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"The Journey of the Spirit of the Tribes #6"
Performance review written by Stabrula Polizogopoulos
Zaghareet Magazine, July/ August Issue 2006
The journey took place on the last weekend of April. For three days, the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida became the
stage for the largest Tribal Fusion Belly Dance event on this side of the country. For the 6th time, The Spirit of the Tribes presented by Maja
from the Nile, brought to us three amazing days where creativity, talent, music and energy merged into a single force...the dance force.
Troupes and musicians, national and international, gathered and brought to us the very best of their performances. The atmosphere was
filled with that peculiar energy that only events like The Spirit of the Tribes can portray. Beautiful women in all shapes and ages with their
unique clothes, hair adornments, body jewels, filled the air with joy and beauty . Unique pieces of clothing, jewelry and accessories from
ancient lands were displayed for people to be inspired, motivated to drive into the fascinating world of the tribal world.
The dance workshops were filled with dancers that moved their bodies to new ways of expressions. It brought to us some of the most
talented and recognized teachers and performers of the Tribal Belly Dance genre.
Waiting for the shows to start on Friday and Saturday night, the aroma of the spirit of the dancers, ready to reveal their performances could
be felt, the expectation of the public, curious, anxious to see it all and embark into the climax of this journey which started with the
unforgettable and magical opening bringing the spirit of India by the Gypsy Tribe which set the tone for a non stop display of art and
beauty. A multicultural assembly of rhythms and moves, that tapped into old traditions of dance interlacing with new sounds and moves,
shifting into the experimental made us wonder about the never ending possibilities of this art. Fire dancing, Flamenco, traditional Tribal
styles, Neo Tribal, Fusions of Indian, Samba, Latin America, Japanese, A Hip Hop and Jazz among others emphasized the marriage
between the ancient and the constant evolving world.
The display of costumes caught the viewers ' eyes, leaving them in an ecstasy of color; in others the visuals were minimalist and the
emphasis was on the movements and conceptuality of each piece. Most of the performances displayed a playful, feminine touch of
sweetness in their pieces.
Besides the amazing teachers, Maja gifted us with special attractions as the Fantastic presentation of BACABUDA: a merging of the Taiko
Japanese drumming and martial arts.
DESERT SIN, from Hollywood, CA. Performed a cutting edge piece never seen before in South Florida. Dressed as the Goddess Kali, this
duo brought to us the most experimental piece of the night; with their bodies completely covered in blue, their sharp movements, and body
gestures, they made us experience one of the most avant-garde spectacles ever seen.
As always, Maja did it for the 6th time; The Spirit of The Tribes left us not only satisfied, but inspired. The Tribal Fusion Dance will always
be a commentary on the human soul in a changing universe, where heroic bodies dance in tune with the pulsations of movement,
evolution, life. The hundreds of dancers who attended this event are left with a sense of joy and the feeling that creativity mixed with
passion makes up the recipe to break any boundaries.
Performance review written by Stabrula Polizogopoulos
Zaghareet Magazine, July/ August Issue 2006
The journey took place on the last weekend of April. For three days, the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida became the
stage for the largest Tribal Fusion Belly Dance event on this side of the country. For the 6th time, The Spirit of the Tribes presented by Maja
from the Nile, brought to us three amazing days where creativity, talent, music and energy merged into a single force...the dance force.
Troupes and musicians, national and international, gathered and brought to us the very best of their performances. The atmosphere was
filled with that peculiar energy that only events like The Spirit of the Tribes can portray. Beautiful women in all shapes and ages with their
unique clothes, hair adornments, body jewels, filled the air with joy and beauty . Unique pieces of clothing, jewelry and accessories from
ancient lands were displayed for people to be inspired, motivated to drive into the fascinating world of the tribal world.
The dance workshops were filled with dancers that moved their bodies to new ways of expressions. It brought to us some of the most
talented and recognized teachers and performers of the Tribal Belly Dance genre.
