Winter Break Reviews - Tribal Fusions 2

For Christmas Bri gave me several performance DVDs. Since all I had in my library were instructional DVDs, they were quite welcome. One of the DVDs he gave me was Tribal LA, but when I opened the case, the disk was for Tribal Fusions 2. Though disapointed it wasn't the one I wanted, I decided to watch it before we contacted Amazon to get the correct video.

Tribal Fusions 2 is a collection of Tribal performances performed by several different Tribal belly dance performers. The DVD includes two performances by nine different soloists and groups, including Fat Chance Belly Dance, Urban Tribal, Kami Liddle, Zoe Jakes and Sharon Kihara. There were also several performers I had not heard of before.

The performances were all recorded in a studio and not before a live audience. The cameraman used a mixture of full body shots, upper body shots and tight focus on individual areas (abdomen, hips, face or hands). Personally, as a dancer, I prefer wide shots that allow me to see the entire performer or group of performers.

Most of the performances used typical tribal fusion music, costuming and stylization, without much variation between the performances. There were a few performances that were unique, including one vaudvillesque number and one that seemed to be inspired by Turkish Gypsy style.

One performance that I really enjoyed was a duette between Sonia of the Bellydance Superstars and Colleen. It showcased the differences in stylization between tribal fusion style belly dance and cabaret style belly dance.

All in All I wasn't overly impressed. We are returning the Tribal LA case with the Tribal Fusions 2 DVD in it and have requested Amazon send the Tribal LA DVD. I most likely will not be purchasing or requesting Tribal Fusions 2 unless I manage to collect all other performance DVDs out there and just want it to "complete my collection."

If you are interested in getting your own copy you can find it on Amazon here Bellydance Superstars-Tribal Fusions V02 if you have your own copy, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the performances. Since I'm predominately a Cabaret dancer, its possible my views are colored by just not being intune with the Tribal Fusion scene.