TRIBAL FEST FAQ ? Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS IT?
Tribal Fest (TM) "The Best of the Fests!"(TM) - Your nottomiss event of the year! If you go nowhere else, come here and be amazed. It's like "Rakkasah Meets Burning Man" for alternative dancers! Tribal Fest is the first and largest event of its kind anywhere. It started in 2000 and grows every year. It is very alternative, cutting-edge, sometimes naughty, always entertaining and very different from the old run-of-the-mill festivals out there. It has inspired dozens and dozens of smaller events around the world, but none can top The Original!

Each year there are more classes, the bulk of which precede The Show so you can enjoy the performances from Friday night through Sunday evening. There are vendors for all 5 days, so you can start shopping the moment you arrive on Wednesday!

Our numerous indoor and outdoor vendors carry only tribal-and-related goodies at this event, so you won't see the usual beads-n-sequins for miles that you see at other major events. What you'll see at Tribal Fest are items you as an ATS dancer, tribal or other fusion dancer, folkloric, Indian, ethnic, Gothic or Burlesque or just plain old "I don't fit into any categories" dancers would like to add to your collections.

And, the Community Center sells wine (you don't see that too often at festivals) as well as the usual beverages. I've found a very good caterer to work with and we've been honing his skills over a couple years. In his first year he already surpassed in quality of cuisine any previous vendor we've had and last year we heard over and over how much people love his fresh (not frozen), homemade, locally-grown food. He actually makes everything there every day (I know, I signed for a delivery of fresh veggies one morning last year)! They say it's the best food at any festival anywhere, and I agree! In fact, I challenge you all to a taste-test of our food as compared to that of other large events: Rakkasah, Desert Dance Festival and Cairo Carnivale. If you think anything they sell is better tasting, I want that caterer's name! (But you won't.) Also unlike other events, you are allowed to bring in your own food if you prefer (but not your own alcoholic beverages). There are both delis and a Whole Foods Market within walking distance of Tribal Fest.

WHERE IS IT?
The Sebastopol Community Center, its surrounding grounds and the Youth Annex Building next door, 390 Morris Street, Sebastopol, CA, 95472.

HOW DO I GET THERE?
If you are driving from the U.S. mainland, please print out a trip planner from your favorite site (such as Zip2, MapQuest or others).

OR, find CA State Highway 101** and head north or south to Santa Rosa. From there head to Sebastopol (NOT Somona) on Highway 12 and the Community Center is located at the first light you'll see for some time, past a Chevron gas station and a field or two of cattle. ;-D You'll see Village Park Campgrounds on your left. That street light is a "T" intersection, so turn right (the only way you can) and you're on Morris Street!

If driving from the Pacific NW, I suggest coming down Highway 5 to 505 (a bypass near Willows that will take you around the Sacramento traffic) to Highway 80, which goes from Sacramento / Davis towards Berkeley and Vallejo. TURN OFF (from the right lane) when you see the sign for Vallejo, it comes up pretty quick after going up a large hill with a lookout view and restrooms - from there you can see Marine World's roller coasters. Proceed through Vallejo to Lakeville Highway. You will be going over the marsh flats and past Sears Point Raceway, and turn LEFT at that light. After the Sear's Point light, take your next light ("T" intersection) that goes RIGHT onto Lakeville Hwy. (If you miss Lakeville, no worries, you'll end up in Novato, so then take Hwy. 101 North from there instead.) But Lakeville is a "short-cut" and much prettier than the freeway traffic.

Lakeville Hwy. will take you through the outskirts of Petaluma (and past Papa's Taverna, one of BSBD-CA's regular performance restaurants with GREAT Greek food!) and will virtually pour you onto Hwy. 101 North once you pass parts of Petaluma.

Now you're on Hwy. 101 North, so proceed as above from there, looking for the Hwy. 12 exit once actually in Santa Rosa, about 13 more miles. (See ** above.) This route used to take me about 10-12 hours to drive one way from Portland, OR to Santa Rosa, CA.

