CAROLENA NERICCIO. BIO: Director of FCBD y creator of American Tribal Style or ATS. Carolena started Bellydancing at the age of 14 with Masha Archer, and seven years later she founded Fat Chance Belly Dance in 1987. More info in English: Press, About Tribal ATS, About Carolena.

Carolena is an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer

MEGHA GAVIN . BIO: Megha took her first dance classes at about the age of 4 and has been creating and performing ever since. It was in 1996 that she discovered American Tribal Style Bellydance and immediately shifted her focus to this art form.

In San Francisco, Megha studied ATS with the originator of the style from 1996 - 1998. Upon returning to the Southeast, she began teaching ATS classes in order to create a community of people to dance with. She was the first to offer these classes in this region and has continued teaching pure ATS for the last 10 years. She continues to teach and perform at sold out workshops across the country and around the world both individually and on the Tribal Pura tour with her teacher/partner, Carolena Nericcio.

In 2003 Megha completed teacher certification with Carolena Nericcio and entered into an exclusive partnership with her. They now take their love and appreciation of this elegant dance style in its original form on the road to co-teach the technique and artistic vision created by Carolena over the last 20 years.

Megha directs the Birmingham, AL based Devyani Dance Company and runs Devyani Dance Center, home of her dance company and a hub of international and ethnic dance styles in Birmingham.

Megha is a "FiTour Certified Personal Trainer"

SATURDAY 1 MAY 15:00 - 19,30H

Belly Dance Aerobic Warm-up and Temple Dance Stretch (30 minutes) Taught by Carolena and Megha: Limber up and get your blood flowing with this fun and stimulating warm-up and stretch.

True Tribal Basics & Tribal Combinations (2 Hours) Taught by Carolena & Megha: Using fun combinations, we’ll breakdown several basic movements and their correct technique from the Tribal vocabulary. You’ll walk away with mini-choreographies you can plug into your dance and effective setups for some of the faster moving steps and turns.

Powerful Presence (1 hour) Taught by Carolena & Megha: Wimpy entrances and endings can kill your show! Learn how to command the audience’s attention with a powerful entrance and end your set with a bang. *Dancers should know the basics of Shimmy, Arabic Basic, Egyptian Basic, Pivot bumps and Choo-choos.

Beyond Basics: Bellyrolls and Flutters (1 hour) Taught by Carolena: For advanced students; the anatomy of bellyrolls and flutters, technique and application. *Dancers should know the basics of Taxeem, Bodywave, Hand Floreo and Arm undulations.

SUNDAY 2 MAY 15:00 - 19,30H

Belly Dance Aerobic Warm-up and Temple Dance Stretch (30 minutes) Taught by Carolena and Megha: Limber up and get your blood flowing with this fun and stimulating warm-up and stretch.

Improvisational Choreography (2 hours) The steps and their variations in combinations, choreographies and improvisation. Musical interpretation, finger cymbals, refinement of technique. Partnering and group work with emphasis on communication between dancers. *Dancers should know the basics of Taxeem, Bodywave, Hand Floreo and Arm Undulations, Shimmy, Arabic Basic, Egyptian Basic, Pivot Bumps and Choo-choos. Or be preceded by True Tribal Basics & Tribal Combinations.

Drills for Leading and Following (1 hour) Taught by Carolena and Megha: Communication is one of the subtle but very exciting aspects of Tribal Style dance. Using a series of simple but challenging drills, learn the concept of Leading and Following, Formations, Cues and Transitions and Music Interpretation. *Dancers should know the basics of Taxeem, Bodywave, Hand Floreo and Arm Undulations, Shimmy, Arabic Basic, Egyptian Basic, Pivot Bumps and Choo-choos.

Make-up and Costume for Tribal Style Dance (1 hour) Taught by Carolena & Megha: The art and application of stage make-up and costume (mostly headwraps) for Tribal Style. Participants should bring their own make-up and head wrap materials (details available.)