Waiting for the shows to start on Friday and Saturday night, the aroma of the spirit of the dancers, ready to reveal their performances could
be felt, the expectation of the public, curious, anxious to see it all and embark into the climax of this journey which started with the
unforgettable and magical opening bringing the spirit of India by the Gypsy Tribe which set the tone for a non stop display of art and
beauty. A multicultural assembly of rhythms and moves, that tapped into old traditions of dance interlacing with new sounds and moves,
shifting into the experimental made us wonder about the never ending possibilities of this art. Fire dancing, Flamenco, traditional Tribal
styles, Neo Tribal, Fusions of Indian, Samba, Latin America, Japanese, A Hip Hop and Jazz among others emphasized the marriage
between the ancient and the constant evolving world.
The display of costumes caught the viewers ' eyes, leaving them in an ecstasy of color; in others the visuals were minimalist and the
emphasis was on the movements and conceptuality of each piece. Most of the performances displayed a playful, feminine touch of
sweetness in their pieces.
Besides the amazing teachers, Maja gifted us with special attractions as the Fantastic presentation of BACABUDA: a merging of the Taiko
Japanese drumming and martial arts.
DESERT SIN, from Hollywood, CA. Performed a cutting edge piece never seen before in South Florida. Dressed as the Goddess Kali, this
duo brought to us the most experimental piece of the night; with their bodies completely covered in blue, their sharp movements, and body
gestures, they made us experience one of the most avant-garde spectacles ever seen.
As always, Maja did it for the 6th time; The Spirit of The Tribes left us not only satisfied, but inspired. The Tribal Fusion Dance will always
be a commentary on the human soul in a changing universe, where heroic bodies dance in tune with the pulsations of movement,
evolution, life. The hundreds of dancers who attended this event are left with a sense of joy and the feeling that creativity mixed with
passion makes up the recipe to break any boundaries.
"The Spirit of the Tribes #5"
Performance review written by Stabrula Polizogopoulos
Zaghareet Magazine, September/ October Issue 2005
The Spirit of The Tribes, a Pandora's box which opens up every year on the East Coast in South Florida, always leaves us with hunger to
learn more and discover the fascinating world of the Tribal fusion Belly Dance sub culture which is on the rise. This big event put together
the largest Tribal Fusion Belly dance gathering in South Florida.
This year, Maja, the Girl from the Nile, put on two mesmerizing gala shows and the largest Tribal Fusion Dance Seminar on April 15, 16
and 17, 2005. Nineteen hours of dance, fire dancing, well known national and international performances as well as international vendors
brought a weekend of motion and passion to the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale.
Tribal troops and individual performers dressed the auditorium with an astonishing palette of vibrant colors, incredible costumes,
accessories, make up and lots and lots of talent.
This year there was an incredible gathering of cultures and styles expressed in the dance. KAMILLE-Turkish gypsy (CA); NECHOLAE-
Concepts of Choreography (TN); SRI TARASITA-Storytelling through dance (KY); ATASH MAYA-Thai Fusion (CA); UNMATA- HUla Fusion
(CA); KAMI-Bhangra (NV); FIRE by RIZ (FL); MIGUEL in Gypsy Fire Turns (FL); MAJA in Fab Arab Spanish (FL); KASSAR-Partnening Floor
Work (PA); ZAFIRA- Rajistan Dance (PA); MEGHA-Advanced Tribal (AL); LEILA HADDAD_Tunisian, Morrocan, Algerian (France). They all got
together to embrace the different cultures that have influenced and engraved memories in the history of the dance and honor it by giving a
unique performance with their own personal interpretation.
This year super star Ms. Leila Haddad came from Paris and performed her distinctive Tunisian dance. She danced a story, bringing us
back to ancient times. Her beautiful and graceful movements, gestures and expression captivated the eyes and souls of the audience.
The variety of performers congregated by The Spirit of the Tribes came from the North, East and West. They filled the night with an
incredible energy as their bodies moved to the beats of multi cultural and experimental melodies. Life drums kept the energy at it's peak
with intricate and hypnotizing beats. "Venus Rising" directed by Zeva Soroker is a female percussion and dance ensemble, a truly magical
blend of feminine energy, highly explosive.
From beginning to end the show fulfilled the craving for real talent. The Spirit of the Tribes like always, leaves an open door to a universe of
possibilities. In a world where many things seem to be lost, gathering performances like The Spirit of the Tribes, leaves in us a sense of
unity, the feeling that the human spirit is possible to achieve the impossible and it all relies on the strength created by a bond, a fusion of
forces that sees beyond the conventional and tries the unimaginable.