If driving from SoCal, I also suggest you take Hwy. 5 up instead of the prettier 101. It will save you about 5-6 hours. This route from LA used to take me about 7 hours to get to Santa Rosa. So, Hwy. 5 up, turning off towards San Francisco (do NOT go towards Sacto! - I did that once.... not a catastrophe but added at least 2 more hours to my drive). Drive past SFO* and turn from your right lane onto (we think) 380 to 280 which will turn into 19th Avenue, avoiding the center of SF. Pass through parts of the Sunset district and Golden Gate Park, continuing on 19th Ave. This will pour you right onto Hwy. 101 North, going over the Golden Gate Bridge towards Marin County (Sausalito, Mill Valley, Novato, etc.) then Sonoma County. From there, proceed as above.**

If you are flying into either SFO or OAK, simply rent a car at the airport and follow the directions above from SFO* (see paragraph above). From OAK, proceed north towards San Francisco but DO NOT TURN OFF for SF, instead keep going through Berkeley, CA until you see the choice of either going towards Sacramento (you don't wanna) or Richmond. I believe this turn off is in the left center lanes, so be prepared. That will take you over the San Rafael-Richmond Bay Bridge and drop you out right onto Hwy. 101 north in San Rafael, where you can proceed as above.**

OR take the shuttles north to Santa Rosa. Both airports have shuttle service every half hour and the cost is approximately $38 Round Trip. They run from 6 a.m. - midnight at both airports. You can check out Airport Express at: www.airportexpressinc.com (707.837.8700) and the Sonoma County Airporter, Inc.: 707.938.4246. You will take the shuttle to the Downtown Santa Rosa bus stop, and from there grab a cab to Sebastopol (about 10-12 minues).

WHERE DO I STAY?
Please note that if you take the shuttle and do not have a car, that you really need to be staying at The Sebastopol Inn (the official Tribal Fest hotel, offering group rates and only if you mention Tribal Fest, ask for Ashok or Brooke): www.sebastopolinn.com or 707.829.2500 as this is the only hotel within walking distance of The Fest.

The only other option as far as hotels for non-drivers is The Holiday Inn Express Sebastopol, who will not give us group rates because we sell them out each year anyway. >:-( But they do have a shuttle that can take you to and from the Sebastopol Community Center at least: 707.829.6677

Village Park Campground offers anyone who mentions they're with Tribal Fest a 10% discount! And, they're within walking distance! On a budget? CAMP in your car, tent or RV along with a bunch of other crazy dancers from The Fest. Last year there was even a special pot luck and barbeque party held there! Call: 707.823.6348

If you have a car, you have lots more places to stay possible. Try the neighboring little city of Santa Rosa, here are some nice places I can personally vouch for that are only 10 - 20 minutes from The Fest:

Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel & Spa (Santa Rosa, a a straight shot down Hwy. 12 to The Fest!): 1.800.233.1234 (worldwide) www.vineyardcreek.hyatt.com
Hotel La Rose (Santa Rosa, and almost a straight shot down 12 to The Fest): 707.579.3200
Holiday Inn Express, Hopper Ave., (Santa Rosa): 707.545.9000 and www.winecountryhotel.com
DoubleTree Hotel Sonoma Wine Country (Rohnert Park): 707.584.5466

The following are options I cannot vouch for personally, but some folks have had nice things to say:

Microtel Inn & Suite, Santa Rosa: 707.568.5782
Ramada Limited, Santa Rosa: 707.575.4600
Ramada Limited, Rohnert Park: 707.584.1600
Best Western Inn, Rohnert Park: 707.584.7435

WHEN IS IT?
This event is held the third weekend of May (and the days preceding it) each year so you can plan ahead.

ARE THERE CLASSES?
But of course! I think I am now offering more classes than any other belly dance event in the world in one place - rivaling the world's longest-running belly dance festival, Rakkasah West, and Egypt's Ahlan Wa Sahlan! Each year the number has grown and in 2007 there are 40 (FORTY) classes to choose from! Since there are so many, I have them listed three ways to help you decide and plan around overlapping schedules more easily. (See Quick-Peek Buttons #1 & #2 before moving on to #3 Detailed Class Info, from the Tribal Fest 7 button on the Main Page if you are reading this while there is Tribal Fest info up on the site, which is usually from Nov. 1 - June 1.)

