Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman is the dynamic founder of the worldwide dance phenomenon called American Tribal Style® Dance.

An early fascination of permanent body adornment lead 8-year old Carolena to request that her Father, Carl, a collector himself, to buy a ring she could “wear always and not take off.” This concept evolved into the study of folkloric textiles, a body full of tattoos and a collection of jewelry and textiles from around the world.

The discovery of belly dance led to the creation of her own dance style, American Tribal Style® (ATS®) Belly Dance. FatChanceBellyDance® was founded by Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman in 1987 and immediately captured the attention of audiences worldwide with stunning dance performances featuring majestic costuming and layers of tribal jewelry. The music, a carefully chosen collection of both traditional sounds and modern fusion adds to the effect. American Tribal Style® looks old, but it is actually new.

Carolena has compiled a montage of different “tribal” elements into what has been coined American Tribal Style® Belly Dance. ATS® movements are inspired by folkloric dances of the Middle East and India. Aesthetically ATS® is based on the richness of textiles and jewelry from North Africa and India. ATS® is a method of improvisational choreography, using a vocabulary of natural movements and cues allowing the dancers to communicate via gesture and eye contact when dancing together. The effect is vibrant thread drawing the audience into the tapestry.

Currently Carolena directs FatChanceBellyDance® at her studio and resource center in San Francisco, CA. She masterminds the business side of the Nakarali Jewelry Company, co-owned with Colleena Shakti. Students can find classes in San Francisco, via Skype, and soon to arrive On-line Classes. Instruction is further augmented by a collection of instructional DVDs and international workshop travel. Through workshops such as Tribal:Pura with Megha Gavin, Carolena and her FatChanceBellyDance® instructors take ATS® around the globe. In addition to instruction, Carolena provides business consultation in the form of Tribal Counsel and ATS® Troupe Consulting.

When she’s not traveling the globe or working at her studio, Carolena enjoys spending time with her partner Loretta Nericcio-Bohlman, exercising, sewing, knitting and reading.