I just have short question.....
how high is the price to pay to be original ??? sacrifice what is bellydancing, what ever style... to HAVE to be original.....it gives a sense that you do it then to impress other, not for yourself.

I think the visual element of costuming is one of the big points that gets people interested in watching belly dance or get into belly dancing for themselves. The main sense that dancing provokes is the visual. Maybe it's because i am a very visually oriented person but it seems to me that costuming creates a huge impact & accents the dancing. It helps create the feeling you are trying to convey in your routine. I know a lot of people put too much effort into their costumes instead of their dancing but that's easy to spot from a mile away. You can tell the people who care more about dancing then their outfits and that will always show on stage.

IMO costuming is the Icing on a cake...

Now cake alone is tasty, but you wouldn't serve it in a restaurant or sell it from a stand that way. You would made an icing that compliments the cake. Icing may be simply and rich or elaborate and frilly but it IS part of a really good cake. The thing is that while nibbling on cake can be tasty, eating the icing alone tastes good for a minute, but then it kinda makes you sick. I see Tribal Fusion the same way... I see what you are fusing as the icing... Again if there is no cake under there... ick.

I liked Valizan's point (to a point) because I know that Rachel Zoe and Mardi have the skillz to dance with no costuming and still be stunning... Its the cake that is the Foundation. But I also can see they are in a weird spot so many people do look to them as a fashion-plate. Can you imagine the pressure... gotta come up with NEW costuming, then the moment you do, you are guaranteed to have 1000 people copy you within a month.

I also have to say, that its very apparent to me (being a bit of a bay area belly insider) that The Indigo's Tribal Fest performances have a LOT of social commentary, satire and good natured critique of the Tribal Fusion Community and even their previous year's performance.
I even state on the TF videos that I have of them that... If you don't "get it" please don't take offense... These routines at TF are dancers dancing FOR other dancers not for the general public and some of the jokes are "inside jokes" even I don't completely get.

As a last note... I must say I was wondering how many troupes would follow The Indigo's lead from last year and come out wearing Animal heads at this year's Tribal Fest.

I personally love Belly Dancing to different kinds of music (Middle Eastern, Gothic, Industrial, Metal, Elevator Muzak at the grocery store...I really love to dance!), but I don't perform in public too often and when I have I stuck to a certain style (music, costuming and dance all going together). I do think sometimes that costumes can detract from the dancing if they are too much or too little or totally incongruent with the music or style. I don't see a problem with fusion if it is labeling itself as such and I think personal preference plays a huge part in Belly Dance as well. That said I do think that there is a fine line that some of the dancers are walking as to whether or not they should use the term Belly Dance. But ultimately if I don't like it, I don't go see it, etc.-Freya

I fully agree that there are those that are amazing dancers that can dress however they want and look great, then there are those that have too much costume, and not enough dance. Trying to hide the fact that they have no basics, only the moves they TRY to copy from youtube or even DVD's (now I'm a dvd addict, but thats because I live in a semi remote area... but I do have a teacher who rocks!)

Its sad really.

But, dance must evolve or it dies. People are tired of seeing the same ole same ole, and will figure out that everyone else is tired of the same ole same ole. This is how new stuff is brought about, new creative process and love for the dance.

I just feel that too many are getting out there and saying what they are dancing is bellydance when in fact they have NO basic training!