Belly Dancing - Professional Belly Dance - Performer and Instructor

There are many names for belly dance - Middle Eastern; Raks Sharqi; Oriental; Rakkase. The term "Belly Dance" was coined at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, when the dancer called "Little Egypt" (pictured to the left) performed. She wore much less than was considered proper at the time, and she caused quite a stir! Her undulating movements led to this style of dance being called "Danse du Ventre", translated as Dance of the Stomach.

There is much speculation regarding the origins of belly dance. What we do know is that it has its roots in the Middle East (Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt etc) with influences from India and Spain. However, the history of the dance is a little more elusive with many explanations ranging from fertility rites and preparation for child-birth (the movements of the abdomen explain this idea), to it being a way for the women hidden away in harems to celebrate their femininity and to entertain themselves. But, whatever the truth really is, one thing is certain: since Little Egypt performed over a hundred years ago, Belly Dance has captured the imaginations of thousands across the world!

Having said this, we do know that music and dance has been a central part in the lives of people living in communities in the Middle East for thousands of years and dancing takes place at most of lifes celebrations: For example, at Egyptian weddings the Belly Dancer performs the Zaffa - a particular rythm isplayed out on the drum and the dancer will lead the wedding couple into the celebrations wearing a Shamadam (candleabra) on her head. This goes back to the time when there was little or no street lighting and the dancer lit the way for the newly-weds and the guests. Having a belly dancer at a wedding was also believed to aid in the fertility of the couple, and even today, touching the dancers belly is still a tradition at some weddings.

Today women from many cultural backgrounds, of all shapes, sizes and ages, have taken Belly Dance to their hearts, and I think it is true to say that it really has taken on the role of a celebration of womanhood! In the classes that I have taught over the years women from all backgrounds have come together in an atmosphere of friendship and non-judgment, and for a few hours in a week they manage to forget their worries and cares and simply enjoy themselves! Some dancers like to concentrate on perfecting the more traditional styles of dance, while others like to develop their own style, often fusing different styles of dance to create something new. And this is the beauty of this dance form, it allows for great creative freedom!

Although there are subtle differences between them, Egyptian Cabaret, American Cabaret, Turkish and Lebanese styles of belly dance are recognizable by the beautiful glittery costumes with beads, fringing and sequins. This is the style of belly dance you are most likely to see while on holiday in Egypt or Turkey or in a Middle Eastern restaurant here in the UK. It is usually danced solo, although choreographed troupes can sometimes be seen performing this style.

Sadly, our art has had its detractors, and often it is bundled into the same package as Stripping and Pole Dancing - fabulous art forms in themselves, but not the same as belly dance! A good Belly Dance performance is, in fact, suitable for the whole family. There is nothing "rude" or "sleazy" about it, and although an audience may become mesmerized by a dancers sensuous undulations, isolations and shimmies, there is nothing suggestive about the dance. Belly Dance is about beauty, grace, muscle control, skill, and, most importantly, having fun!

American Tribal Style (ATS) was created in the late 1980's by Carolena Nericcio of FatChanceBellyDance, based in San Francisco. It draws inspiration from different styles of belly dance as well as the dances from India, Spain, and North Africa to name but a few. The music tends to be much heavier and more repetitive than with more traditional belly dance styles. The dance is performed in a proud and dignified manner.

ATS is different from other forms of belly dance in that the focus is on the interaction between a group of dancers rather than on the solo performance of an individual dancer, as is the case with the better known forms of belly dance. This does not mean that solos are never danced, but when there is always at least one other dancer on stage; by definition, you cannot have a tribe of one! This style is hardly ever choreographed, and even in a performance situation it tends to be totally improvised. A real bond of trust and respect is built up by the members of a group, and this is important in being able to perform this style

The dancers within a group, or "tribe" learn a simple vocabulary of movements, and these movements are danced with the same structure and stylization by all the dancers. During the dance, the group follows a leader who will give cues indicating how and when a movement will change - hence any deviation from the stylized movements will be interpreted by the other dancers as a cue to change. The lead will change during the dance so that all of the dancers have the opportunity to improvise. The necessity to pay attention to each other means that there is less audience interaction than is the case with the more traditional forms of belly dance. From the perspective of the audience, the site of a group of women dancing in complete harmony and unison is certainly something special to behold.

The costuming for ATS really sets it apart from other styles of belly dance. It does not represent any particular time, place or country - rather it is very eccelectic! Garments and jewellery from different regions and time periods are used to achieve the desired look and can include: turbans; full gypsy skirts; tassel and/or fringe belts; choli tops; coin bras; ethnic and/or antique jewellery; long braided or dread locked hair extensions; cowrie shells; bells.....imagination is the only limit!

But, as the saying goes, the clothes do not make the man - and so, even if a dancer is dressed in the tribal style, if they are not adhering to the rules of ATS they are not tribal dancers!

Tribal Fusion style is a relatively recent development in the "Tribal" world - and I have heard performers of this style described as "the bad girls of belly dance" probably in reference to the slightly darker more "gothic" feel it has. The use of the word tribal is rather misleading as, although having roots in ATS, this form is often danced by a soloist with no other dancers present and so does not adhere to the rule of ATS. There is wide scope for personal expression, and the music is more varied with explorations into the world of industrial, trance and techno, for example. Rachel Brice of The Indigo is one of the best exponents of this style - her movements are fluid and snake-like, yet still strong and proud.

To find out more about ATS and Tribal Fusion please visit these websites:

FatChanceBellyDance - Website of Carolena Nericcio, the founder of Tribal Belly Dance in the USA

Rachel Brice - The Bellydance Superstars Tribal Fusion choreographer.