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“Hi Kajira!
I’m so tired of seeing a dancer perform a cabaret routine in a tribal costume and call it “tribal fusion”..... certainly there must be ‘something’ other than just a costume that contributes to the ‘fusion’? Are there any “criteria” that should be met to truly call it “tribal fusion”? I’d really appreciate your input! ~ Heather”
Aloha, Heather!
Don’t despair, you are not alone. I and so many people I know have been where you’re at now for years! I am heartened to receive your question, it’s GREAT because it means people like you and me are noticing these imposters and are now finding our voice to call ‘em on it! Yes! We now have hope of educating others so they may reach the place you and I are at: we can tell the fake fusions from the real ones. Not everyone can do that yet, so we must help them.
The “criteria for tribal fusion” below is my opinion only, of course. But that’s why you asked me, right? We can already assume the costuming and music are modern, probably non-traditional compositions or remixes. That’s 2 things that could be criteria in this form that I’ll choose not to delve into because I feel those are more open to interpretation and change more rapidly than the dancing part itself. But this one is important, I think: To qualify as any type of belly dance, one must play hand percussion traditional to bellydance when appropriate to do so and perform moves associated with bellydance. Whoo-hoo, did I open a can of worms? Are you awake n’ thinkin’ now?
I hope so, ‘cause this one basic criteria includes any kind of belly dance and therefore, all bellydance fusions. ESPECIALLY “Tribal Fusions” because, as we all know by now, American Tribal Style Belly Dancers (ATS BD) - the “Tribal” that “Tribal Fusion” is based on, not Native American Tribal Dances - traditionally use finger cymbals (at least for fast music) during practice and performance. In fact, all publically passable professional bellydancers from any country who perform any style of the art form in question use hand percussion at least during parts of their shows and have for centuries. Therefore, it would be impossible to have “bellydance-anything” without including the most basic of criteria that defines “BellyDance”: the movements and the hand percussion.
Of course other very basic criteria for being able to perform Tribal Fusion Belly Dance include study, knowledge and practice of the “parent forms of tribal fusion:” ATS BD and American (or other) Cabaret BD. Knowledge of traditional Middle Eastern Folkloric and Tribal dances don’t hurt.
That is only for starters, and only for Tribal Fusion. Believe it or not, other interpretations that take advantage of the same umbrella term without meeting the basic criteria at all include things entirely off the “bellydance radar” such as club and street dance, hip-hop, capoeira, modern dance, ballet and other Classical occidental forms, theater, vaudeville, fire arts, Asian dances, burlesque, performance art, martial arts, Gothic, Latin, Polynesian, Indian (both folkloric and Classical forms), Sacred World dances and Rituals, interpretive styles and more “world dance samplers” than can be listed here, none of which qualify to be called “Tribal Fusion.” They just happen to get lumped under the same name! “World Fusion Dance” is a far more appropriate name. It doesn’t lead people to believe it a style of belly dance, yet artists are free to use belly dance as inspiration along with their other styles, and is becoming more widely used thanks to people who ask questions and keep their eyes open like you, and to groups who do World Fusion Dance and call it just that, like UNMATA on the West Coast and Zafira Dance Company on the East Coast. (Note the naming of both troupes as well - they leave it open to interpretation like their dances and inspirations can be. This is truth in advertising.)
Dancers who chafe at rules, take heart! Like “all the great artists say”: learn the rules and then, and only then, break ‘em to your heart’s content! ‘Cause if BellyDance ain’t your cup o’ tea, no one will give you a ticket. Re-naming your new creation to reflect truth in advertising is best for all. Perhaps what you are doing is a World Dance Fusion or an Interpretive Dance that has been inspired by bellydance and lots of other dances and ideas. These are exciting terms to adopt in this quickly-changing field and have no expectations, and therefore no boundaries! These terms would be acceptable to everyone because they’re true - the name says what it is, and all people appreciate honesty. One could become the next sensation by really putting their souls into a new fusion interpretation with a new, correctly termed name! Because, if not following “the criteria” asked about in this question, you are not doing “the dance,” therefore that ‘something’ will always be missing.
Another problem is that PROMOTERS are in no small part responsible for perpetuating
the misnomer, “Tribal Fusion!” I bet they wouldn’t do that with Lebanese Debke, Greek Style Bellydance and Turkish Rromany Dance! They don’t get this is how far from one another the various ATS BD, Tribal Fusion BD, and World Dance Fusion expressions can be from one another. Why? Because many promoters come only from Oriental Dance backgrounds and don’t know the difference between one style and another when it comes to Tribal-anything. Some give me the impression they don’t care to take the time to learn, either. This is disrespectful to artists of these styles as well as misleading to their participant and audience base. These promoters just know people want instructors who teach “Tribal” - and I mean, “tribal-anything!” When they can’t get one person for a certain date, they ask any other person who “seems similar,” but who we know are worlds apart stylistically. (They obviously haven’t read The Tribal Bible! LOL!)
