Tribal Fusion (dance form)
Encyclopedia
Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is a modern form of belly dance
which has evolved from American Tribal Style
belly dancing, blending elements of ATS with any other style of dance. It frequently incorporates elements from Popping
, Hip Hop, Breakdance
, 'Egyptian' or 'Cabaret' belly dance
, as well as from traditional forms such as Flamenco
, Kathak
, Bhangra, Balinese, and other folkloric dance styles.
led by Frederique Johnston, with Beth Masse, Mishell Burt and later Sue Erokan. Tribal Fusion is a member of the Tribal Style
bellydance movement that began in the San Francisco bay area in 1967, founded by Jamila Salimpour. Jamila Salimpour taught Masha Archer, a feminist and visionary who sought to remove the sexist stigma that had been attached to bellydance since the colonialist era of the mid 19th century. Masha Archer taught Carolena Nericcio who would later go on to become the innovator behind American Tribal Style bellydance, also known as ATS
. Carolena Nericcio went on to teach ATS to Jill Parker who in turn taught ATS to Frederique Johnston, Beth Masse, and Mishell Burt.
In 2000, Frederique Johnston, Beth Masse, and Mishell Burt began formally creating the dance form that would one day be known as Tribal Fusion in the San Francisco Bay area after breaking away from the ATS group, Ultra Gypsy, directed by Jill Parker. To distinguish the form from ATS Romani
introduced world music
, electronica
and Classical music
to Tribal Style movements. This changed the shape and pace of the dance from ATS to a smoother urban primitive and avant garde feel. Popping and locking was introduced as it fit naturally with the new electronica beats. Romani
also introduced a more toned down costuming aesthetic from its ATS parent form. Where ATS dancers were known for wearing turbans, choli tops, full skirts, pantaloons and tassels the emerging Tribal Fusion form dropped the turbans in lieu of a smooth head scarf, dropped the full skirts and tassels in favor of simple pantaloons, and reintroduced the coin top and belt that the form is recognized for today. Tribal Fusion was introduced to fellow bellydancers at the first Tribal Fest in Sebastopol, California
in 2001 though it had been performed in the Bay Area by Romani since 2000.
Stephanie Barto, a student of Nerriccio, brought ATS to the Midwest with a group called Read My Hips, founded in Chicago with Heather Stants. During the early development of Tribal Fusion, Heather Stants also worked to introduce new elements to Tribal Style bellydance, including a minimalist aesthetic, underground electronica
music and elements of modern dance
. In 1999, she formed Urban Tribal Dance in San Diego, largely influenced by hip hop and street dance styles. In contrast to many other tribal fusion performers, Urban Tribal dance company was known for their minimalist costuming more traditional to modern dance
than to Tribal Style.
In 2001 many Tribal Style dancers jumped onto the Tribal Fusion bandwagon and became involved in its early development leading to chaos and confusion surrounding its origins and founders.
In the early years of Tribal Fusion the dance form was simply called urban tribal style bellydance. The term Tribal Fusion was later coined by Jill Parker in 2003 for use in the Ethnic Dance Festival.
Tribal Fusion was largely popularized by Rachel Brice and the Indigo (formed in 2003), who became internationally renowned as they toured with the Bellydance Superstars
. Heather Stants refers to Rachel as the "adoptive mother" of Tribal Fusion. Rachel Brice studied with Jill Parker and performed briefly with Ultra Gypsy in 2001. Mardi Love, a pioneer in Tribal Fusion, was an early member of Urban Tribal with Heather Stants, later joining the Indigo with Rachel Brice
. Rachel Brice describes her personal dance background as a combination of techniques from Suhaila Salimpour, Fat Chance Belly Dance, and Mardi Love. Rachel Brice also greatly contributed to the popularity of movements similar to popping, though she credits former troupe mate Ariellah Aflalo
as the source. Initial members of The Indigo performance group were Rachel Brice, Mardi Love, Michelle Campbell, Sharon Kihara, Shawna Rai, Janice Solimeno, and Ariellah Aflalo. Rachel Brice initially studied Tribal Fusion with Jill Parker, who in turn had learned it from Frederique Johnston. Sharon Kihara also studied with Frederique and performed with Ultra Gypsy. Currently, the Indigo is composed of Rachel Brice, Mardi Love, and Zoe Jakes, who have been touring their own show "Le Serpent Rouge" since 2007.
