“Tribal Fusion” by Heather Stants
edited by Tom Rehor

Tribal Fusion is an evolving dance form and in order to understand its direction one must explore its roots. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the American Belly Dance world was struck by the otherworldly beauty and power of a new form of dance emerging from a community of visionary artists in the San Francisco Bay Area. Carolena Nericcio and her company, Fat Chance Belly Dance, had begun a transformation in American Belly Dance with their creation of American Tribal Style (ATS). This form focuses on the company dancing as a unit, most often in an improvisational format of leaders and followers all attuned to the same movements, cues and combinations. The movement vocabulary as well as the costuming is an eclectic blend of influences from the many cultures throughout North Africa, India, Spain and the Middle East. The ATS costume usually consists of layers of pantaloons, skirts, belts and cholis made of antique textiles and tribal jewelry. The heavy costumes add to the earthiness of the movement style.

The beauty of ATS has spread to dancers nationally and internationally and - like any evolving art form - as it reaches new artists it takes on their characteristics and influences. The latest variant of this "tribal" dance is given the title "Tribal Fusion". A new generation of dancers has discovered ATS and stamped it with their experience and imagination creating a new dance form altogether. "Tribal Fusion" has become a catch-all label for the various representations of this evolving style. Tribal Fusion music choices range from authentic tribal recordings to modern DJ mixed tracks. The costumes may be comprised of layers of authentic textiles and tribal jewelry, scaled down sleek club wear or anything in between. The movement vocabulary may incorporate elements of ATS, modern dance, hip-hop as well as the diverse dances of the world. The performances can be improvisational, tightly choreographed or a combination of the two. Because Tribal Fusion is still in its infancy as an art form, its rules are not yet firmly established. As it continues to evolve, its relation to ATS grows more distant and controversial.

There have been many talented performers who have been making their mark in the world of Tribal Fusion Belly Dance over the past ten years.
The artist who many identify as the pioneer of this new fusion style is
Jill Parker, an original member of Fat Chance Belly Dance. In the late
1990s Jill and her dance company, Ultra Gypsy, began to scale down the tribal costume, expand the movement vocabulary, work with modern DJ mixed music and play with theatrical themes in their performances. This had a significant impact on tribal dancers and opened up the floodgates of Tribal Fusion innovation. In early 2000 Urban Tribal Dance Company was born in San Diego, CA under the direction of Heather Stants, and has since popularized an innovative style inspired by hip hop, modern and interpretive dance, emphasizing flexibility and athleticism with a more streamlined costume to highlight movement. Two of Urban Tribal's original members have also made major contributions to Tribal Fusion costuming. Mardi Love set the trend with her tribal inspired soft yarn belts and cowry shell hair adornments and Melodia Medley created a line of dance pants that have become the standard for the Tribal Fusion community. Another artist to make significant contribution to the evolution of Tribal Fusion is Rachel Brice, widely recognized as the first Tribal Fusion soloist. Her approach to isolations and yoga infused dance training has crossed stylistic boundaries and expanded the number of Tribal Fusion enthusiasts worldwide. Many artists continue to create and expand upon this style, pushing the boundaries of Belly Dance with their theatricality, musical choice, costuming and venue selection. Tribal Fusion continues to be in a state of evolution.

The innovative voices carving out the path of Tribal Fusion have hit on an artistic expression that borrows from cultures of the past and takes them into the future. Tribal Fusion is a new art form with as many interpretations as there are artists performing. Festivals and events dedicated to ATS, Tribal Fusion and other related dance have sprung up all over the United States. The Tribal Belly Dance community has embraced fusion exploration. It could be many more years of pushing boundaries before Tribal Fusion settles into a definitive style, although for now it remains a testament to the enduring qualities of community, creativity and self expression within the world of belly dance.