EXREMELY IMPORTANT: Do NOT send any mail after March 10, 2007. NO class registrations, nothing to do with Tribal Fest. I MUST have everything in hand no later than April 1, 2007 in order to send you your class receipts (which you MUST have in hand) in time. Mail takes a very long time to reach Maui, so REALLY, *DO NOT SEND* any correspondence past the deadline date this year!

Chuck and I leave early for CA to get The Fest set up and will not be able to pick up any mail after April 1, 2007. It creates many problems at The Fest when we hear things like, "I sent it two weeks ago", so PLEASE DON'T.
If there is any room in any class you'd like to take, please just go to that class early (about 10 minutes) and talk with the registrar. If there is still room, you can pay CASH ONLY at the door. At the door workshop prices are: for the $30 classes, $35 in CASH. For the $50 classes, $55 in CASH. No other method of payment will be accepted at the door.
Thank you for your consideration and compliance with this serious deadline for receiving postal mail, and for remembering to bring your receipts to classes for admittance. No receipt means you must pay for the class again, in cash, and then send verification of a cancelled check AND the receipt you forgot to bring to me after The Fest is over. I will then send reimbursement upon verification. There will be about 1,500 people taking classes this year, so I'm sure you can understand why the rules must apply to everyone and why I need your registrations IN ADVANCE, the sooner the better. Thank you!

WHEN ARE THE PERFORMANCES?
All performances are indoors, in the Main Auditorium. They are non-stop except for 2 open floors, one held Saturday afternoon and one Sunday afternoon, for about 45 minutes each including set-up and take-down. The open floors are for your own enjoyment, so it's a great chance to get up and boogie with our live band and DJs.

Show Hours are:
Friday doors open at 5:00 p.m., show starts at 6:00 and goes until 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 or 10:30 a.m. (watch for performer line-up to determine start time in Spring) until 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

WHAT ABOUT THE SHOW CONTENTS and POLICIES?
Be aware that loud music will be played and that some acts may not be suitable for young children or queasy adults, depending upon your upbringing. Do not ask for the sound to be turned down, it won't be. We like it LOUD. If you don't please sit away from the speakers or stand in the back of the room where you will be more comfortable. Bringing earplugs is not against the rules, either, so take care of yourself but don't be-atch!

There will be no total nudity to The Producer's advance knowledge, but do expect some burlesque down to pasties and g-strings, and other unusual acts that push the envelopes and make Tribal Fest what we freaky bellydancers love and cannot see or express elsewhere. These are the very people I created this event for!

If you are frightened by alternative people, loud music, weird piercings and tattoos and who-knows-what kinds of surprises onstage, this may not be the event for you. May I suggest Rakkasah or Cairo Carnivale instead? They're great events and have "more family values" than Tribal Fest does.

On then other hand, if you love freaky people and consider yourself one, this festival is for YOU. Bring your freaky selves and party down with your friends you only see here once a year! Wear what you want, dare to perform what you can't elsewhere and love the event. Bring your open hearts and minds and keep The Fest Alive! One day, I'd love to see things like certain performance pieces, outdoor art, etc. that is created just for Tribal Fest, like people do for Burning Man. Let this event be your inspiration for new ideas every year, pushing boundaries and envelopes until they pop with creativity!

Be aware that standing room only does occur at peak times during Tribal Fest. Paying admission does NOT guarantee you will have a seat just sitting there open and waiting for you. There are NO RESERVED SEATS and NO RESERVING of seats on your own.

Please Note: There is new, much stricter policy about saving seats in effect starting with TF7. The policy is: You must have someone actually in your seat if you need to visit the restroom, get food, go shop, take a class, take a walk, or leave your chair for any reason. There are no empty seats allowed.