The term Tribal Fusion is used to describe any Tribal Style dance form that incorporates the use of solo performances, utilizes world music
, classical music
or electronica
, and involves the fusion of Tribal Style bellydance with any other kind of dance.
and world music
genres. Early Bay Area DJs who contributed to the form include Cheb i Sabbah
& Bassnectar
. The movement carried over into the music produced specifically for bellydancers, also called Oriental music, giving rise to the creation of the electronica Oriental genre. Artist Jeremiah Soto of Solace
and Eventide Musical Productions produced some of the first Electronica Oriental albums, quickly followed by Turbo Tabla artist Karim Nagi, and beatboxing champion Pete List
. Many more names followed suit creating a rapidly growing musical outlet for the budding new dance form. Producer Miles Copland contributed greatly to the electronica Orienal movement signing many musicians and dancers who would become forerunners of the Tribal Fusion movement.
Some popular musicians associated with Tribal Fusion bellydance are:
s, burlesque fusion dancers will wear feathers etc. Costume are often very elaborate with layer on layer of fabrics, jewellery, fringing, hair ornaments etc. At the other extreme, where the fusion has a strong contemporary influence, the costume is pared down to a sleek minimalist style.
Mardi Love pioneered many of the most popular elements in tribal fusion costuming. Despite being part of the more minimalist Urban Tribal, she helped sculpt the intricate, vibrant, and complicated costumes worn by The Indigo. She is credited with being the first one to make contemporary cowrie falls, using colorful, hand dyed yarn to braid cowrie shells together. She also created one of the most popular belt styles by using 2 pieces of an Indian (frequently Kuchi or Banjara) belt bases as the front and back, adding 4 beaded medallions (1 to each end of the belt bases), and adding colourful yarn fringe (such as Colinette Pointe 5).
Pants are now worn by almost every tribal fusion belly dancer. They are often characterized by their large flare that is split up to the knee along the outside seam, and finished with a lettuce edging. Basic pants come in many colours of cotton lycra with a mini skirt, sash, or fringe attached at the waist. Pants can also be made from a variety of mesh, slinky, or velvet fabrics.
Tattoos, seen on ATS dancers mainly on the midriff, are often more prominent among tribal fusion dancers and spread to other parts of the body.
pioneered by Ariellah Aflalo, and International Tribal Style (ITS) bellydance. Tribal Fusion and ITS are both descended from American Tribal Style (ATS) while Dark Fusion is a combination of Tribal Fusion and Gothic Bellydance
.
Belly dance
Belly dance or Bellydance is a "Western"-coined name for a traditional "Middle Eastern" dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli...
which has evolved from American Tribal Style
American Tribal Style Belly Dance
American Tribal Style Belly Dance or Tribal Style Belly Dance is a modern style of bellydance created by FatChanceBellyDance director, Carolena Nericcio. American Tribal Style Belly Dance is clearly defined and documented with the primary characteristic being that of group improvisation...
belly dancing, blending elements of ATS with any other style of dance. It frequently incorporates elements from Popping
Popping (dance)
Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...
, Hip Hop, Breakdance
B-boying
B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...
, 'Egyptian' or 'Cabaret' belly dance
Belly dance
Belly dance or Bellydance is a "Western"-coined name for a traditional "Middle Eastern" dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli...
, as well as from traditional forms such as Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
, Kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
, Bhangra, Balinese, and other folkloric dance styles.
History
Tribal Fusion is a form of bellydance that began in America in 2000. It was created by the pioneer dance company RomaniRomani
Romani relates or may refer to:- Nationality :*The Romani people**their Romani language*The Latin term for the ancient Romans, see Roman citizenship*The Italian term for inhabitants of Rome...
led by Frederique Johnston, with Beth Masse, Mishell Burt and later Sue Erokan. Tribal Fusion is a member of the Tribal Style
Tribal Style
Tribal Style may refer to:*American Tribal Style Belly Dance*Improv Tribal Style Belly Dance*Tribal Fusion...
bellydance movement that began in the San Francisco bay area in 1967, founded by Jamila Salimpour. Jamila Salimpour taught Masha Archer, a feminist and visionary who sought to remove the sexist stigma that had been attached to bellydance since the colonialist era of the mid 19th century. Masha Archer taught Carolena Nericcio who would later go on to become the innovator behind American Tribal Style bellydance, also known as ATS
ATS
-Societies:*Adventist Theological Society*American Temperance Society, an early American civic organization promoting temperance*American Thoracic Society, a society for lung physicians, health related professionals and researchers-Systems:...
