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“Hi Kajira!
I keep hearing things about “East Coast Tribal” and “West Coast Tribal” ... what’s the difference? I thought “tribal” was “tribal”! Can you explain? ~ Bethany”
Aloha Bethany,
I agree with you completely that “tribal” IS “tribal.” Readers may stop here or continue, LOL! (I know, a shocker from “KD The Long-Winded!” Who really could quit here, but then where’s the fun in that?) Plus, I have ideas as to why there are slight stylistic variances everywhere, including in CA where it all started. And, there are the growing exceptions of dedicated dancers around the world who are becoming certified in many teachers’s formats (most of them becoming certified in more than one style), which I am all for, as they teach each style separately in their classes and know the difference as will their students, or simply stick to one format and keep the Certificates of Achievement as proof they have learned from many. This looks very good in anyone’s resume, after all, and shows in their personal knowledge and skill. Some do this simply to become more well-rounded dancers as individuals, better teachers, or to go on to emulate the teachers of their choice in their own classes.
I have stated “Tribal is Tribal” in many ways and many times, and through many various mediums, most importantly by dancing with others whom I’ve never danced with before, quite successfully and on many, many, many occasions, over many years and in many places. (“The proof is in da puddin’!”)
One of my oft-used ideas (‘cause it is very important to recognize, I feel) while teaching and sharing is:“Tribal is tribal wherever you go, even if spoken with a different accent (or dialect).” To quote one of my all-time fave cult flicks, Buckaroo Bansai, “No matter where you go, there you are!” Well said, Buckaroo n’ Co.!
A fantastic bit of evidence to support Buckaroo’s and my own feelings is still shining in my jet-lagged brain from my recent trip straight from the Arabian Nights at Sea cruise (Mexico muy bueno!) to Taiwan. First a bit of background: Betty Lee of Taipei, whom I am honored to say is one of my most avid international students and most active KD/BSBD Format for ATS BD instructors in Taiwan along with KiKi Kuan of Hsinchu, who also is Certified in my Format for ATS BD as well as other styles of dance and fitness and who was my sponsor this year, both have BSBD-based ATS performance troupes. Their groups also do Tribal/Chinese Fusion and other types of dances. I will be returning twice in 2008 sponsored by both ladies in totally different events, and I can’t wait!
KiKi’s group is Tribal Sky and Betty’s group is Shimmy Tribe. While watching Shimmy Tribe from the audience before our ATS duet, Seba (my fabulous apprentice, amazing assistant and BSBD’s Acting Director) had tears of joy from seeing “It” (essentially, ourselves) in action especially in such a foreign country (Asia is totally different from Europe and I am so grateful she could take time off work to come with me). She said it was almost like watching BlackSheep - except some were newer performers and everyone was Taiwanese! No words needed. Dance transcends the ordinary. It never fails. Yup. Tribal is Tribal. Even as done in far-away Taiwan.
I am aware of the very fine group, Solstice, led by the gorgeous creature Sera of the Wa., DC area as she took the time and trouble to send me their DVD which is titled “East Coast Tribal” as an extra added touch along with their Tribal Fest 7 performance request. They did not leave anyone in the house disappointed by their smooth quality nor at all confused as to what style they presented there: their own style of tribal fusion. Yup. Tribal Fusion is Tribal Fusion. Even with an east coast accent!
There are just SO MANY talented, incredible, dedicated dancers from America’s East Coast, as that’s where the then-new, oh-so-rebellious ATS BD and all of the ideas that make that original style of Tribal so unique and so deliciously different first took hold after conquering the West Coast. PA’s Philadelphia Tribal Dance Co., directed and taught by Fleur Frascella (now of Las Vegas, NV), were the first and longest-running ATS group I met from there. Dancers in the Midwest and Gulf regions were not far behind, as during my research for The Tribal Bible I chatted with and featured in the book Stephanie Barto of Chicago, IL’s Read My Hips, who was the first person Carolena of FCBD certified to teach her format outside of CA.
I always bring teachers from anywhere I can to Tribal Fest (TM pending), as my goal is to introduce everyone to everyone else and celebrate our similarities - even more than our differences. In ‘07 I brought Zafira Dance Co. and Troupe Kassar, both of whom I’ve worked with before, and whom I look forward to working with again. Also from NY came Cammi Vance/Darshan and Sarah J. Locke. From FL, Riz and Xenobia to teach and perform fire dances. I had 3 teachers from India and a duet that are surely amongst the “best kept secrets” of tribal fusion, TribalTique of CO (who will be back this year). TF8 will be NY’s Raquy and the Cavemen’s (of NY) 3rd year at The Fest! I’m pretty sure their first festival experience was at TF, now they’re everywhere. I’m so fulfilled knowing TF has helped so many people’s careers by sheer exposure to so many from around the globe who attend. Rarely does a good teacher or performer walk away from The Fest without gaining several new gig offers while there or shortly afterwards, from their exposure at my event alone. It does my heart good to hear that from so many of my very loyal teachers, who are becoming extremely “hot commodities” but who still make time in their annual schedules to teach and perform at Tribal Fest, which is really appreciated.
Besides my loyal “heavy hitters,” each year I bring some “unknowns” so they can also become future hot commodities! I’m known for my knack of seeking out talent before they’re big names and am really looking forward to bringing some new-to-TF artists from all over again this coming year, as well as at least one or two who haven’t been there for a couple years, including (and besides CA): MA, PA, NJ, IL, CO, AZ, NY, NC, MD, England, Taiwan, Japan, of course at least 2 from India and a “Canuck”! And I may have forgotten a state there - sorry if you’re reading this, it’s off the top o’ my head, so if you don’t see your state, no worries, you’re not “fired!” LOL! So check my site in late November or my Tribe now for the list of 38 teachers we have already confirmed for Tribal Fest 8 - more will be added by the time the info hits the actual site sometime in November ‘07. I invite everyone reading this to come to Tribal Fest and see what I’m talking about for themselves.
