Tribal Wallah
Tribal Wallah is an American Tribal Style (ATS) dance group in Tallahassee FL that formed in the fall of 2005.
ATS is a fusion of belly dance styles, blending and combining an intoxicating and fantastic collage of costume, music, jewelry, props and dance. The influences are from the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Morocco. In ATS there is a common language of dance steps but is performed without choreography, ATS members uses the language of dance to communicate to each other. Like ATS, our tribe is a fusion of ages, cultures and stages of life.
The word "wallah" in Hindi refers to any person in charge of, or employed at, or concerned with a particular thing. Since Tribal is "what we do", we are Tribal Wallah!
Accompanying music can be anything from a simple drumbeat to an ultramodern, synthesized orchestration, and costumes within the group can be uniform or wildly unique. A combination of carefully studied and perfected posture, arm movements and positions, dance steps and floor patterns are coupled with improvisation to create an endless variety of movement patterns. Each performance challenges the dancers to alternately follow and lead, with no one person standing out as the tribe's "leader."
Tribe members influence each other over time while dancing and working together, and gradually create a style that belongs not to any one group member, but to the group as a whole. A vibrant, confident and disciplined ATS group stands out in its own special way. No other ATS group can duplicate Tribal Wallah's personal style.
