Column: Tribal belly dance, new girl power

Tribal fusion turns belly dancers into warriors

Like many art forms, belly dancing has evolved over the years. In this case, the sparkling belly dancer in bright, ruffled silks and jingly trinkets has morphed into a more sinister figure. This new belly dancer looks more like a warrior-earth-goddess-shaman. Clad in dark colors, wide-legged pants, heavy metals, and animal accessories such as leathers and feather headdresses, these belly dancers are a part of the scene known as Tribal Fusion.

I’ve witnessed plenty of belly dancing performances at Middle Eastern restaurants, private parties and weddings. These belly dancers smiled and winked and jiggled around like plates of Jell-O. My first Tribal Fusion performance emitted different attitude. These bellydancers wore aggressive garb, were covered in tattoos (which is a no-no in Middle Eastern and Persian culture) and their movements were humorless. Tribal dancers look like they can own traditional dancers.

Tribal Style belly dancing began in the San Francisco bay area in 1967. Founder Jamila Salimpour passed on the style to feminist Masha Archer who then taught Carolena Nericcio, the innovator behind American Tribal Style (ATS). Archer’s vision was to remove the sexist stigma that has been attached to belly dance since the colonialist era of the mid 19th century. This vision is tangible in the hybrid feminine-masculine costume worn in Tribal Fusion. Dancers often look like a blend of a 1920s flapper, an Arabian warrior, a shaman and the heroine in a classic noir film.

Tribal Belly dancers give off an air of danger and strength that surpasses the tough-looking clothes they wear. In order to express the smooth, sharp, controlled movements that are cherished in Tribal Belly dance, one must isolate every muscle in the body…muscles you didn’t even know you had! As a beginning belly dancer I now understand why groups of belly dancers are referred to as “troupes” and practices are called “drills.” It’s not about sauntering around in pretty skirts, it’s about building muscle and maintaining control.

Tribal Fusion incorporates Popping, Hip-Hop, Break Dance and ‘Egyptian’ or ‘Cabaret’ belly dance as well as traditional forms such as Flamenco, Kathac, Bhangra, Balinese and other folkloric dance styles. Tribal Fusion also uses electronic and world music. The best example of this would be the electronic trio Beats Antique, which gathers old world beats from places such as the Baltic and the Middle East and then mixes them into hypnotic modern beats. My favorite Tribal dancer, Zoe Jakes, performs during the Beats Antique live shows and produces the music, giving her dancing an edge that is truly mystical.

YouTube videos of Jakes show her in a costume complete in a deer antler headdress and dancing in a way that silences any thought of Jell-O and instead conjures the image of a boa constrictor.

North Idaho doesn’t have much in the way of belly dancing, but you can find traditional belly dancing on certain nights of the week at The Hubbly Bubbly in Coeur d’Alene or at belly dance studios in Spokane.

Opinions expressed in editorial and opinion articles are the views of individual NIC students. These views do not necessarily  reflect the opinions of the Sentinel, North Idaho College, or any other organizations or groups there-in. North Idaho College is not responsible for the accuracy of statements or opinions shared.