Tribal Thursday – Continuing on from The Tribal Bible… “The next step towards today’s interpretation of American Tribal Style Belly Dance came from one of Jamila Salimpour’s students Masha Archer. Synchronized group improvisational choreography in the belly dance world began it’s development in SanFrancisco =, California, in the 197os when Masha Archer left Jamila Salimpour’s tutelage and began her own classes. This occured before Masha had spent much time with Jamila, and she hadn’t had experience in designing choreographies. Masha went on to found her own group, the San Francisco Classic Dance Troupe and her own classes. She developed her own interpretation of belly dance, partly as a means to take the dance out of the cabaret, restaurant and night club environs that were about the only outlet for an Oriental dancer in San Francisco at that time. Her style was focused more on the artistic side of a group presentation, and less towards an attempt towards recreating a traditional MidEastern Dance group than Jamila’s was. She “added more uniformity to the new style by not distinguishing between the regions and simply identifying it as belly dance” – from “The lineage of American Tribal Style” by Rina Rall. Tribal Talk Vol. 2 #3. As she and her students continued to evolve, their approach shifted more towards American and European aesthetics and ideas, including the use of non-Middle Eastern music, costume, and styles of dance.”

Thursday Class Happenings – 5:30 student troupe rehearsal, 6:45 intro to Unmata Improv Tribal Style, 8 intro to belly dance. Remember if you’ve “liked” us on Facebook your first class is FREE! We hope to see you in a class soon!

Way Back Wednesday – Assiut – Egyptian town known for its famous silver embossed fabric Assiuti.

http://www.ketisharif.com/article-glossary.html

Youtube Tuesday – Love this one!

Tuesday Class Happenings – 4:15 Intro to Belly Dance (Beginner), 5:30 Level 1 with zills (intermediate), 6:45 Improv Tribal Style with Fonda (intermediate). Remember if you’ve “liked” us on Facebook you’re first class is FREE!!! We hope to see you in a class soon!

Closed for Thanksgiving – Just a reminder that we will be closed Thursday November 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Youtube Tuesday – I really liked the music these ladies used. Beautiful Fan Veil choreo!

Tuesday Class Happenings ~ 4:15 intro to belly dance (beginner), 5:30 level 1 with zills (intermediate). Remember if you’ve “liked” us on Facebook your first class is FREE! Hope to see you in class!!!

Tribal Thursday – Continuing on with excerpts from The Tribal Bible. In our last post we talked about Jamila and Bal Anat in the SanFrancisco Bay area of California and the lack of “specific dance style” at that time. That Jamila’s approach was more of creating an interesting staged show catering to a specific audience. And while the costumes of Bal Anat during the Ren Faire were not cabaret but instead more earthy and tribal in look they were not specific to any particular tribe or culture. Excerpt starts here “We must keep in context the fact that during this time in the world, and especially in SanFrancisco, was on the cutting edge of experimentation, undergoing a modern renaissance if you will. It was different from any other time in history as far as creative energy and limitless horizons. Add to that the fact that Jamila is an excellent show person, knows how to set an entertaining stage and how to keep an audience enthralled, and it is no wonder her ideas were so successful – and still legendary more than 30 years later.

The credit for naming this style of Jamila’s as “California Tribal” or “American Tribal” should go to Morocco of New York (from a conversation in December, 1998). Morocco felt it was an apt name for this new style that was uniquely American in its fusionary approach, since it did not accurately represent any particular tribe from any particular place. Even then, confusion in regards to what was actually being presented on stage in California was brewing.

Thursday Class Happenings – 5:30 Student Troupe Rehearsal, 6:45 Unmata Improv Tribal Style, 8 Intro To Belly Dance. Remember if you’ve “liked” us on Facebook your first class is FREE!!!

Tuesday Class Happenings – 4:15 Intro to belly dance (beginner), 5:30 Level 2 (intermediate). Remember if you “like” us on Facebook your first class is free! Hope to see you in a class soon!!

Youtube Tuesday – A little cabret love today. Sonia and Issam. Great drum solo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh5D5WAew_Y