Module Eight: American Tribal Style (ATS)

Basic Tribal Steps

Arabic Step (Basic): Performed on the balls of the feet, with right foot leading. Angle the body so that right hip is toward the front wall and the torso towards the left corner. Step with the right foot forward on 1 as you pull your chest up and forward. Roll the movement down through the hips as you follow through with a (small) step on the left on 2. Weight shifts from front to back, but the right foot stays in front. Cue this movement by plunging the arms down across chest, then raising them to the side. This step can travel or turn in place.

Arabic Hip Twist (Basic): This is a 4 step pattern. From basic performance angle, step the right foot across your left as you twist your right hip toward the front wall on 1, step the left foot in place as your twist your left hip forward on 2. Step the right foot parallel to the left foot twisting the right hip back on 3 and step the left foot in place as your return the right hip to neutral on 4. The arms are at shoulder level with elbows back and wrists facing front, floreos on the 1 & 3.

Arabic Hip Twist Flourish: Using a basic Arabic Hip Twist, cue the flourish by looking to the right on 1, complete the step on 2,3 & 4. Step the right foot across the left on 1 and complete a 360° turn left on 2, 3 & 4, raise the arms overhead on a delayed floreo.

Taxeem: This is a vertical figure 8 without any horizontal twist at all. Drop the right hip down, then push it out and draw it up using your obliques, as you draw the hip back toward a central neutral position, drop the left hip down, then push it out and draw it up using the obliques. The movement is based on the natural movement of the hips as you walk. Right arm is down, with right hand alongside right hip and elbow forward, and left arm front with hand floreos. Or you can layer snake arms over the Taxeem.

Resham-Ka: This movement is similar to the Pivot Bump; the weight is kept on the left foot as the right hip rises to the front. Stand in standard performance position with a flat left foot and toes facing the left wall with a raised right heel at the centre of the left foot. Step onto the ball of the right foot and slide the left foot toward it as you travel to the front wall. Repeat this step 8 times.

Arms: The hands flick out alternately, simulating the waving of silk scarves. Begin with the hands at hip level, flick the right hand forward at the wrist on the 1 and the left forward at the wrist on the ‘and’ as they climb above the head. At the 4th count they should be at shoulder level and on the 8th count they should be overhead.

Arabic Orbit – For two dancers Using a standard Arabic Step with arms at horizontal, the lead dancer takes a small step back as she glances over her right shoulder to meet the follow dancer. The follow dancer takes a small step forward to meet the leader. The point they are orbiting around is between them so they stay on the centre spot. The two dancers will orbit on the spot for 360° until the come back to the front (6 counts) where they will both lift their arms overhead and pivot 180° on their individual spots (2 counts) before stepping together again to orbit another 360° (6 counts). When they face the back, after the second 360° orbit, arms go overhead and both dancers pivot on the spot for 180° to face front again (2 counts).