Originally Posted by TribalDancer

Well, it so happens Rachel didn't start in ATS. She was a cabaret dancer for ages. She didn't really get into tribal until she was doing fusion with Ultra Gypsy (who at the time was still doing some ATS, but mostly fusion), and didn't take from Carolena until much much much more recently (in the grand scheme).

I love it when people assume that Rachel somehow sprung from ATS. She didn't. And today what she does is so far from those roots, I am not a fan of her style being called tribal anything (as much as I love to claim that gorgeous, talented creature for "the tribal side", it just isn't accurate! .

So if someone wants to learn what Rachel does without learnign ATS, so be it. It's not like that style came from ATS in the first place, or retains much of the tribal roots she later added.

This is why I hate the word tribal fusion being used as it is in the first place...The implication is, naturally, that it is fusing tribal. But a lot of what is out there under that name isn't fusing it in the least!