. Carolena Nericcio went on to teach ATS to Jill Parker who in turn taught ATS to Frederique Johnston, Beth Masse, and Mishell Burt.
In 2000, Frederique Johnston, Beth Masse, and Mishell Burt began formally creating the dance form that would one day be known as Tribal Fusion in the San Francisco Bay area after breaking away from the ATS group, Ultra Gypsy, directed by Jill Parker. To distinguish the form from ATS Romani
Romani
Romani relates or may refer to:- Nationality :*The Romani people**their Romani language*The Latin term for the ancient Romans, see Roman citizenship*The Italian term for inhabitants of Rome...
introduced world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and Classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
to Tribal Style movements. This changed the shape and pace of the dance from ATS to a smoother urban primitive and avant garde feel. Popping and locking was introduced as it fit naturally with the new electronica beats. Romani
Romani
Romani relates or may refer to:- Nationality :*The Romani people**their Romani language*The Latin term for the ancient Romans, see Roman citizenship*The Italian term for inhabitants of Rome...
also introduced a more toned down costuming aesthetic from its ATS parent form. Where ATS dancers were known for wearing turbans, choli tops, full skirts, pantaloons and tassels the emerging Tribal Fusion form dropped the turbans in lieu of a smooth head scarf, dropped the full skirts and tassels in favor of simple pantaloons, and reintroduced the coin top and belt that the form is recognized for today. Tribal Fusion was introduced to fellow bellydancers at the first Tribal Fest in Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, approximately north of San Francisco. The population was 7,379 at the 2010 census, but its businesses also serve surrounding rural portions of Sonoma County, totaling about 50,000 people...
in 2001 though it had been performed in the Bay Area by Romani since 2000.
Stephanie Barto, a student of Nerriccio, brought ATS to the Midwest with a group called Read My Hips, founded in Chicago with Heather Stants. During the early development of Tribal Fusion, Heather Stants also worked to introduce new elements to Tribal Style bellydance, including a minimalist aesthetic, underground electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
music and elements of modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
. In 1999, she formed Urban Tribal Dance in San Diego, largely influenced by hip hop and street dance styles. In contrast to many other tribal fusion performers, Urban Tribal dance company was known for their minimalist costuming more traditional to modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
than to Tribal Style.
In 2001 many Tribal Style dancers jumped onto the Tribal Fusion bandwagon and became involved in its early development leading to chaos and confusion surrounding its origins and founders.
In the early years of Tribal Fusion the dance form was simply called urban tribal style bellydance. The term Tribal Fusion was later coined by Jill Parker in 2003 for use in the Ethnic Dance Festival.
Tribal Fusion was largely popularized by Rachel Brice and the Indigo (formed in 2003), who became internationally renowned as they toured with the Bellydance Superstars
Bellydance Superstars
Bellydance Superstars is a professional American bellydance troupe formed in 2002 by producer and manager Miles Copeland. In its first six years of touring, it presented 700 shows in 22 countries....
. Heather Stants refers to Rachel as the "adoptive mother" of Tribal Fusion. Rachel Brice studied with Jill Parker and performed briefly with Ultra Gypsy in 2001. Mardi Love, a pioneer in Tribal Fusion, was an early member of Urban Tribal with Heather Stants, later joining the Indigo with Rachel Brice
Rachel Brice
Rachel Brice is a contemporary performer in Tribal Fusion Style Belly Dance based in Portland, Oregon. She is the artistic director and choreographer for The Indigo Belly Dance Company and a frequent performer with the Bellydance Superstars....
