The The Nawaar Dance Company uses the highly stylized improvisational belly dance format known as American Tribal Style (aka: ATS or FCBDStyle®).
Our director, Jennifer Secrist Goran, comes from the San Francisco Bay Area and began studying this dance form in 1989 with Carolena Nericcio, the founder of this dance form and director of world famous FatChanceBellyDance®.
Format
Developed in the late 80s by the FCBD® dancers out of necessity for accommodating restaurant venues that would have a different layout each night based on seating needs for patrons. The improvised format became a basis for a whole new style that is as dynamic as it is powerful. With the fully improvised format, each dancer creates a unique dance that only exists in the moment. No two dances are alike. Each dancer allows the music to inspire each new movement. Interplay between dancers is established within the structure to create a conversation thru dance. The improv nature of this dance enables each person to be fully present in the moment, untied to rote choreography memorization, thus creating a strong and beautiful art form in motion.
Movements & Music
The movements used in this style are a fusion of traditional belly dancing techniques inspired by the classic Raqs Sharqi style with other folkloric and modern dances around the world. Most notably you may recognize dance influences from the Middle East, Mediterranean, India, Central Asia, North Africa and Spain.
Originally dance companies using the the ATS/FCBDStyle® format would most often choose traditional acoustical rhythms of the Middle East and North Africa. Currently, you can find a variety of music styles being represented in this dance form.
Costuming
Although much of the costuming is made up of traditional pieces, they are not region-specific or even traditionally worn. For instance, the tasseled belts and hip scarves are inspired by camel headdresses. The bounce of the tassels is a perfect accent for hip movements. Another core element of the costuming are the full skirts and pantaloons. Worn on nearly every continent, full skirts and pantaloons are essential costuming pieces in this dance form. The tops are often made with the choli patterns from India but made with modern fitness materials that allow for full range of motion and breathability.
When modern day costuming is chosen often, the main criteria is to create a presentation that flatters and performs well on all body types.
We are dedicated to preserving classic ATS/FCBD® aesthetic, embellishing the form with our own dialect of moves. We also love mixing things up with a bit of theatricality from time to time.
That means you may see The Tribe Nawaar Dance Company performing in orange jumpsuits with a gold glitter mini van to disco music, dancing the Charleston in polka dotted skirts or ominously dressed while driving a ship across the stage to their death at the hands of sirens!
Read more about Tribe Nawaar’s director