NEWS: Kajira has just published her Tribal Bible! Years in the making, this is the only comprehensive guide to ATS bellydance and the ATS community. Click here for more info. Also, I decided to put up a little guide to the basic ATS movements, after I realized there isn't anything like that on the Internet (as far as I could tell).

I first got interested in Middle Eastern dance through the SCA. At my very first event, back in October 1998, I saw some women dancing together by firelight. Their movements were sensual and exotic; there seemed to be an unspoken communication between them as they swirled in unison, creating graceful patterns with their arms, their torsos undulating to the music, their hips swaying hypnotically. I was mesmerized.

Up until then, I -- like most people -- thought of Egyptian-style cabaret dancing if and when I thought of bellydancing at all. I'd never been interested in that kind of dance: all those sequins, the incessant shimmying, the implied come-on. This was something different: the dancers seemed to be dancing for themselves and each other, not for the audience. They radiated sexual confidence but not sexual availability.

I had discovered American Tribal Style bellydance. It's a modern style that only seems ancient, as it is based in traditional tribal and ethnic dances of the Middle East, North Africa, even India. But those authentic movements have been reinterpreted and stylized to create a uniquely American dance form. The soul of ATS is group improvisation, and the costumes are wonderful too!

While I was living in San Francisco, I took classes from Carolena Nericcio, one of the pioneers of ATS and founder of the troupe Fat Chance Belly Dance. I've also taken workshops with Kajira Djoumanha, who's based in Sonoma County and is an excellent teacher. Unfortunately, there isn't much ATS here in Los Angeles. I try to practice on my own and go to the occasional workshop, and I take classes with FCBD whenever I'm in San Francisco. I continue to dance in the SCA. (Although ATS is very popular in the SCA, especially in Northen California, it is only one of many styles of bellydance that are practiced in the SCA.)

ATS troupes, instructors, etc.

Fat Chance Belly Dance (San Francisco, CA)

Urban Tribal (San Diego, CA)

Ultra Gypsy (Berkeley, CA)

Gypsy Caravan (Portland, OR)

Kajira Djoumanha (Sonoma, CA)

Invaders of the Heart (Davis, CA)

Read My Hips (Chicago, IL)

Tribal resources:

Judith's Head - custom tassel belts, tribal jewelry, accessories

Mandala Tribal - tribal Instruction, performance, costumes & accessories

Tribal Bazaar - costumes and tribal jewelry

Tribal Max - tribal jewelry and textiles

The Tribal Source - tribal belts, jewelry and accessories

Saroyan - maker of quality zils (finger cymbals)

Sirocco - drum music for tribal bellydance