I know this is tough, and the fact that you may have a friend sitting next to your empty seat saying "someone's sitting here" will be hard since last year was so lax in this dept.. But, face it, "someone is NOT sitting there" at the moment, so let someone else sit for sec! The venue is too small and that kind of selfish act is just too rude to tolerate further. If it's just stuff on a seat, people have permission to move said stuff beneath the seat and replace the stuff with their ass.

If you gotta go, wave at someone standing and offer 'em a seat for a few minutes. Let's be more "Tribal" and less greedy! If you see an empty seat, even if it has stuff on it, you have advance permission from The Producer to remove said stuff and sit in the seat. Place the stuff either in your lap or under the seat. If the owner returns, give them back their stuff but not their seat. And remember, should you get up, the same will happen to "your" seat.

Take some heart in knowing this only happens during some peak times, which I am hoping to have put a stop to this year (no "Saturday Afternoon Star-Studded Extravaganza" any more)! Teachers and favorite performers will be spread out throughout the weekend. Plus, there will be only the official BlackSheep BellyDance / Tribal Fest vendor (and maybe the BDSS / The Indigo table) set up on Friday night inside so there will be gobs of chairs and standing room behind Chuck, the sound man.

**It is here in print, so no being offended should you fail to read this and find your stuff under the seat amongst the garbage. The Producer and her Staff reserve the right to ask anyone we feel is non-compliant, argumentative or just plain rude to leave the premises without a refund.**

HOW MUCH IS IT TO GET IN?
Please Note: There will be no advance ticket sales and no discounted weekend passes starting now, at TF7. Everyone will pay at the door every day. Please have cash in correct change ($15 U.S. Dollars) handy for each day to move it along, thanks.

Traveler's Cheques in U.S. Dollars made to BlackSheep BellyDance and no higher than $50 is the only other way to pay besides cash. NO personal checks, NO credit cards, NO bills over $20 will be accepted at the door. Please come prepared with $45 in 3 ten and 3 five dollar notes and bring one of each to the door each day. Easy, huh? Thanks.

Adults: $15 at the door only, and in cash in correct change ONLY. This is the price for any of the 3 days: Friday night, all day Saturday and all day Sunday.
Children under 5 are free but strongly suggested that they stay at home with a babysitter.
Children between age 5 and 12 are $10, but are also encouraged to stay home.
Seniors over 60 with ID are $10, but be aware that standing room only occurs at this event during certain peak times.
In and out privileges are extended to all attendees via hand stamps that vary by day.

SHOPPING:
You can shop to your heart's content all five days outside! This year all vendors have the option to vend all five days, so you will be able to have first crack at the one-of-a-kind goodies on Wednesday! Please note that our vendors sell goodies for Tribal dancers and related items that appeal to those of us who attend The Best of the Fests (TM). No acres of the latest from Cairo, and no booths carrying the same thing as the others. I strive to provide you with a wide selection of goodies especially geared for the Tribal, Fusion and ethnic dancer, and do this by jurying the vendors.

The magical Labyrinth outside will have even more vendors than last year! Vendors can be found scattered across the front lawn as usual, and on Saturday and Sunday indoors, in a classroom and in the main hall. There are fewer vendors indoors than for the first few years to accommodate more chairs for the audience. Every year we remove someone and do not replace them inside in order to make more room for you. Thank you to those of you who have noticed this and thanked us for it!

During Friday night's show the only booths in action will be the official BlackSheep BellyDance / Tribal Fest T-Shirt and Tank Top booth, with a slim possibility for The Indigo / Miles Copeland / Bellydance Superstars stuff, since The Indigo is performing a special peek into their new tour separate from the BDSS, Serpent Rouge, that night. No vendors other than us two chickens will be set up indoors during Friday night's show in 2007 in order to accommodate more audience than ever before on that one night at least.

VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY:
People always ask about videography and photography at Tribal Fest, especially since my policy is so different from the rest of the events out there. Here are some quick answers:

***All recording devices, whether still or moving, are for your personal use ONLY. NO commercial use of any portion of any footage taken from Tribal Fest is allowed without written consent from the subject/s and the event producer. No videos are available for sale at the event or afterwards due to recording label nightmares. There are NO commercial videos at all anywhere. We do not have "official videographers" that charge $30 for your own solo or group dance - invariably, done very poorly anyway. So, please bring your own camera, or a friend with one, to film your group's set and whomever else you please as long as you follow the "agreements" below. ***

VIDEOGRAPHY & PHOTOGRAPHY AGREEMENTS:
*No, you may not videotape the workshops. Even if it were OK with the teacher, the
room would be too crowded with tripods everywhere, so NO. Perhaps your teacher has DVDs for sale, so ask her or him if you want something to practice with.

*Yes, you may videotape the show (or record by other medium) *UNLESS* the performer has requested in their announcement that they prefer not to be videoed. If you missed their announcement, use your judgement by looking around you to see if anyone else besides Chuck The Sound Guy (who is The Producer's husband) is taping before you start. Please be respectful of the performers. This includes your cell phone videos, too, so PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL so this policy can continue. Thank you!

*Still photography is allowed. No flashes right at a dancer, please! Be kind and thoughtful if using a camera of any kind and don't distract the performers.

*Because of these unique policies, Tribal Fest tends to have lots of cameras. In order to keep this policy, the following AGREEMENTS for behavior must be upheld:

1. DON'T block audience members to get "that shot"! Please do not be rude! Stay in back of the seats if using any type of camera on a tripod. On Friday night, that will be pretty far back.

2. Do not stand up in front of anyone else to get a shot from the seats. Thank you!

3. The Producer reserves the right to have you move if you're blocking reasonable sightlines or are in the center aisle. Please do not block vision from the sound booth, Chuck needs to see the performers.

ARE THERE PAID STAFF POSITIONS?
Yes, two:

#1: RESPONSIBLE STAFF PEOPLE. Optimally, I am looking for the same people for every year to fill the same positions. This way every year will become easier, not harder, to produce.

Staff will be paid *after* your shifts this year since at least one third of our staff either didn't show up or only worked the first day when they had been foolishly paid already for all other days.

This year The Producer shall work this in a more professional manner for all. Your title is no longer "volunteer" as since last year everyone was paid and the same shall continue this year. To become a Paid Staff Member, please call: 808.891.8891 - 24 hours and leave a thorough message/s (when I call back, should I get your machine, I can tell it the answer and we don't have to play phone tag more than necessary) that includes your name, where you're from, your email address (spelled out), your phone number (leave it twice), your age (yes, it does seem older ppl are more responsible, sorry, kids!- but if you can prove how responsible you are I may consider you even if you are under 25), your gender (males in general may be able to be more business-like about this and not just get carried away shopping or mooning over someone and forget they're *working*, though female applicants will be needed for the dressing room attendant position and other less physically demanding positions) and relationship to Tribal Fest (attendee, student, performer, friend or significant other of a performer, etc.) and the day or part of the day from Fri. afternoon - Sun. night (including take-down) you are willing to work. *Be sure to take into consideration any classes and/or your performance time, if any, BEFORE you ask to become TF Staff for a certain day or time period - thanks!* People who can be most flexible and who can work longer shifts will be paid accordingly.

A minimum of 4 hours in one stretch per day is expected for Paid Staff and more is better. You will be paid according to the total numbers of hours worked, of course. **There are no Staff Positions open Wed. - Fri. afternoon** - this opportunity is for right before, after and during The Show only. I need physically strong persons for Saturday morning before the show to help set up vendor tables by 8:00 a.m. so our indoor vendors can get in by then to set up before the show starts at 10:00 or 10:30 a.m. (yes, that IS early - extra perks for you guys!) and for Sunday night after the show to put them away. (Show ends by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.) *Set-up and take-down crew can count both as one four-hour shift even though we'll be done in less time.* *I would prefer the same crew for both set-up and take-down as you will know what's up and where it all goes, so less training is needed.*