. Rachel Brice describes her personal dance background as a combination of techniques from Suhaila Salimpour, Fat Chance Belly Dance, and Mardi Love. Rachel Brice also greatly contributed to the popularity of movements similar to popping, though she credits former troupe mate Ariellah Aflalo
Ariellah Aflalo
Ariellah Aflalo is a contemporary Dark Fusion belly dancer, known for her dance technique and powerful stage presence. The signature dark flavor of her style, along with her skill as a dancer, has made her a legend in both the conventional and Gothic belly dance scenes.-Biography:Ariellah Aflalo...
as the source. Initial members of The Indigo performance group were Rachel Brice, Mardi Love, Michelle Campbell, Sharon Kihara, Shawna Rai, Janice Solimeno, and Ariellah Aflalo. Rachel Brice initially studied Tribal Fusion with Jill Parker, who in turn had learned it from Frederique Johnston. Sharon Kihara also studied with Frederique and performed with Ultra Gypsy. Currently, the Indigo is composed of Rachel Brice, Mardi Love, and Zoe Jakes, who have been touring their own show "Le Serpent Rouge" since 2007.
The term Tribal Fusion is used to describe any Tribal Style dance form that incorporates the use of solo performances, utilizes world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
or electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, and involves the fusion of Tribal Style bellydance with any other kind of dance.
Music
Tribal Fusion dance evolved closely with developments in the electronicaElectronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
genres. Early Bay Area DJs who contributed to the form include Cheb i Sabbah
Cheb i Sabbah
Cheb i Sabbah , born Haim Serge El Baz in Constantine, Algeria, is a club DJ based in San Francisco, California....
& Bassnectar
Bassnectar
Bassnectar is a freeform electronic music and dubstep artist, DJ, and producer based in Santa Cruz, California. He is known for his live performances and light shows, and actively supports the non-profit group Conscious Alliance....
. The movement carried over into the music produced specifically for bellydancers, also called Oriental music, giving rise to the creation of the electronica Oriental genre. Artist Jeremiah Soto of Solace
Solace
Solace, from Old French solas, from Latin sōlācium "consolation",meaning comfort or consolation in a time of distress.Solace may refer to:* Solace , a 1991 music album by Sarah McLachlan...
and Eventide Musical Productions produced some of the first Electronica Oriental albums, quickly followed by Turbo Tabla artist Karim Nagi, and beatboxing champion Pete List
Pete List
Pete List is a New York City-based musician and animator.-Animation:List has done animation work for Celebrity Deathmatch, Gary & Mike, and Disney's Doug. Also included on his resume are ID's and promos for companies like MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon. He directed the Marilyn Manson music video for...
. Many more names followed suit creating a rapidly growing musical outlet for the budding new dance form. Producer Miles Copland contributed greatly to the electronica Orienal movement signing many musicians and dancers who would become forerunners of the Tribal Fusion movement.
Some popular musicians associated with Tribal Fusion bellydance are:
- Amon TobinAmon TobinAmon Adonai Santos de Araújo Tobin , known as Amon Tobin, is a Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. He is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world...
- SquarepusherSquarepusherSquarepusher is the performing pseudonym of Tom Jenkinson, an English electronic music artist signed to Warp Records. He specialises in the electronic music genres of drum and bass and acid, with a significant jazz and musique concrète influence....
- Pentaphobe
- Tobias Roberson (drummer)
- SolaceSolaceSolace, from Old French solas, from Latin sōlācium "consolation",meaning comfort or consolation in a time of distress.Solace may refer to:* Solace , a 1991 music album by Sarah McLachlan...
(Jeremiah Soto) - Maduro (Musician)
- Helm (Band)
- Beats AntiqueBeats AntiqueBeats Antique is an experimental world fusion and electronic music group. Formed in 2007 in conjunction with producer Miles Copeland, the group has become noted for their mix of different genres as well as their live shows which mix samples and heavy percussives with Tribal Fusion dance and...
