One dance.
One global home.
FatChanceBellyDance® Style began in a small San Francisco studio. Today it’s danced around the world, and FatChanceBellyDance®University is its official online home. Here’s the story of the style, the school, and the people who carry it forward.
What is FCBD® Style?
FatChanceBellyDance® Style (FCBD® Style), also known as American Tribal Style® (ATS®), is a modern style of dance created by FatChanceBellyDance® director, Carolena Nericcio.
It’s improvisational, cooperative and built on a brilliant system of visual cues and formations. Dancers lead and follow in real time, creating the dance together, on any stage, anywhere in the world.
From San Francisco roots to a worldwide movement
Dancing with Masha Archer
In 1974, Carolena began belly dancing with Masha Archer and the San Francisco Classic Dance Troupe. Masha’s style was an eclectic blend of classic Egyptian, Folkloric and any other influence that she found enticing.
Masha, a trained painter and sculptor, taught her dancers to create art through dance.
Young, tattooed and on stage
Being young and tattooed, Carolena attracted other young people living alternative lifestyles. The Modern Primitives movement was also underway. Tattoos and primitive styles of body adornment were the vogue.
Carolena and her students performed at tattoo shows and conventions and became well known in the City by the Bay.
American Tribal Style® Belly Dance
As Carolena and FatChanceBellyDance® expanded horizons they received a mixed response. Some people loved the new style, others abhorred its departure from tradition. Finally, the style was named “American Tribal Style® Belly Dance”, a name that distanced ATS® from classical beledi styles.
The word “American” made it clear that ATS® was distinctly an American invention, not a traditional dance style. “Tribal Style” described the dancers working together as a group with a “tribal” look.
Teaching to find dance partners
In 1987, after the SF Classic Dance Troupe disbanded, Carolena began teaching in a small studio in the Noe Valley Ministry. Her only goal was to teach people to dance so she could have dance partners.
When the troupe needed a name, a friend suggested the playful rhyme FatChanceBellyDance. (The story behind the name is just below.)
A dance built for any stage
At the studio, Carolena’s innovative new dance system continued to evolve. Because of the casual nature of FCBD®’s performance opportunities, the dance was largely improvisational.
There simply wasn’t a way, or a need, to choreograph because the dance space often changed at the last minute, and the dancers had to perform without rehearsal or any information about the performance space.
A movement that brings people together
Carolena’s vision continues to inspire dancers worldwide. Through classes, certification programs, workshops, and online learning, students can experience the power of FCBD® Style in communities across the globe.
Whether you’re just discovering belly dance or ready to dive deeper into the FCBD® Style format, you’re invited to join a movement that honors tradition, embraces innovation, and brings people together through the language of dance.
“Fat chance you can have a private show!”
When the troupe needed a name, a friend suggested the playful rhyme FatChanceBellyDance, based on the silly question dancers often get from onlookers who think that beautiful, feminine belly dance is merely an exotic entertainment for their personal pleasure.
The name embodied the group’s unapologetic energy, humor, and feminine strength.
Cues and formations are the brilliance of FCBD® Style
Often unnoticed because of the elaborate costumes, fancy steps, exciting music, and sheer beauty of women dancing together, formations and cues are the anchor of improvisational choreography. Even occasional formal choreography is created around the logic of the formations and cues.
What often captivates audiences, the rich costumes, the hypnotic zills, the flowing skirts, the collective energy, is only part of the magic. Beneath the surface lies a brilliant system of visual communication and mutual trust. Every movement is shared. Every step begins with a cue. Every dancer, whether leading or following, contributes to the unfolding tapestry.
Formations
Duets, trios and quartets work in set formations. If the stage is two-sided, or the dance space is in the round, the dancers can flip the lead. As long as the dancers stay in formation, the group can face any direction and the lead can change, depending on the audience’s location.
Cues
Carolena developed cues for each step or combination, usually an arm or head movement that could easily be seen. She found that because all steps began with a gesture to the right, dancers tended to angle to the left. This angle allowed the following dancers to clearly see the lead dancer.
Leading & following
The core concept remains in place: leader to the left, followers to the right. Watch for interaction among the dancers, who always have their attention trained on the lead position, looking for the cue for the next step. When the dancers face each other and make eye contact, the lead is neutral, falling to the dancer who presents the next cue.
“But don’t think too hard! Allow yourself to see the whole picture: women working together in cooperation; a group focused on presenting the dance as one entity.”
Want the whole story? Take the History of FatChanceBellyDance® Style.
A two-hour lecture, presentation, and Q&A on the history of FatChanceBellyDance® Style (formerly known as American Tribal Style® or ATS®).
Take the Free ClassA true “home studio” for our worldwide community
FatChanceBellyDance®University (FCBD®U) opened its virtual doors in June 2020 with one heartfelt intention: to give our worldwide FCBD® Style community a true “home studio.”
At a time when distance and uncertainty were pulling us apart, we chose connection. We created a space where dancers from every corner of the globe could gather, learn, grow, and feel supported, no matter what was happening in the world. What began as a response to a moment in history has grown into something much bigger: a thriving, international hub dedicated to the art, technique, lineage, and magic of FatChanceBellyDance® Style.
The official, most comprehensive and accessible online resource for FCBD® Style education
Learning FCBD® Style should feel like coming home.
FCBD®U exists to preserve the integrity of FCBD® Style as created by Carolena Nericcio, while helping dancers and teachers everywhere deepen their knowledge, refine their skills, and stay connected to the global community.
We believe that learning FCBD® Style should feel like coming home: welcomed, encouraged, challenged, and inspired. Our online school provides a space where you can check in with your technique, refresh foundations, explore advanced concepts, and discover new layers of artistry within this dance form.
FCBD® Style, flourishing for generations to come.
We envision a world where FCBD® Style continues to flourish for generations to come. A world where dancers feel connected:
A world where the shared language of movement creates unity across cultures, backgrounds, identities, and life paths. At FCBD®U, learning is not just about steps. It’s about community, growth, and the transformative power of dance.
Meet DeAnna Freeman
FatChanceBellyDance®University was created by DeAnna Freeman, an internationally respected instructor and lifelong student of FCBD® Style. DeAnna discovered the dance form in 2004, an experience that reshaped her life and ignited a deep curiosity for movement, anatomy, and the connection between science and artistry.
With more than 20 years of devoted study and teaching, DeAnna has supported thousands of dancers on their FCBD® journey. Her background in yoga, anatomy, and kinesiology adds depth and clarity to her teaching, blending grounded technique with an intuitive understanding of how bodies learn and move. As a former accountant, she brings a love of process, structure, and “the why” into every class she teaches.
DeAnna founded FCBD®U with a simple but powerful vision: to create a global home where dancers feel supported, inspired, and united through the shared language of FCBD® Style.
Through her classes, workshops, trainings, and leadership, she continues to nurture a worldwide community rooted in authenticity, integrity, kindness, and connection.
Come dance with our global community.
FatChanceBellyDance®University is a global online school offering high-quality FCBD® Style dance education, training, and community resources for dancers of all levels.