Tribal Belly Dance — Baraka Dance Studio

This ancient dance originated with women dancing for women.

What is tribal belly dancing?

Old forms of the belly dance were performed by women for women at ceremonies and births. The dance celebrates a woman’s body and honors childbirth, and was often performed for women in labor. With roots in Ancient Egypt, belly dancing has evolved to encompass many different styles and forms and is now performed in many dance schools around the world.

The style that I teach at Baraka Dance Studio is sometimes referred to as “American tribal belly dance”. It is attributed to Jamila Salimpour and other dance instructors from California in the early 1970s.

A huge part of this dance is the isolation of muscles and movements. Technical, elaborate, and beautiful dancing can be done in a very small space. Even dancing in tandem can be done in a confined area.

Baraka Dance Studio’s style of tribal belly dance is about celebrating our bodies whatever shape, size or age. It is a statement about the power of female energy and grace. It is a proud and joyful dance.

Baraka Dance Troupe

In the late 1970s, a group of women, including myself, started the Baraka Dance Troupe in San Luis Obispo, California. For three years, we performed in outdoor spaces, Middle Eastern restaurants, and theatre productions. This 16mm film captured one of our last performances in 1978. The original music was lost and we were graciously given permission by Quinlan Road to use songs by Loreena McKinnett. We are so grateful for this!

A special thanks to Franklin Wakefield who shot and edited the original film and Joel Edelblute for the recent editing.

Jamila Salimpour & Bal Anat

One of my first teachers of tribal belly dance was Jamila Salimpour, one of the preeminent belly dance teachers on the West Coast of the United States. Jamila Salimpour performed with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and then went on to form Bal Anat, the longest running belly dance show in the world.

Bal Anat Performance

Jamila Salimpour’s dance troupe performing at the Northern California Renaissance Faire in 1974.

Diane Webber

Diane was another well known teacher in the world of belly dancing. Here is Diane performing at a festival in 1976.

John Compton & Hahbi’Ru

John Compton and Hahbi’Ru were great performers of tribal belly dance. They performed at the California Renaissance Faires in the 1980s and 1990s. John was a member of Bal Anat and later branched out on his own and formed Hahbi’Ru. Sadly he passed from this life in 2012.

Baba Ganoush

Here’s a video of a performance by the Baba Ganoush dance troupe at the 1975 Renaissance Faire in Los Angeles. The well-known dancer, Patty Farber, was also part of this troupe. I remember seeing this same group at the Southern Renaissance Faire and feeling inspired to learn the dance for myself. The sound has been lost on this video.

Habibi Magazine

Habibi Magazine was published from 1974 to 1992 by Robert and Lynn Zalot, and then from 1992 to 2002 by Shareen El Safy as a “Journal for Lovers of Middle Eastern Dance & Arts.” An archive of the magazine is still maintained at the website below.