About Tribal ITS
Tribal belly dance originated here in America, and tries to recreate a style unique to the nomadic tribes of the middle eastern and northern Africa regions. The problem is that there is little to no documentation of style or costuming from that time period, so a lot of interpretation is involved.
It's middle eastern style that gives the appearance of being ethnic, without necessarily attempting to be 'authentic'
Sherezzah
A fast rising subset of Tribal belly dance is Improvisational Tribal Style (ITS). In ITS, the focus is on the group as opposed to emphasizing solo performance. The style is improvised in that a leader of the group will select, during a performance, which "modules" of short choreographed segments will be performed next and pass that information along to the rest of the group through subtle cues. Dancers create a performance that, to the audience, appears choreographed. The movements are typically deceptively simple and should be performed in perfect unison. If performed properly, the overall effect is mesmerizing.
Tribal style costumes are generally derived from folkloric influences and vary broadly. In general, tribal costume is typically composed of tiered skirts, a short choli top or vest over a visible bra decorated with coins, trim and bright fabrics, a hip scarf with yarn tassels or fringe, and heavy layering of nomadic-style jewelry.
Currently, Sirocco Studio for Middle Eastern Dance is the only group in San Antonio performing ITS, with a diverse troupe experienced in performing ITS. Sirocco’s ITS troupe is available for public performances upon request.