Memphis Raqs is
a bellydance company that specializes in tribal fusion
bellydance. We are the only tribal fusion belly dance
company in Bartlett, Tennessee!
The word
raqs (pronounced rocks) is an Arabic term that
roughly translates to
dance. The traditional term for the dance
Americans have come to known as "bellydance" is
Raqs
Sharqi, which means Dance of the East.
Memphis Raqs combines elements of traditional Middle
Eastern, North African, and Asian dance with a modern,
urban American flair.
Follow the links below for more
information:
The
dance which we have come to know as “bellydance” has gone through many
transitions over its history, both in its name and stylings. Throughout
history, Middle Eastern cultures held sacred the concept of fertility,
a value shared by many agricultural societies even today.
Every facet of life was in some way directed towards promoting the
fruitfulness of their farmland, their family, and their way of life,
from the functions of their deities to the songs they sang and even to
the dances they shared. As the human embodiment of fertility and life,
women danced together to celebrate the joy of any occasion, from
weddings to childbirth rituals.
Bellydance
has come a long way from its ancient folk roots, however. What we see
today is the product of a long evolution of crowd-pleasing and stage
shows.
American Tribal Style (ATS)
was a rebirth of the traditional fom of bellydance in the 1960s in the
San Francisco Bay area. Jamila Salimpour is credited with sparking this
rebirth. The dance troupe Salimpour directed,Bal Anat, fused elements of traditional dances from around the Middle East and North Africa into an original style of bellydance.
Later,
one of her students, Masha Archer, would push the evolution a little
further by taking the dance out of the restaurant and nightclub scene,
making the Salimpour stylizations more uniform, and adding her original
artistic costuming elements that, like the dancing, fused elements from
around the world. It was not until Carolena Nericcio that
American Tribal Style as we know it today came together
completely. Nericcio, founder of FatChance Bellydance, took elements from both Salimpour and Archer and put them together.
The tribal style format came from Jamila:
"...the
chorus, the set up of the half moon chorus and the dancers coming out
individually to do a small two or three minute routine and then going
back into the chorus."26
They
follow Jamila's style of using heavy costuming but Masha's style of
having the same fusion look for everyone. Carolena impresses to her
students the same demanding stage presence and personality in public
that Masha and Jamila taught. She also carries over the intensity of
the dancers' encouragement of each other with zhagareets (the vocal
ululation) during a performance. A direct linkage to Masha is the
posture, keeping the chest lifted and graceful, and maintaining a sense
of integrity.*
ATS
takes its inspiration from traditional dances around the world, mostly
North African, Middle eastern, India, Central Asia, and even Latin
America. ATS reflects the folk element of dancing for oneself and the
entertainment of the sisters in your troupe, rather than solely on
entertaining an audience. Much of ATS is improvisational, or made up on
the spot in the joy of the moment.
“It
has nothing to do with representing a particular tribe, but it combines
movement vocabularies and regional costuming to form one cohesive
presentation. The "American" part of the label acknowledges that the
dancers are continents away from the culture that created the dance
form and are taking artistic license with it. Yet they still must
acknowledge, respect and honor the roots.1 The look of American Tribal
Style seems authentic because of its resemblance to various gypsy
tribes throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and India. Often,
Arabs comment that the style reminds them of 'home'. However, the
costumes are not authentic but give the feeling of home."*
*These
quotes are taken from “A History of American Tribal Style Bellydance”
by Rina Orellana Rall of FatChance BellyDance. The article in its
entirety can be found on the
FCBD website
Bellydance
Superstars Tribal Troupe
Tribal Fusion Bellydance
is the collective term used to categorize any bellydance that draws
from the ATS stylizations but does not adhere to the group
improvisational nature of Nericcio’s ATS. Fusion dancers have no rules
– any form of dancing or costuming is fair game as long as the roots of
bellydance movements, costuming and concepts are at its core. Tribal
fusion takes its inspiration from dances of our ancient sisters, but
adds pieces of the dancer’s individuality as a modern dancer.
I created Memphis Raqs in 2006 with the goal of
promoting the joy of tribal style bellydance in
the Midsouth. By carrying on the dance
traditions of those who walked before us, I hope
to not only further my own dancing skills and
knowledge, but to help other women discover the
enjoyment and passion that this dance has
brought to my life and the lives of so many
others around the world throughout the ages.
I
started dancing young, taking classical jazz,
tap and ballet through elementary and middle
school. I moved on to hip hop and modern dance
in high school, and when I started college, I
found a flyer for a bellydance class and had to
check it out. I took classes from Juli Downum
(formerly with Dandasha of Chattanooga,
currently with Urban Tribal of San Diego) for
some 3 odd years and began teaching as an
assistant to Juli. I continue my training
as often as possible, having taken workshops
with Mira Betz, Rachel Brice, Zoe Jakes, Megha,
Jillina, Rachel Lazarus-Soto, Amy Sigil and
Heather Stants.
Nicci
Performer, Instructor
I began bellydancing in early 2006 as a way to
exercise and learn something new and eclectic.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that tribal
style bellydance is more than just exercise.
It’s a creative and beautiful dance that pushes
the boundaries of your physical and mental
abilities.
Whether
practicing, writing a choreography or
improvising, what I love most about tribal style
bellydance are the unique bonds created with
other tribal dancers. You will be surprised by
how much this worldly dance can enrich your
life.
Tia
Performer, Instructor
Growing up, I was lucky
enough to be nourished with
the love of the art of physical movement. I
competed in gymnastics and a little dance, which
prepared me for more than I expected. Now, I
teach what I grew up loving - gymnastics and
dance. I started belly dancing when I received a gift
to take a class with a group of friends. We had
so much fun trying to figure out how to use
muscles that we didn't know existed. It was, to
say the least, the funniest yet meditative form
of exercise I've come across. I have always
loved the beauty and fluid movement of dancing.
Once I discovered the tribal fusion style of
belly dancing, I was hooked. whether its showing
off, teaching, or performing, I enjoy sharing
what I love to do with others.
Sherry
Performer,
Instructor
I started
taking bellydancing classes to lose weight and
stay fit but found so much more. It has given
me a boost in self confidence and a new sense of
womanhood. I have found bellydancing to be a
great hobby that helps you forget about
everything else going on in your life and think
about nothing but using isolated body movements
and learning or choreographing new dances. It
has become a way of life that is shared with
with the many members of our tribe. We have
formed a close network of friendships that will
be shared for the rest of our lives!