Please be watchful for emails in the Spring and *read them thoroughly and reply if asked to* after your telephone confirmation from me as that will be our main method of communicating after initial contact. Last year we had many ppl who didn't read their entire emails, assumed all was well, showed up to find another person had been scrambled to be found because we thought you'd dropped the ball since you didn't reply as asked. So Staff NEEDS to be "on the ball", not dropping it. Thanks!

and

#2: I am looking for at least four (six would be better) different REVIEWERS so Tribal Fest can get the press it deserves. I want to thank Lynette of The Gilded Serpent online magazine who came last year and wrote something for her mag, it's very important that The Fest stays "out there" and reviews help more than you can imagine. In fact, that's how I started my own writing career (and got in free to hundreds of events from punk shows to Beatlemania! in the 80s to Mendocino Middle Eastern Music & Dance Camp and more since changing careers to bellydance full-time in the 90s). I guess those early days gave me the wherewithal to write The Tribal Bible, too.

As much as I would prefer reviewers who already have had something published in one of our bellydance trade publications or elsewhere, I may consider new authors. Here's how this will work: You must attend at least a couple classes during the week (Wed.- Sun.) and be there for the entire show: from the time Vishnu Tattva Das offers The Invocation on Friday night to close, Saturday all day (except for breaks of course) & Sunday until Urban Tribal Dance Co. closes The Fest.

If you have not had anything published, please write something for me to see - it can be about the last show you saw or were in, or any dance subject. I am not looking for college dissertations, just honest reviews. The type of review I prefer contains brief (one or two sentence) quotes from random attendees, vendors, performers, workshop participants, teachers, maybe even the producer ;-) etc. (So bring your little Radio Shack voice recorder - great for workshop notes, too!) or a pad and pen if you're a more old-fashioned reporter (and know shorthand!).

You must also be able to operate a camera. The camera does not have to be professional, just pretty good to capture the ambience outside and a few performers, and maybe a photo of one of your workshops in action. You must be able to make tiff.s or pdf.s from your photos as well as that is how the mags like them. They should be 300 dpi but a bit less is acceptable for a review in some magazines, as are jpg.s.

If you can do that, please submit by mail copies of previous works with references to which magazine and when the article or review was published, OR a new sample work if previously unpublished, and a letter stating you'd like to be one of Tribal Fest 7's Official Reviewers. Send packet to: Kajira Djoumahna, P.O. Box 791000, Paia, HI, 96779-1000, USA and be sure to include all contact info: mailing addy, email addy, phone # (most important of all).

Once you submit your review by email to the magazine I assign to you (we need multiple reviewers 'cause editors hate the same ones) and cc it to Chuck at the same time so we have a receipt that you did it, what it was and when and where you sent it to, you shall receive a full refund for all shows (a $45 value as there are no weekend passes this year) and a thank-you card from us suitable for framing. :-D This is what you'd get if you had an actual Press Pass from an actual newspaper, magazine, etc., except "card-carrying reporters from reputable newspapers" get in free to all events and don't need to be reimbursed later because they actually follow through with reviews and photos since that is their job.

We've learned oh-so-painfully over the last couple years especially that although we're sure almost everyone means well, that doesn't mean they follow through. This would be a great job for a family member or friend who is a non-dancer but who is used to The Scene and knows about stuff from listening to you. (Significant others, hear our plea and obey! Thanks! LOL!)

*Please note that a Reviewer and a Staff Person can possibly be the same persons in some cases.* Gee, you might leave Tribal Fest with more $ than you came with! Well, probably not, let's face it, us girls will shop at our giant once-a-year TribalMart until every last saved penny has been begged, borrowed and spent! Um, unless you're a guy. Then you really *do* have a chance! Why be bored following your woman from table to table when you could be earning back some of that cash she's busy spending? Poor guys just look for the ever-present "husband chair" and try not to look bored. This way, they can actually help the cause! Don't worry, I know was' up, I've been married for over 15 years now. ;-D