By: Asherra

We all know the traditional Goth styles: the Goth-a-Billy, the Punker, the Vampire, the Death Rocker, the Cyber-Freak, the Rivethead….etc. But have you met the newest student to the class? Everyone, meet the Belly Dance Goth.

Now I know what you are thinking. “Wait a minute, Belly Dance!?!?!? Where in the wide world of Goth does that come into play? What can Belly dance (that’s that Egyptian thing where they wear a lot of sequins and rat their hair really big, right?) and goth possibly have in common??” Believe it or not, they have a LOT in common. Let me ‘splain. No, there is too much, let me sum up:
This is what you are probably thinking when you hear the term “belly dance”: Flashy sequin, spandex, and satin with big hair and lots of skin.

But what I’m talking about is this:

And this:

The History of ATS:

Belly dance as an art form came out of many of the near east and northern African cultures however it is most famously known in Turkey and Egypt. The ‘classic’ style of belly dance is known today as Egyptian Cabaret and it is this style of dance that is associated with the flashy sequined costume you see above. Around 1980 a new form of belly dance emerged from the woodworks. Taking from several different folkloric dances including Turkish, Arabic, African, and even Polynesian fire dancing, American Tribal Style (ATS) began to take form. One of the founding groups of this dance was a group Fat Chance Belly Dance, lead by Carolina Nericcio. This group pioneered the foundations of ATS in the early 80’s and remains a pillar of the tribal dance community.

While many of the movements associated with ATS differ from Cabaret, the key difference comes in its philosophy toward the dancer. Egyptian Cabaret was brought over to the United States around 1890 with Egyptian immigrants and then showcased at the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair. Taken out of its cultural context, this dance began to evolve and change to suit the audience at hand. Thusly the style of Egyptian Cabaret came to be what it is today. Dancers of this style usually perform solo in luxuriously sequined costumes to recorded Egyptian orchestral music. These dancers are primarily for the enjoyment of the viewer. ATS takes a more ‘tribal’ stance on its dancers in the sense that the dance is not done for its ‘viewers’ but for the dancers and friends of the troupe (i.e. family, drummers etc) however others may watch. This dance celebrates femininity and the beauty that occurs when the bonds between women are expressed in dance form. The dance is done with a troupe of dancers, all who have a specific vocabulary of moves that they all know and understand and usually performed with live drummers as opposed to recorded music. During the performance, one of the dancers in the ‘lead’ position will cue a dance move and lead the rest of the dancers in that move. Perhaps after a few minutes leading, that person will cue a move that brings another member of the troupe into the lead position and so on. Dance moves in ATS are more slow and sinuous than they are in Cabaret and tend to mimic the movements of a snake or flowing water. Because of its more subdued nature, ATS shies away from the flashy sequined costuming of Egyptian Cabaret and leans more toward an ethnic feel. Many costumes incorporate pieces of jewelry from the Kuchi tribes of India and skirts made of rich sari fabrics. In the early 90’s and even still today in the more ‘pure tribal’ groups, hair is put up into a turban and the face is decorated in markings much like the desert peoples of the near east. However within the last few years styles of ATS have taken an even more subdued and, dare I say, gothic turn.

Gothic Belly Dance:

Gothic belly dance and ATS are almost entirely the same style of dance, with a few minor acceptations. Gothic dancers have taken the American Tribal Style and meshed it with modern day gothic and ethereal music to produce a beautiful expression of femininity and dark culture. Gothic Belly dancers still dance to drummers every now and then however more shows are being preformed with recorded gothic music. Troupes still perform with multiple dancers however men are welcome and encouraged to come and be a part of the dance, enjoying the beauty of friendship over the bond of femininity. Costumes have taken a severe turn from the subdued ethnic style of ATS and, with the introduction of fishnets and dread falls, have produced the gothic style of dance you see today. As you can see in the photos, the ethnic jewelry pieces from India (seen on the tassel belt, head, and on the bra) are still incorporated right along side modern gothic apparel such as belts made of synthetic dreads and arm warmers made of socks. The popularity of fire dancing has also risen among Gothic Belly Dancers and the use of Poi balls, fire wings, and flaming fingertips has become quite popular. With the sinuous and beautiful movements, this style of dance meshes quite well with modern gothic culture.

If you have been to a club in southern California, it’s almost a given that you have probably seen a gothic belly dancer or two. The popularity of this style of dance throughout the country has risen within the past few decades. Not only is this a wonderful expression of beauty and strength, this dance is also a great workout! Go take a class and see for yourself, gothic belly dance rocks and its an awesome addition to the Family Noir.

Source of first picture unknown.

Second and Third images by Ruslan of http://www.darkprincestudios.com