- Jorge Sacco
- Djinn (Band)
- Raquy & the Cavemen (band)
- August Hoerr
- Natalie Brown and the Alternacirque Shorkestra
Costuming
Many tribal fusion dancers use the ATS "uniform" as a basis for costuming, but usually not all together. Additional elements of the costume are strongly influenced by the nature of the fusion - flamenco fusion dancers will wear flamenco skirtFlamenco skirt
-Types of Flamenco Skirts:There are broadly two types of flamenco skirts, these being Performance flamenco skirts and Practice flamenco skirts. Performance skirts, which are suitable for dance performances, tend to be made of more expensive material and have a more impressive look, due to the...
s, burlesque fusion dancers will wear feathers etc. Costume are often very elaborate with layer on layer of fabrics, jewellery, fringing, hair ornaments etc. At the other extreme, where the fusion has a strong contemporary influence, the costume is pared down to a sleek minimalist style.
Mardi Love pioneered many of the most popular elements in tribal fusion costuming. Despite being part of the more minimalist Urban Tribal, she helped sculpt the intricate, vibrant, and complicated costumes worn by The Indigo. She is credited with being the first one to make contemporary cowrie falls, using colorful, hand dyed yarn to braid cowrie shells together. She also created one of the most popular belt styles by using 2 pieces of an Indian (frequently Kuchi or Banjara) belt bases as the front and back, adding 4 beaded medallions (1 to each end of the belt bases), and adding colourful yarn fringe (such as Colinette Pointe 5).
Pants are now worn by almost every tribal fusion belly dancer. They are often characterized by their large flare that is split up to the knee along the outside seam, and finished with a lettuce edging. Basic pants come in many colours of cotton lycra with a mini skirt, sash, or fringe attached at the waist. Pants can also be made from a variety of mesh, slinky, or velvet fabrics.
Tattoos, seen on ATS dancers mainly on the midriff, are often more prominent among tribal fusion dancers and spread to other parts of the body.
Vaudeville Bellydance
Vaudeville bellydance is an up-and-coming style of tribal fusion bellydance that uses cultural elements of the mid 1800s through the 1930s. The rising popularity of this style is partially due to The Indigo and their show Le Serpent Rouge. Vaudeville bellydance often uses jazz, Balkan, or Middle Eastern sounding music. The costumes are perhaps the most recognizable feature of vaudeville bellydance because they almost always incorporate style influences from the Jazz Era and earlier. As the name vaudeville bellydance suggests, this style is deeply inspired by pre-WWII vaudeville acts, often incorporating comedy into performances. Vaudeville bellydance can also be called tribal vintage style, although vaudeville bellydance is typically inspired by a more narrow time period.Other Sub-Genres
Tribal Fusion is closely related to Dark FusionDark Fusion
Dark Fusion is a platform game developed by Gremlin Graphics in 1988. The player controls an astronaut who has to go through levels by using a space shotgun.-External links:**...
pioneered by Ariellah Aflalo, and International Tribal Style (ITS) bellydance. Tribal Fusion and ITS are both descended from American Tribal Style (ATS) while Dark Fusion is a combination of Tribal Fusion and Gothic Bellydance
Gothic bellydance
Gothic Bellydance is a recent and rapidly growing dance art movement, currently becoming very popular in both the amateur and professional dance communities of the United States and Europe. -History:...
.
See also
- American Tribal Style Belly DanceAmerican Tribal Style Belly DanceAmerican Tribal Style Belly Dance or Tribal Style Belly Dance is a modern style of bellydance created by FatChanceBellyDance director, Carolena Nericcio. American Tribal Style Belly Dance is clearly defined and documented with the primary characteristic being that of group improvisation...
- Improv Tribal Style Belly DanceImprov Tribal Style Belly DanceImprov Tribal Style belly dance is a group of dancers with tribal style bellydance traits composing choreography on the spot through previously arranged cued moves. Solos are performed, but are generally supported in a group environment. Improv Tribal Style is a sub-group of Tribal Style bellydance...
- Bellydance SuperstarsBellydance SuperstarsBellydance Superstars is a professional American bellydance troupe formed in 2002 by producer and manager Miles Copeland. In its first six years of touring, it presented 700 shows in 22 countries....
- Rachel BriceRachel BriceRachel Brice is a contemporary performer in Tribal Fusion Style Belly Dance based in Portland, Oregon. She is the artistic director and choreographer for The Indigo Belly Dance Company and a frequent performer with the Bellydance Superstars....