A hot topic in the belly dance world
Or at least it seems to be for those who dance improv style of tribal.
I was "wandering" around the web and I kept hearing that Carolena Nericcio was now saying that you cannot use the term "American Tribal Style" (ATS) to talk about a style of belly dance unless you are specifically talking about the moves approved by her under Fat Chance Belly Dance (FCBD).
No offense to Ms. Nericcio, but if she wanted "ATS" to refer solely to FCBD, then she should have trademarked the name 20 years ago. I read a lot in the trade journals (writing trade) about companies like Johnson & Johnson, Proctor and Gamble, etc. battling because their brand names have become generic in the public mind. If you were to ask someone for a Band-aid™ or a Q-Tip™ people will know what you mean. If you say you need an adhesive bandage or a cotton swab, not only does it take longer to day but you will get a "HUH?" These companies have trademarked and branded these names. They have departments that are dedicated to educating the public to not use their brand names as generics. We all know how well those campaigns have worked. When you take your dirty clothes to be washed, you go to a Laundromat™, a classic branding rights disaster for Westinghouse (originally you could only be a Laundromat™ if you had Westinghouse machines exclusively).
Unfortunately, Ms. Nericcio came to the decision to make "ATS" exclusive 20 years after the world has had the term "ATS" to describe an improv format created in America. She will have her work cut out for her to broadcast to the world that "from now on" that term can only be used for FCBD's version of that. While those few in the dance world see her posts or subscribe to her mailing lists have agreed, there are many many more who are unaware or consider it hearsay.
I read a post about a troupe that followed the FCBD format and when they went to perform they found out that they were doing "unapproved" moves (they had been dropped from the "official" vocabulary). They didn't know the move had been dropped, which shows that communication needs to be a lot better.
I can see her point about wanting it to be uniform. I dance with two tribal improv groups, one is the daughter troupe of the other. Someone commented that the daughter troupe looked like the mother troupe so they now change moves to suit their needs. Makes it a bit more challenging for me since some moves are abbreviated and others they drop the cues (for those, I still do the cue so there :P ) Even if they originally followed the FCBD format, since they have made changes they can no longer call themselves ATS dance troupes (by this logic, neither can Black Sheep Belly Dance which, I believe, was part of what started the discussion)
I was "wandering" around the web and I kept hearing that Carolena Nericcio was now saying that you cannot use the term "American Tribal Style" (ATS) to talk about a style of belly dance unless you are specifically talking about the moves approved by her under Fat Chance Belly Dance (FCBD).
No offense to Ms. Nericcio, but if she wanted "ATS" to refer solely to FCBD, then she should have trademarked the name 20 years ago. I read a lot in the trade journals (writing trade) about companies like Johnson & Johnson, Proctor and Gamble, etc. battling because their brand names have become generic in the public mind. If you were to ask someone for a Band-aid™ or a Q-Tip™ people will know what you mean. If you say you need an adhesive bandage or a cotton swab, not only does it take longer to day but you will get a "HUH?" These companies have trademarked and branded these names. They have departments that are dedicated to educating the public to not use their brand names as generics. We all know how well those campaigns have worked. When you take your dirty clothes to be washed, you go to a Laundromat™, a classic branding rights disaster for Westinghouse (originally you could only be a Laundromat™ if you had Westinghouse machines exclusively).
Unfortunately, Ms. Nericcio came to the decision to make "ATS" exclusive 20 years after the world has had the term "ATS" to describe an improv format created in America. She will have her work cut out for her to broadcast to the world that "from now on" that term can only be used for FCBD's version of that. While those few in the dance world see her posts or subscribe to her mailing lists have agreed, there are many many more who are unaware or consider it hearsay.
I read a post about a troupe that followed the FCBD format and when they went to perform they found out that they were doing "unapproved" moves (they had been dropped from the "official" vocabulary). They didn't know the move had been dropped, which shows that communication needs to be a lot better.
I can see her point about wanting it to be uniform. I dance with two tribal improv groups, one is the daughter troupe of the other. Someone commented that the daughter troupe looked like the mother troupe so they now change moves to suit their needs. Makes it a bit more challenging for me since some moves are abbreviated and others they drop the cues (for those, I still do the cue so there :P ) Even if they originally followed the FCBD format, since they have made changes they can no longer call themselves ATS dance troupes (by this logic, neither can Black Sheep Belly Dance which, I believe, was part of what started the discussion)