic tribal recordings to modern DJ mixed tracks. The costumes may be compromised of layers of authentic textiles and tribal jewelry, scaled down sleek club wear or any integration of the very ancient and the very new. The movement and transitions vocabulary may incorporate elements of ATS, modern dance, hip-hop, goth and industrial club expressions as well as the many diverse native dances of the world. The performances can be improvisational, tightly choreographed or a seamless synthesis of the two. Because Tribal Fusion is in it infancy as an art form, its rules are not yet firmly established. As it continues to evolve, its relation to ATS grows ever more complex and controversial.

There have been many talented performers who have been making their mark in the world of Tribal Fusion. Belly Dance over the past decade. The artist commonly recognized as the pioneer of this new fusion style is Jill parker, an original member of Fat Chance Belly Dance. In the late 1990s Jill Parker, and her dance company, Ultra Gypsy, began to scale down the tribal costume, expand the movement vocabulary, work alongside club DJs, expand the theatrical themes and work from dramatic and mythic archetypes in their performances. This had a significant impact on tribal dancers and opened the floodgates of Tribal Fusion Innovation.

In early 2000 Urban Tribal Dance Company was born in San Diego, Ca under the direction of Heather Stants, and has since popularized an innovative style inspired by hip-hop, modern and interpretive dance, emphasizing flexibility and athleticism with a more streamlined costume to highlight and accent the unique movements. Two of Urban Tribal’s original members have also made major contributions to Tribal Fusion costuming and stylized fashion. Mardi Love set the trend with her tribal inspired soft yarn belts and cowry shell hair adornments and Melodia Medley created a line of dance pants that have become the standard for the Tribal Fusion community. Another artist to make significant contribution to the evolution of Tribal Fusion is Rachel Brice, widely recognized as the first Tribal Fusion soloist. Her approach to isolations and yoga infused dance training has crossed stylistic boundaries and expanded the number of Tribal Fusion enthusiasts worldwide. Many artists continue to create and expand upon this style, pushing the boundaries of Belly dance with their theatricality, musical choice, costuming and venue selection. Tribal Fusion continues to be in a state of evolution and innovation. The innovative voices carving out the path of Tribal Fusion have hit on a artistic expression that borrows from the most ancient of cultures and takes them into the most dynamic of futures.

Tribal Fusion is a new art form with as many interpretations as there are artists performing. Festivals and events dedicated to ATS, Tribal Fusion and other related dance have sprung up all over the United States. The Tribal belly dance community has embraced fusion exploration. It could be many more years of pushing boundaries before Tribal Fusion settles into a definitive style, although for now it remains a testament to the enduring qualities of community, creativity and self-expression within the world of belly dance.
(from the new Evolution, Tribal Fusion Performances DVD)