FatChanceBellyDance® University

Skills'n'Zills
2026-08-07 - 2026-08-09 | See Workshop Website for Venue Information
A three day FCBD-Style event in Linz, Austria. With workshops, a stage show and hafla.

200%ATS® - FatChance Bellydance® Style Festival
2026-07-11 - 2026-07-12 | See Workshop Website for Venue Information
We invite you to join us for the first Italian event entirely dedicated to the art and culture of the FatChance Bellydance ® Style (aka American Tribal Style®). Three days to celebrate the joy of this transcultural dance form through workshops, shows, lectures and community gatherings with the most remarkable and acknowledged artists on the international scene.

General Skills and Teacher Training - Brazil
2026-07-06 - 2026-07-12
Join us in São Paulo, Brazil, for an immersive FatChanceBellyDance® Style General Skills & Teacher Training, proudly hosted by Takata. This special event brings together dancers from across South America for an in-depth exploration of FCBD®Style technique, concepts, history, and community.
Led by DeAnna Freeman and Lore Rojas, this training provides a supportive and inspiring environment to refine foundational skills, deepen group improvisation, and enhance your understanding of FCBD® Style as a shared language.
This event is SOLD OUT. Wait list is available at takataproducoes.com

Certified Studio - Quarterly Meetup
2026-06-27 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-03-28 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join us for our quarterly gathering exclusively for FCBD®U Certified Studios from around the world! This is your dedicated space to connect with fellow teachers, share insights on teaching topics, exchange ideas, and build the global FCBD® Style community together. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, support, or simply a chance to catch up, this is the place to be. We can’t wait to see you there!
Access the Zoom link in your Certified Studio dashboard.
Email certifiedstudio@fcbdU.com with any questions.

Layer By Layer: The DoubleBack Deep Dive - Member Exclusive event!
2026-05-24 10:00 - 12:00
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL EVENT: LIVE WORKSHOP WITH DEANNA!
The DoubleBack has a reputation. Ask any FCBD® Style dancer which step makes them nervous and chances are, this is the one. But what if the DoubleBack could become your new favorite step?
That’s exactly what DeAnna is here to do.
In this workshop, she’s tackling the DoubleBack head-on with the kind of detailed, picky technique breakdown that leaves no question unanswered. You’ll learn how to cue it correctly, nail the timing of the half turn, and finally add in the military zil pattern with confidence. The secret is in the contrast: sharp, powerful hip movements paired with soft, flowing arms, all while staying in your dance angle the entire time. And when you get those hips twisting all the way into that left corner? That’s the moment everything clicks.
With a targeted warm-up, plenty of drills, and DeAnna’s signature energy keeping things fun, this is the class that will finally make the DoubleBack something you actually can’t wait to dance.
No more avoiding it. No more doubting it. Just you, owning one of the most dynamic steps in FCBD® Style.
NOTE: This workshop will be LIVE for FCBDU.com members. The recording will be added to our course library and will be available for purchase for non-members on June 1st.
Members can access the class here: https://courses.fcbdu.optimizeworldwide.com/p/doublebackdeepdive

Roma Tribal Meeting
2026-05-22 - 2026-05-24 | See Workshop Website for Venue Information
Roma Tribal Meeting — since 2010 — is an international gathering in Rome dedicated to Transcultural Dance: FCBD® Style, and Fusion Belly Dance. A space where artists come together to share, create, and explore new artistic expressions rooted in tradition and innovation.

General Skills and Teacher Training - Kazakhstan
2026-05-04 - 2026-05-10
Join us in Kazakhstan for an immersive FatChanceBellyDance® Style General Skills & Teacher Training, proudly hosted by Olga Meos.
This year TRIBAL KZ Festival is a focused and curated experience centered around certification, learning, and depth of process.
GS & TT certification, master classes, cultural program, and festival events come together as one immersive environment.
Led by DeAnna Freeman and Philippa Morai, this training provides a supportive and inspiring environment to refine foundational skills, deepen group improvisation, and enhance your understanding of FCBD® Style as a shared language.
Registration is now open
All details, schedule, calendar, formats, and pricing are available at tribal-dance.com

Ask Carolena - Monthly Member Event
2026-04-26 10:00 - 11:00
𝗔 SPECIAL Member 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁:

This month we invite you to bring your zils, polishing cloth, and fresh elastic! We’ll meet via Zoom for a special community craft session and chat with Carolena! Bring your zils, bring your questions!

𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘, 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗤&𝗔 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲® 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 to answer all your questions regarding the topics of the month’s classes and workshops at FCBD® University.
This is your opportunity to keep learning 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲.
Ever dreamed of being able to ask her anything you wanted after a FatChanceBellyDance® class you’ve just taken? That is a reality now!
She’ll be there for you, for us, for our Community.

Not a monthly subscriber? You can join today: https://courses.fcbdu.optimizeworldwide.com/p/monthly-subscription

Tribal Talk - A Retrospective
2026-04-12 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-08 10:00 - 11:00
Exclusive Members-Only Event!
Step back in time and experience the roots of FatChanceBellyDance®Style through the words that helped shape a global movement.
Join FCBD® creator Carolena Nericcio for an exclusive multi-part live reading of the Tribal Talk Retrospective—a curated collection of articles from the original Tribal Talk newsletters, produced and edited by Nadia Khastagir from 1997 to 2001.
This rare look into the foundational years of FCBD® offers a glimpse into the questions, inspirations, and conversations that defined the early days of our dance. Carolena will read selections from the compilation and offer personal commentary, insights, and reflections along the way.
More than just a reading—this is a storytelling session, a living history, and a celebration of the community that made it all possible.
AT 10AM PACIFIC (GMT-8)
You can purchase the downloadable version of the retrospective and read along: https://fcbd.com/…/tribal-talk-the-voice-of…/
JOIN THE EVENT HERE: https://courses.fcbdu.optimizeworldwide.com/p/tribaltalkretrospective

Ask Carolena - Monthly Member Event
2026-03-29 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-22 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-01-25 10:00 - 11:00
𝗔 Member 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁:
𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘, 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗤&𝗔 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲® 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 to answer all your questions regarding the topics of the month’s classes and workshops at FCBD® University.
This is your opportunity to keep learning 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲.
Ever dreamed of being able to ask her anything you wanted after a FatChanceBellyDance® class you’ve just taken? That is a reality now!
She’ll be there for you, for us, for our Community.

Not a monthly subscriber? You can join today: https://courses.fcbdu.optimizeworldwide.com/p/monthly-subscription

Shimmy in Bloom, Workshops with Liz Malcom
2026-03-28 - 2026-03-29 | See Workshop Website for Venue Information
Join us March 28th – 29th, 2026 in Atlanta, GA to learn FatChanceBellyDance® with Advanced FCBD®Style Instructor Liz Malcom. Explore the art of group improvisational choreography, deepen your skills, and celebrate the joy of dance together.

Turkish Style Bellydance
2026-03-07 09:00 - 10:30
Turkish style bellydance has had a strong influence on the movement quality, musicality, and dynamic energy found within FatChanceBellyDance® Style.
In this workshop, we’ll explore the roots of Turkish style through joyful, rounded, and sensual movement, traveling steps, and the lively rhythm of Turkish shimmies.
This class offers both movement and context, helping FCBD® Style dancers better understand where certain textures, pathways, and musical responses originate. By connecting technique with cultural background, dancers gain a deeper appreciation for the global influences that inform our shared dance language.
An inspiring opportunity to expand your movement vocabulary, refine musicality, and connect more fully to the roots of the dance—guided by one of the leading Turkish style bellydance artists, Serkan Tutar.

LIVE PODCAST - The History and Cultural Roots of Turkish Style Bellydance — with Serkan Tutar
2026-02-28 09:00 - 10:00
In this episode, we’re joined by special guest Serkan Tutar, an internationally respected dancer and teacher, for a deep and thoughtful exploration of the history and roots of Turkish style bellydance.
Serkan brings lived experience, historical insight, and a deep respect for tradition as he shares how Turkish style bellydance developed through centuries of cultural exchange, music, and social dance. Together, we explore how regional influences, rhythm, musicality, and performance context shaped the distinct qualities that define this vibrant dance form today.
Our conversation touches on:
•⁠ ⁠The cultural and historical foundations of Turkish style bellydance
•⁠ ⁠How music, rhythm, and movement work together in this tradition
•⁠ ⁠The evolution of the style from social and stage contexts
•⁠ ⁠Serkan’s personal journey and his role in preserving and sharing this dance globally
This episode is an invitation to look beyond aesthetics and technique, and into the cultural lineage, values, and lived traditions that inform Turkish style bellydance. Whether you’re a dancer, teacher, or simply curious about the roots of the dances we love, this conversation offers insight, nuance, and inspiration.