How do I know who will “fit the bill” for teaching at Tribal Fest? It’s easy: even if there are “personal touch” stylistic variances we can learn to tell one bellydance style from another, and even various sub-groups such as what we have for “Tribal Belly Dance.” This is true for any dance form, classical or folk and from any country, and easy to do with time. All one need do is study enough to understand that particular style’s “language of dance” that gives that dance form its foundation and structure and therefore, its style’s name.
For example, I particularly enjoy watching hard-studying ATS groups who have learned from Carolena (FCBD), Paulette (GC) and myself (BSBD) and noticing how they’ve come up with seamless transitions from one A/TS format to another, being able to recognize the moves from each teacher they learned from added to their repertoire, and then the ones they figured out on their own, and their own variations on “our” steps! They“get it!” It’s always a wonderful gift to see people enjoying and honoring what they’re doing, as you’ll feel joyful, too. As a teacher, I’ve been fortunate to now feel “me” living on inside others - it’s really so unreal and so sacred-feeling to me. I know my teachers are always with me and it’s wondrous to have others verbally articulate the same concept to me, now in reverse.
So, dancers from both coasts and everywhere in between have had many years to grow foundations, even though it was much more difficult to learn and practice actual ATS if you weren’t from out west simply due to geography and life stuff preventing most from being able to stay for weeks elsewhere to study. So people improvised (pun intended), like we do anywhere we really become inspired to create something for ourselves similar to something else we love when what we love is not readily available. This human trait has resulted in the happy fact that now, wherever you go, you find someone doing some sort of “tribal.” From what I’ve seen represented at this year’s Fest and during my travels, Tribal Fusion is recognizable as it is presented no matter where the dancer/s are from. ATS definitely has its own quality that I feel is also easily recognizable, also no matter where they’re from. I feel the same about World Fusion Dance.
I’ve noticed that people often begin growing “into themselves” as artists when they begin to incorporate things from personal experience that make them “them”and stop copying someone else they will never be down to every little detail. Yes, they need to learn from teachers with strong foundations in order to build their own format one day, which is expected to be based on, or at least influenced by, their teachers’. Once they’ve paid their dues learning everything their inspirations can impart, many are ready to “make their dance their own.”
Since a noticeable percentage of dancers on both coasts seem to enjoy similar types of events that have impact in their everyday lives and therefore, their dances, one would expect to see these “outside” influences help to further define people’s styles who come from these places. The first example that comes to mind are Renaissance Faires for west-coasters as compared to Pennsic Wars for east-coasters. Thank goodness actual “battle-ready,” historically accurate scimitars (and much earlier, tray sets and Moroccan baskets) were adopted from these places for use by “tribal-for-Faire/Pennsic” bellydancers, who clued the rest of us in to the shameful fact we were using the equivalent of a child’s toy in many cases - remember those old, cheap calvary-style sabers with the awful, not-balanced handles that came in the velvet scabbards and rusted immediately? At least the scabbards were OK. Well, kinda. I’ve seen more menacing-looking letter openers! LOL!
Burning Man has increasingly become an influence in many styles of Tribal, from clothing and music to entire choreographies that do not have to involve fire, though I’m seeing lots more crossover and fusion artists that do incorporate actual flames, usually depending upon the gig. More and more tribal dancers from the east coast are attending BM and certainly its influence is strong in CA, even in my group. One of BSBD’s principal dancers and Certified Teachers, Jillee, has been teaching fire bellydance classes on her nights off from BSBD classes for about a year now and has developed a performance group called The Fire Lilies, all while keeping up with her BSBD classes and many shows. She is not alone as evidenced by tribal fusion dancers from all over the U.S.
Same concept goes for the Gothic subculture, “Industrial”and “Urban” club influences, the revival of the art forms that are Burlesque and Vaudeville, bondage and fetish wear (such a vinyl, corsets, punky-bondage-y spikes and even cowboy chaps) for performance “enactments” and other more personal-life ideas. Lots of these types of influences come from the music and clothing that is worn for these subculture’s events or nightclubs. Dance movements are very much influenced and may be limited to what one can do while wearing KISS-style boots and customized Mad Max, weird swimmer, or welding-type goggles (but never on the eyes, only on the forehead, unless in a severe sandstorm during BM)! = ;-)
So, in case you’re still with me - nope, I have not seen any noticeable differences between tribal or tribal fusion belly dancers anywhere in the world, let alone east coast or west coast of the U.S.. Even if not from America, they’re learning from us what ATS and Tribal Fusion are, so their styles will always be rooted in America’s soil like ours are rooted - somewhere down deep, in the soils of the Middle East, North Africa, all along The Romani Trail and today, in the world of “Tribal,” our own personal life experiences we choose to incorporate.
Just like our dance ancestors have always done.
With Aloha to all,
Kajira Djoumahna
Winner of 2 awards for Favorite Instructor (IAMED & Zaghareet!’s Golden Belly Awards), 2 awards for Favorite Event and Promoter for Tribal Fest (Zaghareet!’s Golden Belly Awards - thanks to all of you readers!) and some honorary awards for DVD content and outstanding achievement. Author of the Tribal Bible, 2 instructional DVDs, producer of Tribal Fest and Maui Intensives, global workshop teacher and director of BlackSheep BellyDance CA & HI. www.BlackSheepBellyDance.com |