About FatChanceBellyDance
About FCBD
FatChanceBellyDance is the home of FCBD Style—a modern improvisational group dance rooted in traditional folkloric influences and global sisterhood. Founded in San Francisco in 1987 by Carolena Nericcio, FCBD Style (formerly known as American Tribal Style®) has evolved into a dance language practiced and loved by thousands around the world.
Teaching, Performing, and Building Community Through Dance
FatChanceBellyDance offers classes for dancers of all levels, from beginners to advanced professionals. FCBD Style is taught and performed worldwide—by Carolena herself and certified studios. The costumes shimmer. The music echoes. And the dance unfolds, cue by cue, like a living conversation all around the world.
Meet Carolena Nericcio
Carolena Nericcio is the dynamic founder of FatChanceBellyDance® and creator of the worldwide dance phenomenon known as FCBD®Style (formerly American Tribal Style®).
An early fascination with 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.
When she’s not traveling the globe or working at her studio, Carolena enjoys exercising, sewing, knitting, and reading.
A Child's Dream of Unity Through Dance
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a dancer, OBVIOUSLY! I made this drawing when I was 6 years old. It hung in my parents’ garage for 52 years. I’d like to think that it was a vision of my future; a chorus of smiling dancers on a stage with stars as footlights.
A New Style That Spans the Globe
The discovery of belly dance led to the creation of Carolena’s own unique dance style: FatChanceBellyDance Style or FCBD®Style (formerly American Tribal Style®). Carolena founded the troupe FatChanceBellyDance in 1987 and immediately captured the attention of audiences worldwide with stunning dance performances featuring majestic costuming and layers of ornate jewelry. The music, a carefully chosen collection of both traditional sounds and modern fusion, adds to the effect. FCBD Style might look old, but it is actually quite new.
