Great question, and actually not so easy to answer! There are many iterations of this dance style, and as such is similar to Contemporary dance in its breadth and diversity. 

Developing out of the Bay Area, California in the late 1990s, Tribal Fusion as it was then known was initially a development from the dance style American Tribal Style® Bellydance (ATS®) (now known as FatChanceBellyDance style), where dancers began to fuse the uplifted carriage and arm postures of FCBD Style® with influences from other dance forms. The Bay Area was a hotbed of electronic music and alternative arts, and so the dance form flourished with collaboration and innovation. Other pockets existed in different parts of the US, where it appeared a collective consciousness was occurring. With this being prior to the internet becoming a huge part of our everyday lives, these pockets were innovating a similar style without even knowing. Jill Parker is widely considered to be the ‘mama’ of what was previously called Tribal Fusion. 

It wasn’t until the birth of YouTube and the increasing numbers of people using the internet on a regular basis that the dance style spread its wings and began getting worldwide attention. The dance company Bellydance Superstars, created by music mogul Miles Copeland, also helped to spread interest in the style by touring internationally with a ‘Tribal’ contingent, making stars out of dancers such as Rachel Brice (pictured performing at Infusion Emporium 4), Kami Liddle, Zoe Jakes and Samantha Emanuel. 

In recent years dancers have begun to more critically examine the choice of vocabulary around this dance and how we approach the blending of styles from a view of appreciating rather than appropriating, with more acknowledgment of and respect for the source cultures. Use of the word ‘Tribal’ to describe the dance has fallen out of favour in many Western countries, with many opting for terms such as ‘Fusion Bellydance’, ‘Transnational Dance’ or ‘Transcultural Fusion’.

This style exists throughout the US, Canada, Central and South America, South Africa, Europe, Asia and Australasia. It is characterised by liquid movement contrasted with crispy, precise isolations, often (but not always) using Salimpour technique, while taking inspiration for turns and footwork from Jazz and contemporary, and techniques from Hip Hop, Flamenco, Indian Classical dance and more. Each dancer has their own unique flavour fused with the dances of the Middle East, making the study of the style a life-long adventure, as there is always more to learn!