They really don’t care who’s who, who knows their stuff, who’s put in their time, who can teach safely, who are good teachers in the field, or know if the style you’re presenting is ATS, Fusion, or something you made up on your way there on the plane. And, to make matters worse, no matter what you call your style, they may call it something else during your introduction and in their advertising. How’s someone new to “tribal-anything” supposed to know the difference? Promoters, shame on you! Learn about who and what you’re inviting to your neck of the woods and call their style by the artist’s chosen name. I am seeing this a lot lately and it bugs me. It could be part of the reason you saw what you saw! The dancer in the question may have just returned from a poorly presented “Tribal Fusion Belly Dance” workshop given by an unqualified teacher. As a fellow promoter, this is serious business.
A great example occurred just last week. I had Heather Stants of Urban Tribal Dance Company here on Maui co-teaching an Intensive. Notice how she doesn’t claim to be doing “tribal fusion” - let alone “bellydance” - in her company’s title. Heather and I had time to chat about this very thing. She agrees that her style, though commonly referred to as “Tribal Fusion” by promoters and media, isn’t that and in fact isn’t really “Bellydance,” though it is strongly influenced by Belly Dance’s general slow moves and flow, as well as the sleekness of some styles of Modern Dance and the quick, athletic level changes of hip-hop (among other things - she truly has created her own style of dance). As she put it, “we hardly ever even shimmy anymore!” and that she tried for some time to get her group’s style to be called “Interpretive Modern Urban Tribal Dance,” but who’s gonna put that on a flyer, folks? Heather has used “truth in advertising” for years. I have always admired Heather as a peer in dance, now more than ever. I hope that gives promoters and dancers who aren’t doing “strictly bellydance” either, but are calling their dance style “tribal fusion,” a good example for them to emulate in order to be truthful and do our part to educate. I’m extremely grateful that more and more well-known instructors are setting good examples by coming up with their own monikers to describe what they do instead of riding on the coattails of other successful styles.
Let’s address that certain “‘something’ that contributes to the fusion” you mentioned in your question, Heather. I agree it exists! There must be a special “something” or Tribal Fusion BD wouldn’t have the energy it does, which you and I know can be very different from that of either “parent,” ATS or Cabaret BD styles. This “something” comes not from the costumes, the music, the movement repertoire - but from both “parent styles.” The ATS “genes” provided “outside-the-box pan-ethnic” costuming, power and majesty, boldness and group improv, the proud, uplifted posture and the idea of opposition of parts to create the longest line possible on the body (something ATS borrowed from ballet). From the Cabaret side of the family Tribal Fusion inherited it’s lyrical smoothness, solo improv and group choreography, intricate locks and pops, tiny vibrations, the fairly new slow (and much safer) variation of the old-style Turkish Drop and looser arm frames. Both styles gave it a good dose of finger cymbals to use while dancing.
Just like it takes a certain “something” to convincingly embody an Egyptian BellyDancer (for example), it takes a different certain “something” to embody a Tribal Fusion BellyDancer. That “something” comes from knowledge (study and practice) and from within the dancer’s soul. Just like her Egyptian counterpart, the Tribal Fusion Belly Dancer must truly understand what makes her chosen dance style truly hers (or his) in order to even begin to embody anything.
That doesn’t sound like the dancer you described in your question. Perhaps she was a new performer (let’s hope that was her excuse). That certain “something” we’re in need of comes only through years of study and development of personal duende/power. As an instructor in the field, it pains me to say that the old adage is true: some got it and some don’t. Those who don’t must work MUCH harder to emulate those that do, and through the act of emulating and lots of one-on-one coaching, they may, in time, learn to find “it.” Those that do have that “something” have it from birth, and it just needs coaxing and some technical training to burst forth. This “something” is definitely tied to personal confidence which can also be thought of as charisma.
Confidence in the art of dance comes from constant study and practice, muscle memory and knowledge, which used to mean simple “love of the dance.” If you love something, you can’t live without it! It consumes you and that is what makes you better than average, because you live, eat, sleep and breathe dance. Skip the love, skip the training (‘cause who wants to spend time and money on stuff they don’t love?) and you have what you saw, someone coasting on a cool style’s name in the hopes others will want to see her act. They will - once. And they’ll notice she doesn’t truly love the dance she is doing as she knows not what she does.
With aloha,
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 |