AMERICAN TRIBAL

Also called ATS (American Tribal Style) this genre originates from Northern California, and for the past fifteen or so years

has been getting hugely popular. Like Americanized Cabaret, it is a hybrid of movements from a variety of countries. But

what sets it apart is that even though this dance is never done solo (it is always performed by groups of two or more

dancers at a time) ATS is (almost) never choreographed. Dancers usually improvise, relying on subtle cues as well as intuition.

Costuming eschews glitz, combining elements of traditional folkloric costumes from all over the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa.

(from an article by Princess Farhana at www.bellydancela.com)