This was in my blog, but I decided to share it with others who I KNOW will add to it :0



The other night, Diana and I got to thinking about ATS and why we love it as much as we do. Thanks to the Buffalo infringement Festival, we had been attending many local bellydance performances. We're also preparing to host our first "ATS Open House" next week (VERY EXCITING!!!!!), so, we've had Bellydance on the brain in a big way.

On that note, we got to talk with our students last night, and all these reasons for why we love ATS as much as we do, started to come up with. Which lead to the idea of having a ...

... '101 Reasons Why We LOVE American Tribal Style Bellydance' ... LIST!!!

... which was at first, going to be written between the two of us, and our students. But I think it would be fun to let others who also love ATS as much as we do, contribute. I know we all think a little differently and have different angles on things, our training and experience differers, but in the end, we all still wind up drawn to this dance for many of the same reasons. My reasons may make you go "OH!", and your reasons may make me think, "WOW!!!" ... and thus, I am posting this.

.... so ATS'ers, if you're reading this, and you want to add to our growing list, PLEASE DO!!!




1) .... and this is a big favorite of mine: that when we attend a 'modern fusion' bellydance performance, we know the performers can rest assured that we will NOT 'steal' any of their moves, or their choreography. Seriously.... :)
2) The energy that we create when we dance TOGETHER.
3) FADES!!!
4) Having so many beautiful, talented 'sisters' we could potentially dance with, given the chance - even with only a moments notice
5) The freedom to express yourself - yet, 'fit in' so magically.
6) The excitement that we're overcome with, each and every time we watch other ATS dancers perform.
7) Being inspired to work hard, not because of "competition", but so that we can be better dancers - period.
8) That what we create during a performance, will almost always be different, each and every time, like snowflakes.
9) Getting a chill when I hear zils.
10) Feeling naked without our zils.
11) Sharing ATS with our students, and being able to dance with them - and create even more good energy that nobody can take from us.
12) Escaping from the mundane world, into an ATS costume, a song, and the movement.
13) Megha and Carolena's smiles - especially when they are dancing together.
14) I love Melos, don't get me wrong, but I do not really much love dancing in them (I'm the moron who steps on mine and has to avoid falling) -but I LOVE dancing in big, poufy pantaloons :)
15) Giant impromptu ATS lead-and-follow circles at dance events.
16) The way *ALL* women look, in a backless choli...
17) The awe that comes over some audience members, who later hunt us down, wanting to know when and where they can come take an ATS class.
18) Um... Sooz, mmmkay?
19) Not feeling like the "choreography monster" is sitting on our chests, breathing down our necks... ahh, the freedom!!
20) The posture.
21) Wendy's laybacks.
22) Sandy's egyptians.
23) Being able to lead... and follow, and feel balanced and grounded in both.
24) Feeling confident not only because of skill, but because you are always in the presence of other women who just wanna' dance with you :)
25) The skirts... mmmm.

Traci (of Trillium Tribal in Milwaukee added)

26. CAROLENA!!!
27. It makes sense.
28. Learning, feeling, and understanding why my body moves the way it does when doing ATS.
29. Confidence
30. Beauty in Strength

Jenny

31. Getting to experiment with pretty bindis
32. Getting to play with all the ways you can adjust a 25 yard skirt
33. two words- kuchi jewelry

Diana

31. Doing the Puja before each performance and knowing why we do it and how it makes us feel.
32. The pom-poms! Srsly :)
33. Having an excuse to travel to Milwaukee again :)
34. We don't have to coordinate costuming. We can throw on a choli, skirts, a pair of pantaloons, some zils and look so put together :) No more running to the store in horror to find a top that matches everyone else's!!
35. Tassels!! Colorful ones :)
36. Tattoos! Well....that comes with all forms of dance but I like em wit mah ATS...supersized!
37. The entourage that comes with us to performances :)
38. Live drumming to fabulous musicians!
39. Big bindis!
40. The beauty of improv and creating magic on the spot! That performance at the Allendale with Daughters of Creative Sound and Red Moon will always be with me...especially the last song...so not planned and fabulous!!
41. No acting.
42.No more getting nervous for performances. Improv just rocks!!
43. And being able to wear two 25 yard skirts without dying of heat exhaustion!

Quinn

44. Trust. The kind that is born through surrendering yourself to the dance, and to the leader of the moment.
45. Communication: born of trust, and sharing the joy in the dance.
46. Sisterhood: I've made some of my best friends through this dance, and I believe that it's because the dance makes us all so vulnerable, and opens our hearts to trust (see 44. ;) ) We learn so much about ourselves, our fears, our judgments, our strengths, and it teaches us to strip that all away to be truly in the moment, and dance!
47. It is truly *transformational*!!! And it ripples out through our whole lives.
48. Antique textiles and jewelry....and instead of just collecting it to enjoy looking at it, we get to wear it!!!
49. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it! (hee hee!) But, really, there's nothing quite like a driving drum to make you wanna shimmy!
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Tonje

50. The group creative process. Sometimes when we are building back and forth on each others' ideas I get shivers.

Carrie

51. SPINNING!!!!! and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning...
52. The drummers
53. The rhythms
54. Kristine's torso twist (aooooga!)
55. Anita's hands

Traci

45. Communication: born of trust, and sharing the joy in the dance. ">>
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Leana

46. Finding new and inventive ways to add as many things to your head as possible and making them stay so they don't fall off, yet still look absolutely beautiful!
47. The amazing connection you have with ALL tribal sisters everywhere....it's an amazing community and everyone is on each other's side.

Traci

48. Being able to rinse your hair in the shower with a bulging disc in your neck by doing a mini layback!
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Susan

49. Costuming. I love sewing and making new costumes. Kinda like making your own "dress ups". Is that an Australian phrase?
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Ottavina

(Note: Starting with 60 - the numbering got off when Traci's quote was taken as new numbered items by following posters):
60. I love how good the steps and movements look on all body types.
61. Arm undulations are like intense shoulder massages - they seem to really get the heat and the lymph moving.
62. ATS is the best therapy ever. I have yet to dance and feel bad - it always uplifts my spirits.

Heather

63. My dance sisters (and brothers!) - the ones I know and love, the ones I don't know yet but will meet someday, and the ones I will never meet.
64. Walking through the house before a show and shoving random things into my hair. (Oh look! Giant gemstone cicada pin! *shove* Barrette I stole from the doll! *clip* Plastic Pocky! W00t! *jab* )
65. Pantaloons. And 25 yard skirts that stand up on their own. O_o
66. Getting a bite to eat after a show, despite rude stares, lots of questions from people, and rude waiters.


Traci

67. Getting a bite to eat ....ok, or a glass of wine....after the show and forgetting that not everyone dresses this way all the time. So much fun to be a "magnet" for admiring passersby, interested future students, and muggles in general!