Zoe Jakes: From The Indigo to Coachella — Belly Dance in a Band

From Bal Anat Lineage to Tribal Fusion Pioneer

Zoe Jakes began belly dancing in 2000, after roughly a decade of training in jazz and ballet. Her first belly dance teacher was Katarina Burda, an original member of Bal Anat — the troupe founded by Jamila Salimpour that helped establish early American Tribal-style vocabulary — putting Jakes directly in the lineage that would go on to shape tribal fusion.

She went on to dance with the Suhaila Salimpour Dance Company, the Yard Dogs Road Show, and — starting in 2003 — The Indigo Belly Dance Company, working alongside Rachel Brice and Mardi Love. The Indigo is widely credited as one of the groups that turned tribal fusion into a recognized, teachable style rather than an experimental offshoot of American Tribal Style. In 2005, Jakes also began touring with Bellydance Superstars.

Beats Antique: Belly Dance Meets Electronic Music

In 2007, Jakes co-founded Beats Antique, an electronic and world-fusion music group where she performs as lead dancer and co-produces tracks — a genuinely unusual role for a belly dancer, since most performers work to existing music rather than shaping it. That dual role has taken her belly dance style to audiences who'd never otherwise encounter the art form, including sets at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo.

Her signature technique blends the pop-and-lock isolations associated with tribal fusion with elements of classical Indian dance, jazz footwork, and folkloric belly dance — a genuinely distinct visual style built for large stages and electronic production, rather than a restaurant floor.

DanceCraft: Her Own Training Format

In 2015, Jakes launched DanceCraft, her own structured tribal fusion training program, designed to give dancers a clear, achievable progression rather than an open-ended set of workshops. She teaches at her home studio, Coven, in Oakland, travels internationally for workshops, and has taught guest classes on Datura Online alongside Rachel Brice.

If large-stage, high-energy tribal fusion is the direction you want to take your training, DanceCraft and her guest sessions on Datura Online are a natural next step once you've got the fundamentals down — see our beginner-friendly workout guide to start building that foundation.

Why She Matters

Jakes is one of the clearest examples of belly dance crossing into mainstream music culture rather than staying inside its own scene — her festival performances have introduced tribal fusion to audiences who would never have searched for a belly dance class otherwise. For more on the style she helped shape, see our guide to American Tribal Style and tribal fusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zoe Jakes part of Beats Antique?
Yes — she's a founding member and lead dancer of the group, and co-produces its music.

What is DanceCraft?
Zoe Jakes's own tribal fusion training format, launched in 2015, built to give dancers a structured path for developing technique.

Read more about the group that launched her career: our profile of Rachel Brice, her Indigo Belly Dance Company co-founder, or browse the full belly dance instructor series.