Improvised Group Belly Dance
Or: What is FCBD® Style?
A Bit of History
FCBD® Style is an improvised group belly dance that originated in San Francisco in the 1980s. The style was developed by Carolena Nericcio and her group FatChanceBellyDance. In the past, the dance was known as ATS® (American Tribal Style®). Today, the term FCBD® Style is used.
What makes this dance unique is its shared improvisation. Instead of fixed choreographies, the dancers work with a vocabulary of movements and nonverbal cues. This creates a dance that is shaped together in the moment. The group moves like a conversation without words.
FCBD® Style combines influences from many different dance and cultural traditions. Inspiration comes from dances and music of the Middle East, North Africa, Spain and India, among others. The costumes and jewelry also reflect this diversity. At the same time, FCBD® Style is not a traditional folkloric dance form, but a modern dance style with its own language and aesthetic.
A Dance for Everyone
One of the things many people love most about this dance is the feeling of community. You do not dance alone for yourself, but together with others. Attention, trust and mutual support play an important role. That is often what creates such a special connection within the group.
FCBD® Style is also a dance where many different people can find their place. Age, body shape or fitness level are not what matters most. You do not need stage experience and you definitely do not need to be a “perfect dancer”. The dance grows through people coming together and creating something as a group.
Many start simply out of curiosity. Some stay because of the music, others because of the movement or the sense of belonging. And often, confidence in your own expression grows naturally over time.
More Magic
In FCBD® Style there is a shared structure of movements, formations and so-called cues. This allows the group to dance together spontaneously without relying on a fixed choreography. The dancers respond to each other, take turns leading and stay connected throughout the dance.
This constant interaction is what makes the dance feel so alive. No dance is ever exactly the same as the one before.
As part of her General Skills project, Julia explored FCBD® Style in greater depth and wrote a personal text about the dance. Over time, this text was turned into a video that is now available in several languages. The German voiceover was recorded by Tina.
If you would like to dive even deeper into the dance, you can find the videos below.
Voices from the International Community