Tribal Style Dancers

A belly dancing festival has come to town, to spice up Moscow’s winter. Not just any belly dancing, but a very special version of it all the way from California. It’s called American Tribal Style Belly Dance, also known as ATS or Tribal. It may look old but it’s actually new. The style was developed in the 1980s, with steps based on ancient dance techniques from the Middle East, India, Africa and Spain. It’s usually performed in a group with perfectly synchronized choreography which is in fact an improvisation. Knowing all the right moves allows the dancers to communicate without words. “Our style is like learning a different language. First, you learn the vocabulary and the grammar and then you start making short sentences,“ Kae Montgomery from Fat Chance Belly Dance explains. “And when you advance into higher-level classes, you use these vocabulary, grammar and sentences to start talking with each other.“ These dancers know all about Tribal.