Jills Drills, Bellydance DVD Review

Changing it up today while I crop and set up more blog posts. As it always seems like here, I am constantly going through things to donate and dwindle down my stuff. I know that almost 2 years ago, I made a New Years Resolution to watch and review all of my DVDS. I never finished. Last year I didn't really review much but this year I am trying to go through the rest and dwindle down my stock. But then I got wind of several DVDS and cough, cough, I have now have a few more in my library. Oops!!

One of the newest purchases was from Jill Parker, who I have never had taken a class before but always wanted to-she's the head of ultra gypsy and I love watching their performances online, etc. She has never done a DVD before so I was excited. Added to that, it is 2 discs.

Disc 1 is technique and breakdown.
Overall sound quality is a bit hit or miss as the music was playing in the studio where she filmed. Sometimes the music is too loud to hear her talk. She does have a microphone but that also has a few problems as she does wear metal jewlery so it picks it up easy. So note to anyone who wants to make a DVD don't wear metal jewelry- or metal anything. Another peeve of mine, is when dancers wear all black- Jill does have a small belt on but still you loose some of her moves.She is in a black tank top and black pants. I like to see some abs for a point of reference and how they are engaged during moves. I totally miss that. So this DVD could have been better from the beginning. But that is my opinion.

It is in a class setting, we have a mirror and you can see both sides. The video is ok, it has a semi-home video feel so the quality is not as clear as it could be. Hence my comments about all black. But you can still get the gist of what she is teaching.  I will say she has some different moves and I enjoyed how she nicely described how to do them.

DVD 2- Drilling, Performance, and interview
So the drilling is great and tries to put somethings together. I wish it was more part of the 1st DVD rather than switching DVDS.
The performance is really an overlay of her dancing in different areas sometimes with dramatic light. OK boo on this. The music doesn't always goes with what she is doing. I really want when I watch a performance from a dancer to see how they interpret the music and beats. That is what I want to see. NOT spiritual constipation where the dancer is so full of themself that it just comes off as stuffy and I cannot connect to her dancing. I just can't. I felt nothing but just wanted to turn it off, it pushed me away leaving me disappointed. So Jill you can do better, seriously you are highly regarded in the field and have been around for a long time, I expect more. I do, there I said it. Hey it is my blog and my opinion was not paid for- I did this on my own.
Interview... So the interview is Jill, Marta, and Onca with some sort of student who is a radio personality. I have 1 word for the interview... MEH. Yup! So they go into this whole woman power conversation and well frankly I have heard this conversation over 10 years ago. Learning how to dance empowered me. But to have a conversation on this topic now on just seems sort of late. There are countless articles online and in magazines about this, again over 10 years ago- and this coming from a girl who learned how to dance in a small southern town. The conversation itself also just seems odd and semi-scripted b/c it flow of the conversation doesn't seem real and true. I just can't believe it. Again, I got bored and I know these ladies are well respected but the conversation is just odd. My boyfriend watched it as well and just thought they were sort of talking funny, almost like forced- so I know it is not just me. I probably won't watch it ever again.

Now it may seem that I am just slamming the DVD to shreds and I beg of you to look a little closer at what I am saying. Actually, the dance part was really good. I walked away with new ideas and felt as if I learned something. Which I can say with a lot of DVDs. I really want to keep this DVD b/c I do find it really helpful and move inspiring. So that should say a lot, just skip the interview...

Bellydance DVD review: Tribal Fusion Fundamentals

Wahoo I have another DVD I completed. It is from the Bellydance Superstars, featuring 4 dancers: Kami Liddle, Moria, Samantha, and Sherri. Each dancer has their own section followed by their individual performance. All sections are voice-overed by the dancer, which I am sure all of you know I loathe.

Kami: Locks of all sorts.
The combos can be a bit of a brain tease. My only comment on this (besides I really enjoyed it) was I wish there was a voice over for the combo part b/c I totally forgot the moves, I could drill the combos- meaning she did them more than 1x. I really wish at least we could have gone through it more than once.

Moria: Conditioning/layering
Holy Moly Batman this section is crazy intense. Its almost like cardio yoga. Fast. Not for faint of heart nor beginners. There are no modifications for those who are beginners, so you need to know your stuff and when to hold back. Lots of squats and lunges. I felt my dinner which I ate over an hour before I started. Then the torture wasn't done and we were on the floor in an open leg position, doing hip glute shimmies with stomach and chest layering. Then not done. Repeat standing up, which actually I could get through. She did say this was her routine for a quick way to get strong fast. Man if I did this every day, yeah I'd be solid!

Samantha: Zils. She had a basic intro, different zil combos. And then moves to accent the combos. I actually liked the change in pace b/c I was still hurting from Moria's section. But I did get a little bored. I will say her performance ziling to Beats Antique was impressive, changing rhythms constantly.

Sherri: Floorwork and transition
Ack! More squats! Curse you! LOL. She did get some drills for building up your thighs and then items for your lay backs. There was a small combo but there was no drilling of it, that was weird. Not as intense as I thought it was going to be. I did LOVE her striped pants.

So my favorite was Moria and Sherri. I want to keep the DVD just for those sections b/c if I could master them- I will be really strong fast. I did enjoy the makeup and wardrobe sections which they had as extras. And a bonus if I can get some of Kami's locks.

It is a KEEP verdict. I would recommend for Intermediate or Advance dancers.

Cheers,
Lauren

Industrial Strength Workout DVD Review

Well no food review for this Friday. I am still catching up from being out of town. I had a bit of a wake up call while getting ready for the meeting and trying on my suits. It wasn't pretty.  I had to improvise. Time for this mathlete to start putting a little more effort into exercising.

Thought I would try this DVD that has just been sitting on my shelf. It looked fierce and promising.

So there was a long, wordy introduction. I began to get bored and was ready to start a sweat. Still more talking. No there was no technique or real dancing or drilling. Then when we started to do a workout, they were short clips and then back to longer talking. I wish I could forward through the talking parts but that didn't happen. At times I felt that it was a tossup between the talking and the workout. I felt like I never got a sweat.

It just was not enough sustained cardio to get you going and then poof you stop, more talking. I just became bored and was agitated I lost so much of my spare time.

Verdict: The video HAD potential but they sold themselves short. Either pick being a workout DVD or a dance DVD with technique. It is one of those DVDs where the content could not make up its mind on what it wanted to be. As a result it just fell flat for me, I did do laundry and printed sewing patterns to not loose anymore time.  I will TOSS. Not only would it waste my shelf space, it wastes part of my evening.

Hopefully the next few DVDs I have planned will be a little bit more calorie burning.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Zoe Jakes and Issam Drum Solo Choreography

Yeah another DVD done! Again to say warm, even with the heat on here - it is so cold!!

Ah, Zoe Jakes, a phenomenal dancer, many of our girl crushes. I finally decided to do this DVD. This is a tribal drum solo DVD with Issam, a phenomenal drummer. Now I will say this, there is no music you can buy for this choreography (unless correct me if I am wrong) so unless you have a drummer, performing may be a bit of a challenge.

The introduction is absolutely hilarious. Zoe introduces the DVD because you know, "she's seen you all over Youtube". Then there is a warm up with a voice over. My only critique of the warmup is she didn't do both sides on some of the moves. Then Issam introduces how he speaks about the drum beats.

Next, there are 8 sections where she breaks down the choreography with the different rhythm for that particular section. It was good b/c it helps me understand as a dancer the beats I need to accent. Then all sections are the total choreography, which she just makes me crack up. It is always good to laugh while someone really makes your head hurt.

So the critique of the DVD. These sections really need more drilling. Like a solid run through of each part. At times it is just like she just explains the choreo straight through. A review at the end would be really helpful in learning it. Also I got really confused with the direction and what side I was supposed to use. I really wish she would have just stayed facing the mirror and talked while she danced. I got soooo confused.

This is definitely a keeper. Recommend for the intermediate and advanced dancers. If I can master this DVD choreography, it would be awesome. Zoe Jakes has the knack for making my dance brain hurt.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: meaning of movent

I finally got inspired to move, well let me rephrase that.... I was really cold one day and decided I needed to move in order to not freeze over. I decided to try out a dancer I have not personally seen or really heard of. This DVD is called meaning in movement by Alimah. A cheeky girls production, which I tend to like their DVDs as the sound is good, there are good mirrors, no crazy up close shots, just the dancer in a mirror following along to what the teacher is saying. I love that. Listen up other bellydance DVD producers- we don't need bells and whistles we just want good solid dancers and teaching!

