Thread: Quick and dirty Tribal definition?

I need one small explanatory paragraph on my website for what on earth we mean by 'Tribal' bellydance- in a country where that word has a totally different connatation too.

It can't be long, or technical- it is for the GP. They won't last. So I am not looking for a beautiful and strictly perfect definition, or a long one. I just want to impart a spoonful of education whilst trying to sell the style- to a public who will never have seen it. Tribal is in its infancy here in South Africa.

My sales pitch is above this, this is under the heading 'What on earth is 'Tribal' style bellydance?' below it

With that in mind, what do you think of this?

The broad 'Tribal' catagory of belly dance evolved in the U.S.A in the early 1980's, influenced by Middle Eastern dance but reworked through the eyes and sensibilities of Western artists. Tribal style is not related to any specific 'tribe' but instead pays homage to the multicultural influences that helped shape Western bellydance, and blends this diverse mix [from a fusion of ancient dance techniques to modern cross-overs into ballet, jazz, and dance theatre with a blending of classical ethnic styles throughout the world] into one cohesive artform that is forever evolving and pushing the boundaries of modern belly dance.

The roots of tribal can be found in the ATS [American Tribal Style] method, pioneered and developed by Caroleena and Fat Chance Bellydance with strong influences from Jamila Salimpour and earlier artists. ATS remains today the only belly dance format with a strong formal and stylised movement vocabulary, and dancers perform improvisational works only, fed by cues from a strong dance leader. These wholly non-coreographed group numbers can be amazing to watch! Tribal Fusion evolved from this disciplined rooting, bringing back the solo and choreographic elements missing in the pioneer style, and opening up new avenues of dance exploration.


P.S I realise a lot of y'all dislike tribal, and would argue against the positive spin in this. But I am trying to sell it, so there is no use dissing it to our audience!

Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about the Tribal Fusion blurb, but I think on the whole that's a pretty decent quick'n'dirty broad definition.

Disclaimer: avowed disliker of tribal.

I think it's good, but you might get some dissent over ATS having the only format blah blah, since Gypsy Caravan has its own, admittedly rooted in ATS (yes?) and there are probably others I don't know about.

Zumarrad has a good point.

I think ITS (Improvisational Tribal Style) is the general form now since ATS is copyrighted?

I'd also leave out "only" as in "the only bellydance format etc etc". cuz you never know.

(oh and choreography needs an h in case you cut and paste)

Thanks y'all.

Wasn't aware ATS had been brought to 'one school' only/copywritten status- out here it is pretty much used as the catch all for the improv style. Thanks Zummarrad for the FYI!

And Yaalini, thanks too. I wasn't happy with that Fusion bit either. To be honest, I was bringing it back more to OUR school's definition of same [i.e, what they would see], then a proper 'world' definition. But as I said, it is an itty bitty paragraph I doubt any will be bothered to read, so it can stay like that.

You may like our style a little more then usual, Zumarrad, because I refuse to take it as far from Bellydance roots as it seems to have gone in the states- I mean, Docs? No matter your dance style, how the heck do you dance in workboots? There is a reason dance shoes all share the foot glove approach. But that is my little soapbox!

And my spelling sucks! *cringe*

Hello there
If you are going to include all that on a flyer I would really simplify
it down to a few sentences however, if it for your website then
it sounds great. I find it helps to really plug the female community
element of Tribal bellydance.
The word Tribal sums up that same imagery wherever you are
to be honest, I have had people think all sorts of bizarre things
when I tell them I do Tribal Bellydance ;)
I think it is wonderful that Tribal Bellydance is making it's way
around the world. Good luck with your mission, do keep us informed
on how it is going out there!
Best wishes
Beatrice xxxx

Just to add to that... I agree that while the FatChanceBellyDance has it's own ATS format you should also mention that there are other Tribal Styles such as Gypsy Caravan. This really depends on whether you are going to be teaching FCBD ATS or another format. It is important to clarify which style(s) you are representing.

Originally Posted by Amira_Siddiqah

The broad 'Tribal' catagory of belly dance evolved in the U.S.A in the early 1980's, influenced by Middle Eastern dance but reworked through the eyes and sensibilities of Western artists. Tribal style is not related to any specific 'tribe' but instead pays homage to the multicultural influences that helped shape Western bellydance, and blends this diverse mix [from a fusion of ancient dance techniques to modern cross-overs into ballet, jazz, and dance theatre with a blending of classical ethnic styles throughout the world] into one cohesive artform that is forever evolving and pushing the boundaries of modern belly dance.

