What is Tribal Belly Dance?

Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is a form of modern belly dance generally referring to a combination (fusion) of many dance forms. It frequently incorporates elements of Popping, Hip Hop, Breakdance, 'Egyptian' or 'Cabaret' belly dance, and modern, but often draws from many traditional forms such as Flamenco, Kathak, Bhangra, Balinese, and other folkloric dance styles. In tribal fusion, dancers expand on the elements previously fused to form American Tribal Style, also referred to as ATS, to make their style unique and more relevant to their contemporary experience.

American Tribal Style Belly dance has many different names and many different styles from various regions. Here in the United States, the most popular style performed is the traditional Egyptian cabaret style known as Raks al Sharki or Oriental Dance. However, a new style has emerged, especially on the west coast, American Tribal Style Belly dance. It is an ethnic fusion style, influenced by Middle Eastern dance but inspired by American artistic sensibilities. It has nothing to do with representing a particular tribe, but it combines movement vocabularies and regional costuming to form one cohesive presentation. The "American" part of the label acknowledges that the dancers are continents away from the culture that created the dance form and are taking artistic license with it.