Going Where The Training Is

Samantha Hasthorpe, the only British member of the Bellydance Superstars touring troupe, tells Creative Choices how she fell in love with tribal style bellydancing and why she had to leave the UK to train professionally. With only videos to learn from, no local teachers and no arts funding for training abroad, Hasthorpe studied with teachers in San Francisco for six months. Now performing internationally, she hopes to bring the style back to the UK to teach others.

Performance footage from "Tribal Fusions" DVD
© 2007 Bellydance Superstars
www.bellydancesuperstars.com

Photos courtesy BDSS & Samantha Hasthorpe
www.snakecharmah.co.uk

Fat Chance Bellydance footage from videowallah

Get more information, advice and resources to help you develop a creative career at http://www.creative-choices.co.uk

Category:

Education

Tags:

• tribal
• fusion
• bellydance
• training

[wastobe4me]

Thank u so much for posting this. I have also had no dance training and have been working from videos for the past 7 months. I got into a class finally but it is only one day a week for an hour. It's promising to know that u started working from videos for a year and now you are kickass! I feel less frustrated--thanks. Gotta go drill!

[FrustratedSnake]

it's nce to know a litle more about her, i'm triying to get to SF, but first i have to finish school, make some money and other stuff, i'm in a tire retread plant, was mi dad's, a lot of responsabilities and lot's to learn from,  yet, ill keep dancing, i know i will get there sooner or later.

[EraAntha]

@kelinab

The reason why Tribal Fusion isn't so big is because it's probably one of the hardest styles of belly dance to learn. I read in an article that TF also branches away from the 'Tribal' portion of belly dance. Some tribal fusion dancers incorporate dance interpretation into their dances that it sometimes is seen as Dance Theater. Not that there is anything wrong with it, I'm a dancer myself and it's interesting to see how different people dance.

[molarmama5]

The popping and locking has the onus of Michael Jackson upon it! That is why I try to distance myself from that style do not forget that I had studied with Serena and Nagwa Fowad! 1980's.

[kelinab]

I don't understand how this isn't huge everywhere. I started looking into bellydance out of curiosity and came across TF, now I'm practicing all the time on my own. Why is this not being taught everywhere. Love the work you guys are doing and please, please come home and teach us!

Frustrated Kel from middle England x

[amee921]

East Texas anyone?

[cheart99]

Took a workshop with Samantha, wonderful woman and very good instructor.

[luminarydelights]

each one has thier own style and ppl like a certain style. it would be better to say "I like that style or that style but is not good to say that you don't like that person".

[oleander89]

@sweetpeaomine

but I live in sweden!! =(=(=( can you imagen how frustrated I'am...=(

[bigpinkbunnyrabbits]

Thank you for the inspiration!!

[sweetpeaomine]

LOL I feel your pain. I live on the central Oregon coast which is about 8 hours North of San Fran, but I also have a 3 year old son so I have yet to make it down there. (I'm so close I can hear the zills practically) I have to make due with seeing the dancers when they pass through. Having said that, I have some excellent up close footage of Zoe Jakes on my channel if you want to check it out :) Good luck to you.