Tribal Belly Dance

The movements are similar to Cabaret and Egyptian styles, but have been redefined to suit this new urban art form. The costuming often shares many elements with other forms of Belly Dance, such as coins and ornate jewelry, but many elements are unique to Tribal style. As this diverse dance has evolved, it has split into two major sub-categories: Group Improvisational (American Tribal Style) and Tribal Fusion Belly Dance.

As the Tribal Belly Dance movement grew, it attracted more and more young people and artists, many of whom had more experience with Western dance forms or performance genres other than Belly Dance. This allowed new dancers to bring their own unique ideas and style to the dance, creating a new offshoot now known as Tribal Fusion. The fusion element is important because this sub-style takes the foundation of American Tribal Style (ATS) Belly Dance, and fuses the movements, costuming, and music with other dances and cultures from around the world, including India, Africa and modern American pop, to name a few. The movement vocabulary of Tribal Fusion often centers on more internalized muscular isolations rather than skeletal movements and widely popularized the concept of movement drilling in bellydance classes. Classic examples of this type of dancer include Rachel Brice (widely regarded as the creator of this style), Mardi Love and Sharon Kihara.

Costuming for Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is ever-changing, making it very dynamic and allowing for plenty of creativity. Tribal Fusion costumes can be very simple to extremely elaborate, and can include almost anything: long or short skirts, pants, shorts, flowers, feathers, spikes, chains, coins, shells, tassels, fringe, lace, and even rhinestones. The overall look can be dark and Gothic to light and romantic. Most dancers create their own wardrobe, so no two performers look exactly alike.

The music used in Tribal Fusion belly dance is as diverse as the costuming – from traditional Middle Eastern classics to ultra modern techno / club remixes, thus attracting all ages from all walks of life, creating a rich, entertaining subculture. Tribal Fusion dancers can be seen at a variety of performance venues, from large festivals to underground, Burning Man-type events.

Here our some great items that can help you get started with your Tribal Fusion Belly Dance library and wardrobe: