Photography: Rafal Wegiel Photography | Model: Tanya Lee | Makeup: Debra Kelly – UV Paint

Tribal Tech is the merging of technology and craftsmanship.

“I knew I wanted to use a dancer and I really liked the idea of an electrified Tribal belly dancer. I was very fortunate to have the amazing Tanya Lee as my dancer. The outfit was very dramatic and really needed someone who could work the costume and she did an incredible job!”.

– Angela Dale, Designer

Tribal Tech team is:

  • Angela Dale, Designer. Angela Dale has been designing and building costumes and props for over 25 years. She began her career in Halifax and has since worked in theatre, film, dance and opera in Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Alberta. Angela has also worked as a wardrobe supervisor, costume cutter, draper, and milliner on numerous theatre and film productions. This is her third year designing for MakeFashion.
  • Tanya Lee, Dancer/Model. Tanya has 17 years of full-time experience guiding women and men toward fulfilling body transformation that empowers the individual.  She draws from an expansive knowledge base and her own personal adventures across a spectrum of disciplines including yoga therapy, pilates, bodybuilding, martial arts, sport, and tribal dance.
  • Dave Hrynkiw, Engineer. Dave is the hat-wearing President of Solarbotics, a Calgary-based company dedicated to helping DIY and tinkerers build their projects. For over 20 years, he’s applied his mechanical engineering and electronics skills to many robotics and embedded-electronics projects.
  • Brianna Maryon, Stitcher. Brianna studied at Olds College receiving a diploma in Fashion Apparel Technology and has been working in the costume department at Heritage Park ever since. She has recently completed costuming classes through The Fashion Institute while working and traveling the globe to view historical clothing.
  • Melissa Cole, Milliner. Melissa has an MA in Art History and while working in a career in the fine arts, Melissa taught herself the basics of millinery before taking workshops in the United States and France, studying with couture milliners Dillon Wallwork and Awon Golding. She has created many pieces for individual clients and worked as milliner for numerous Calgary community theatre companies. She works and volunteers on the Calgary Stampede Western Art Gallery committee, with an art program at the Calgary Drop In Centre and still helps out with numerous local theatre productions.

Technical Information:

  • Sample of marbling designed by Angela Dale and digitally printed
  • Mandala gems on the belt and the headdress to enhance LED lights
  • Individually addressable RGB LEDs
  • Fiber optic clusters mounted over RGB LED strips and then positioned in amongst the feathers within the headdress
  • Reflections used the Light Blue Bean as a controller and rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries.