What is the difference between Cabaret and Tribal Style Belly Dance?
Tribal Style Belly Dance is an American fusion of popular folk dance styles from Asia, India, the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Now here is where it gets confusing. There is American Tribal Style (ATS) and then there is just “Tribal Style.” ATS was born in the San Francisco Bay Area. Fat Chance Belly Dance is the standard bearer for ATS. It is a highly codified dance style based on group improvisation. Outside of ATS, however, there are many other dancers and groups doing other types of fusion-inspired, tribal style dance as well. Some of our favorites are Rachel Brice, Ultra Gypsy, and Urban Tribal. Zanzibar Studio teaches tribal style belly dance, not ATS. While we do teach group improv, which is the cornerstone of ATS, we also focus a great deal on choreography. Cabaret style belly dance evolved and still flourishes in the nightclubs of Cairo. It is a solo dance. In the Middle East, cabaret dancers often perform with their own orchestras. Cabaret costuming is generally more
