Columbia Alternacirque!

How can I join Alternacirque?

Alternacirque is always on the lookout for new amazing talent to join our ranks. We do a limited amount of training as we go for new performers if we see potential, but we’re really looking for trained professionals ready to go. We work very quickly, generating 30-45 minutes of new material each month. Choreography and blocking retention is a must. Entry is made by invitation only and is at our discretion.

If you would like to join as a bellydancer, you need to work your way up through Natalie Brown’s ranks. She teaches regular classes and is constantly developing new dancers. Understand that this is an art and dance form, and will take work and dedication of many years. If you are an experienced, professional Tribal-style bellydancer and you find yourself in our area, we would be thrilled to host an audition. Delirium Tribal is a jack of all trades tribal troupe, relying on both ATS improvisation and tribal fusion choreography. We expect our dancers to be proficient at both.

If you would like to join as a fire performer, there are fire practices and get togethers held weekly to learn fire arts and brush up on your skills. Natalie Brown makes all final decisions regarding fire performer invitations. Fire insurance coverage is manadatory before you can perform with Columbia Alternacirque.

If you have another alternative circus skill–contortion, juggling, aerialist, etc.–or if you’re an established performer or organization who would like to collaborate on a show, please contact Natalie.

We would like to stress that Alternacirque’s shows are thoroughly planned and highly choreographed productions, as opposed to open stage or jams. Performers must dedicate to rigorous rehearsal schedules of twice a week, with extra, small rehearsals a common occurance. We have a strict attendance policy, as well as a strict drinking and drugs policy. We’re also a happy bunch, and having a compatible personality and work ethic is important to us.

What is Tribal Style Bellydance?

There are many different styles of bellydance with many different cultural and historical influences (some more authentic than others). Generally what you see in the restaurants around Columbia, with beaded and sequinned costumes, is called Cabaret, and tends to be Egyptian or Turkish in origin.

American Tribal Style is a modern world fusion created in San Francisco in the 1970’s and 80’s by Carolena Nericcio, and her troupe Fat Chance Bellydance. ATS, as it’s often called, is a combination of Egyptian, Turkish, Classical Indian dances, Flamenco, and North African dance styles, among other things. It’s meant to be performed as a tribe or group, as opposed to soloists, and it has an improvisational basis. Dancers take turn leading and following, speaking a fluent, fluid, shared vocabulary of body language with each other. The costuming is also mix of influences, mainly a converted Indian choli, pantaloons, a long and full skirt, and Indian, Pakistani and Afghani accessories and jewelry.

Originally, Delirium Tribal followed the American Tribal Style format, with a few changes on our troupe level and a few extra moves we created or learned from other companies. Recently Carolena Nericcio asked troupes not following her format 100% faithfully to cease using American Tribal Style in their title, a decision that was very controversial in the bellydance communities across America. Since that time, we’ve started branching out away from our ATS roots and have been experimenting with Tribal Fusion solo and group choreographies.

Can I hire Delirium Tribal/Columbia Alternacirque?

Yes. Whether you’re looking for a soloist, the dance company, or a highly adaptable circus performance for your party, wedding, corporate function or black-tie event, we are available for hire. Please view our contact page for ways to get in touch with us. Depending on our schedule (and it is full), we will occasionally take part in benefits and fundraisers, if they’re for a good cause that we can get behind.

For security and sanity reasons, we will not perform at bachelor parties.

What should I do at a show?

Make sure to cheer and give encouragement to the performers. Some common noises we make at each other include the zaghareet, a high and fast pitched noise made by saying Lelelelelele as fast as you can, yips, and “Aiwa,” which means “beautiful” in arabic. We also hiss at each other in American bellydance communities when somebody does something very slow and snakey, but funny enough, in other dance communities and other countries, hissing equates booing. So be careful where you use that. Clap along to the rhythm and cheer! We feed off the exchange of energy with each other and with the audience.

What should I NOT do at a show?

Good question, and thank you so much for asking.

First, we strongly suggest not getting in the way of our fire performers. We’re amazed at 1) how many people assume we’re using some sort of ‘fake fire’, and 2) how many drunk people try to pick up our props and play with them. Fire is dangerous. We are professionals with insurance coverage, and we still sustain injuries. We don’t recommend getting in the path of our fire tools.

Generally, the dancers don’t find it very becoming if someone yells “Shake it, baby,” etc. We work hard at our artform and hope it will be accepted as such. Also, though it is a tradition in Cabaret styles to accept money in the belt or (sometimes) in the bra strap, Tribal dancers tend to frown on that. Please show your appreciation by tipping in our basket. If you touch our dancers, you’re likely to get punched in the nose. Ouch!