Ok off my rant. So the DVD is nicely divided into sections. The concepts part was really interesting. Same with flow. She then teaches combos you can put together to make a choreography.

Definitely has a different style and I have seen things that I have never seen put together so I enjoyed that. She is very descriptive. However there were times where I felt as if I was in a drama/musical theater class. Her intonations in her voice reminded me of a drama teacher. She brought her violin. However, she does explain great concepts to add depth and texture to your dance choreography. Her dance vocabulary is very different than what I have been taught. You won't hear arabic 2 or anything of that such, so that was a bit different. She also does not break down the specific moves. This is not a technique driven sort of DVD, it is definitely a bit more conceptual. Her combos do not have counts to the music.

Now, I am by no means bashing this DVD by any means. Actually, I felt this was a bit of a fresh air compared to the other DVDs out there. It makes you think of moves differently and how to dance differently based on descriptions. I would actually recommend this to an advanced intermediate/advanced dancer looking to really be a better dancer. I have always felt the difference between a good and a great dancer is the emotional connection you have with the music and with the audience. That is how you increase your ability as a dancer. You have to have emotion as you dance, the DVD addresses that. She has a very signature music and dance style. Though I will say that there were other performances on the DVD and I felt as if they all began to look the same as it seemed as if she did the same thing but maybe in different ways. And if you ever wanted to see a rainbow zebra costume (oh yeah) check out the performances section. I did like the choreography. I feel it has potential for the future for me to adapt to a group choreography. And BTW I loved the outtakes on the DVD.

So this DVD is a keeper, for the advanced dancer, who doesn't need counts and already knows proper technique and moves.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance Review: Jillina Entrance Choreography DVD

Happy Shimmy Saturday! Today's review is Jillina's next set of DVDs, first one of the 3 pack is the entrance choreography. Which I promise you I have seen before with the Superstars. I think this is a modified version of their choreography. I am just saying...

The DVD menu is much more expanded than her previous DVDs. And each section you can drill much longer. A definite a step up from the previous DVDs.

There is an intro, a warmup (which is longer than the other DVDs), technique, combos and then choreography.

She is in a different studio, that almost tricks you to think she is outside but she isn't. But it is a big full length mirror, which she honestly doesn't have enough room to dance in front of and stay within the limits of the mirror. Most of the DVD is her talking and explaining things.

Now she does explain well, as always, the moves and drills them. Each is its own chapter and you pick which one you want to drill. And you can redo just the drill part until you feel comfortable. Then it is the combo part which again you can practice for a long time. But again we got some weird camera shots. Is this necessary? It does not help my learning curve.

Next we put the combos together for a choreography. It is Entrance to the Stars song and a cropped version. In my first run of the DVD, the sound is not in sync with the moves. Overall pretty easy to learn. As with many of her choreography, there are lots of turns and undulations. LOL. I would call this a solid intermediate/intermediate advance choreo. A lot of it has to do with the quickness of the turns as the choreo is fast. Otherwise the moves are not super advanced. After the entire DVD, as always I feel like I have a good grasp of the choreography.

In the end, she performs it live and actually starts off with isis wings on and then takes them off. It is nice to see it live.

This is a keeper. Cute dance.

Cheers,
Lauren

Rachel Brice Arms and Posture DVD review

Ah Rachel Brice!! EEk!! The girl who really changed the tribal fusion scene and some people argue create it. I actually first saw her when the Bellydance Superstars first began their tour. It was in a really small venue so I got to see it up close. Watching her dance live is magical. Seriously.

Her arms and posture DVD. First of all with sound and video. The quality is good. She is in front of a mirror so you can follow her, like in a traditional class. It is voiced over, which I always think is awkward and less personal.

There are 6 sections: Prep, Dance movement prep, shoulder sequence, examples, practical application, and end stretching. She gets a bonus for having a warm up and cool down. After doing so many DVDs, it is nice to have that. Beginning section there are a lot of squats and your thighs will burn. You actually don't use your lower body for a good portion of this DVD. Actually in the drilling part of the arms you sit on a chair and isolate arms and shoulder. There is lots of work with arms and shoulders, its both a massage and a workout at the same time. She explains those elusive sidewinders and breaks them down nicely. There is a small combo she builds up to, and has a good explanation of things combined with long drilling. Which is a plus. I really like when you can drill until you are fatigued. That is how you build strength as a dancer.

