Well, howdy.

I'm Ann. I've been bellydancing solidly for about 4.5 years. I got my first taste of it way back in 1998 when I was a senior at Smith College in western Massachusetts, during a 3-week non-credit intro class that was offered during Smith's January term. I loved it, but didn't have time to pursue it at the time, and didn't really know how to look for teachers and other resources for the next few years. I came out to Indiana in 2000 for grad school; once I'd had a year to settle in to my program and my new home, I started to look for something to do that was just for me and had nothing to do with school. I decided that I'd look for bellydancing classes, and I found Donna Carlton. I studied cabaret/folkloric with her for about 3 years, and met Molly (and several other dance sisters) in Donna's advanced class. I also took cabaret/folkloric classes with Bette Lucas for about 2 years.

I started taking American Tribal Style classes with Angie Dintaman about 9 months after starting with Donna. ATS really clicked for me-- not to say that I found it easy or could do it all immediately, but the aesthetic of it moved me in a way that cabaret didn't. Looking back at that intro class from 1998, I realized that, while there hadn't been time to really get into the idea of different styles, my very first teacher was indeed a tribal dancer (a google search on her tells me that she learned from a friend who studied with, and eventually got certified by, Gypsy Caravan.) She taught us the basics and posture as they're done in ATS, though at the most fundamental level, those are applicable to all styles of bellydance. So that may be why it felt more like home to me... or maybe it's just me. This doesn't mean I've forsaken cabaret or traditional bellydancing (there's still so much to learn!), but I feel like tribal's my home base.

I've danced in a few troupes around town. Did one season in Donna's troupe, Banat Mara; did several years in Angie's ATS troupe Pangaea (later called Tribal Bloom), which has sadly gone defunct; I've danced with Bette's occasional student troupe, the Caravanserai Dancers; and I've been a member of Different Drummer since July 2005. I met Heather through the other members of DD, several years before I joined the troupe. As Molly said, DST is a new offshoot of our prior work together in other classes and troupes.

These days, I assistant teach in Molly's ATS classes and am studying flamenco (sooooo hard, omg), and working on refining my personal bellydance style. I do a lot of sewing and costuming as well, though I'm a lot more haphazard about it. ;) In my non-dance life (is there such a thing?), I'm working on a PhD in Musicology at IU and play a few instruments (viola da gamba and cello).

Hello!

I'm Heather, the third of Dark Side Tribal.

I started taking Cabaret dance classes around 1994 or 1995 with Donna Carlton, eventually joining her student troupe Banat Mara. I stayed with Donna for about three years, getting the chance to work with many lovely ladies - including Margaret Lion. (Margaret is the founder/director of Different Drummer Belly Dancers.)

During the next 4 or 5 years I studied with Nora Lyle (I may have the spelling of her last name incorrect) and very briefly with Kata Ferris. I was pretty unfocused and decided to take a break from the world of dance. Not so long after my marriage I got bitten by the bug again after watching Margaret perform with Banat Mara at the 4th Street Art Fair here in Bloomington. I started taking lessons with Angie Dintaman and was asked to join Different Drummer.
Meeting Molly and Ann helped me discover a direction to pursue and so Dark Side Tribal was born.
What draws me to ATS most, I think, is the beauty and structure of the art form. The first time I saw Tribal performed live (by the lovely ladies of Tribal Bloom no less) I was moved to tears. I at last had found what I had been searching for through all the Cabaret classes - a group of dancers working together as a unit. No choreographies, no sense of competing for the solo spot light - just community and the joy of dancing together. The fantastic costuming and bling were just so much more icing on the cake! (I also make most of my own costumes.)
My goals here are pretty simple: I want to become proficient in and eventually master American Tribal Style. I would like to become a professional performer and make my living teaching and performing dance. It's a long road - but a lucky one. I've good companions.

Hi

I am in England, have been studying Egyptian dance and over the past 2 years ATS. I am part of a self-formed group in Norfolk called Eceni after the ancient tribe who inhabited this area from 27AD, led by Queen Boudica.

I am coming to visit my brother in Indianpolis in May 2009 and would love to meet up with Dark Side Tribal and try out some ATS. I will be in Bloomington around 15th to 20th May. If its at all possible to come along to a practice or performance during this time I would be grateful.

Many thanks