The roots of tribal can be found in the ATS [American Tribal Style] method, pioneered and developed by Caroleena and Fat Chance Bellydance with strong influences from Jamila Salimpour and earlier artists. ATS remains today the only belly dance format with a strong formal and stylised movement vocabulary, and dancers perform improvisational works only, fed by cues from a strong dance leader. These wholly non-coreographed group numbers can be amazing to watch! Tribal Fusion evolved from this disciplined rooting, bringing back the solo and choreographic elements missing in the pioneer style, and opening up new avenues of dance exploration.

I don't do tribal, but from the exposure I have had to it, I was under the impression that each school/dance company had its own format, cueing conventions, and so on. Certainly in parts of the US, the word "tribal" has become a catch-all for anything that isn't AmCab, Egyptian, Turkish, etc., and as a result, what many tribal dancers do is largely unrelated to any conventions that the original West Coast tribal dancers may have used. It is not uncommon to see people who have studied a more traditional style of Middle Eastern Dance, felt bored or stifled by it, and remade themselves as "tribal" dancers without ever having undertaken any serious study of the original leader-cued styles of West Coast tribal.

I like your definition but I did wince at the "only' comment. But upon further reflection, it seems true. Good job.

From Fat Chance Bellydance's Website:

Frequently Asked Questions about American Tribal Style
What is Tribal Style?
Tribal Style Bellydance is both a celebration of the female spirit and a physical display of the strength and beauty of women. It's roots can be traced back to the rituals of past matriarchal cultures and to the secular entertainments evolved as the gypsies traveled through India, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Spain.
There are many styles of bellydance. The most authentic styles are cabaret and folkloric. Other styles have evolved as the dance migrated from the Middle East and North Africa into Europe and the US and back again. FatChanceBellyDance performs what is referred to as American Tribal Style Bellydance.
What distinguishes Tribal from other styles of bellydance is the way in which steps, movements, gestures, even costume, are redesigned to suit the common denominator of a group dancing together. The music is selected for it's clarity, the steps for their universal application and yet, whether performed as choreography or improvisation the result is one of simple elegance and rhythmic style.

Tribal fusion is a bit different, and I bet you could have a dozen different definitions if you asked a dozen different tribal fusionists (like myself). I think it boils down to the fact that tribal fusion is rooted in tribal style, be it ATS or ITS, in that it involves a group of dancers working from a vocabulary of cued movements to perform a combination of improvised (as in true tribal style) and choreographed (tribal fusion) dances. The moves range from the traditional to the contemporary, blending traditional ME dance, flamenco, lyrical, and even hip hop and other contemporary forms of dance into something new and, for the most part, individual to the dancers/troupes who perform it. The music is unconventional, the costuming is unconventional, and it's always changing. I agree with whoever said it above - dancers who begin to feel somewhat confined by the traditions of their original styles branch out into tribal fusion because it doesn't... I don't want to say discriminate, but that's the best word I can think of to describe it - against other types of dance. It's become kind of a "come one, come all" community.

If you go to youtube and search "what is tribal style bellydance" there's a great short documentary by mancapavli that should answer your questions.

Hope I wasn't too verbose - but I was trying to be thorough!!

My "quick & dirty" definition is a link to Wikipedia!
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improv_Tribal_Style_Belly_Dance]Improv Tribal Style Belly Dance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

If I'm in class explaining it to students, I tell them it's called "tribal" because it's always done as a group, as opposed to "solo". I also use the term "group improvisation" and "follow the leader" just so they don't automatically think ("oh no I have to improvise!")

Of course this isn't addressing "tribal fusion" -

I like your description better than FCBD's: I think it is important to bring across this style is a huge melting pot of things that would previously not have been imagined to go together, like Indian, Central Asian, modern dance, hip hop, Middle Eastern movements, and music-wise there's apparently nothing that could not be used for Tribal, from Mideastern inspired electronica to Balkan folklore.
In my personal definition I'd somewhat make that very clear - it's a contemporary multicultural, creative cosmopolite's dance.
While I did not enjoy it very much at first, I must say I am slowly slowly warming up to it under THIS heading, less under a bellydance heading :)