When I started learning American Tribal Style® (ATS®) over 15 years ago, it was all about community and sisterhood. The improvisational style allowed us to dance with other dancers from anywhere in the world with a moment's notice who also spoke ATS as it was created by Carolena. That was fun. It created a connection with others from around the globe that appreciated the vocabulary and appreciated the work we each took into learning it correctly.
It was not about showboating and trying to dust another dancer on stage. It was about creating movement with your dance sisters in the moment. As the leader it was about thinking constantly about the dancers who were following you. As a follower it was about thinking constantly about the leader. It became shared thought and shared respect and shared love of the movement.
I do not teach for the money. I do not teach for the glory. I do not teach for the fame.
Being a teacher and troupe director is hard work and sometimes thankless. Over the years I have dealt with in-troupe quarrels, some small, some quite large. I have dealt with egos from dancers who thought they were too good to be called a "student" whether it be in a student troupe or a student in class and did not appreciate the opportunities to dance even though they could barely hold a beat or properly execute the basic vocabulary. I have dealt with dancers who argue with me and/or roll their eyes at me when I try to correct the execution of a movement in class. I have dealt with dancers who do what they can to dodge paying you for class whether it be writing bad checks or writing IOU on the sign in sheet. I have dealt other dancers and troupes who felt that dance was a competition, which it is not. I have dealt with dancers who only care about the opportunities you create for them but care nothing about you as a living, breathing human being. I have dealt with dancers who get angry and decide to hate you because promoters give you opportunities to share your art with them at their events and for some reason it pisses other teachers/troupes off. The list can go on, but I will stop here. For now.
It's not always fun and glamorous to teach with integrity and high moral standards in this world. But I teach ATS to pass along the integrity I am addicted to and the high moral standards of community and love of the art.
I teach ATS to share the dance with others and to dance the dance with others. I teach the dance so I have dancers who know the dance, respect the dance and want to dance with me and others.
I teach ATS in hopes that some will find it a beautiful way to express themselves in the moment, without the stress of remembering choreography, without the stress of being perfect all the time, without the stress of buying new expensive costumes all the time, without stress, period.
I teach ATS in hopes that I can relive the lovely splendor that initially taught me that life is not scripted, that it flows, that main tenants of the Tribal Code (Commitment, Communication, Awareness, Teflon, Humility, Trust, Respect, Support, and Joy) can always be with me during the dance and during my life. I have always called that "living ATS" and it was a wonderful character building treasure.
I teach ATS so that I can put the many years of hard work and training from Carolena and the FatChanceBellyDance® instructors to use in a positive way.
I teach ATS so that we can collaborate with others who speak the same vocabulary and share the expression of togetherness and creativity whether we dance in my living room or we dance on a stage. Regardless of why others teach or dance, these are my reasons. Think what you will. It has been a very personal journey for me and I have learned so much about life, friendship, happiness, community, and myself through it. The journey continues.
(to be continued)