This is not any sort of cardio DVD but intense drilling. After this DVD I felt taller and felt like my upper body opened up and I could breathe better. Verdict is a Keeper. Not just because it is Rachel. But because arms are so many dancers weaknesses. In the bonus section there is an interview with her and miles copeland. She talks about what she has, how long it takes to get ready, etc. She also says she gets stage fright still. Which blows me away, because she is that awesome.

Cheers,
Lauren

The sensuous Workout #2: Pure technique with Shamira bellydance DVD Review

Happy Shimmy Saturday! Today I am trying out a DVD that I actually got from someone else. I have never done it before.No Worries I have not reviewed Sensusous workout #1, and probably not planning on it.
Yes so say this title 5 times fast, I dare you....


When I first turned on the DVD and saw the dancer, I thought this lady must be from New Jersey. I don't know why I just felt it.

Turned out after some looking up, yup she is based in New Jersey. Just call it jersey girl intuition. ha!!

The curtains, the statues (which in different scenes change!), being filmed at a house. Were amusing. However, the sound was not that good. She was miked so that helped. And yes you could see her dance.

At the end, she does 3 dances to different music rhythms. The costumes were a bit crazy. She does try to tell you what she is doing so you can TRY to follow along. This costume just, er, blew me away. LOL

She does 22 sections of moves. It is all hips really. There is no chest or arms really. Actually she has a LOT of upper body movement in her teaching. So there is some lack of isolation. Her dance vocabulary is different than mine. Each section she does go over a basic move and sometimes offers variants to it. She does offer good explanation of the moves but her technique is not clean. She does show video from the back so as we say in the bellydance teaching world, "follow that butt".

Verdict: Toss, I found myself bored with the tempo. I did get some different ideas for moves which was a plus. It is not bad. I just didn't care for her dancing with the choreography. It was to basic even tempo music. Nothing I could really garner or take from. I like a little spice and drama to my music and choreography. Although, the drum solo was not bad. There was also no warm up or cool down. This is definitely geared towards the beginner dancer looking to expand their move repertoire.

Curious, I looked her up as her DVD (which had chapter divisions for each move- thank you btw!!) had her website. She has actually danced for Christina Aguilara for the 2000 Music Awards. I watched some video on youtube also. I had mixed feelings about the youtube. Some are lackluster even though she is a good dancer. Then I saw her perform at a birthday party and realized something. She was so good at the birthday party, I mean entertaining and engaging. She was a good dancer. So I think what we have in this case is a dancer who is a phenomenal improv and audience-engaging dancer but ok at teaching and doing formal choreography. Her arena is the live arena.

Not all bellydancers are good improv dancers. Not all bellydancers are good at choreography. Some are better as solo dancers while others are better at group dancers. Some are good teachers, some are bad. Where do I fall in this category? I'll tell you- I am a formal choreography dancer. I hate solos, I like groups. Not always the best at improving or live small group performances, I can't always get audiences to participate with me. My strengths are also staging for groups. I also think I am a decent teacher, tho I like teaching those who have already learned and are looking to clean up technique. So I am a better intermediate/advance teacher then beginner. My background in anatomy has thoroughly helped breaking down moves in order to clean it up. I also have the "eye". LOL so there you go! :)

Cheers,
Lauren

Instructional Bellydance with Jillina Level 3

Ok last part of the Jillina 3 part series (no worries she actually has another 3 part series that I am reviewing). Again 2003, same sort of setup like all the previous DVDs. It is an advanced choreography to a Hakim song. Ahhh Hakim, I love Hakim.

Again stretching is small. Technique is clear. Combos lead to choreo. I had issues with these combos
4- gets vertical 8s mixed up again
9- hits were hard to understand which hip and it up, up or up, down, or down, down
(there are 10 total combos btw)

There are a lot of turning in this choreo. Drilling combo 10 may be hard for some people. Again way too much zooming. I just want to see the choreo. I need to see feet and direction I need to face. I really hate that. Stop zooming!!! You are not helping the choreography!!!

Definitely an int/adv dancer choreography. Lots of turns. Live performance at the end. But again some of the camera zooms on her abs/hips really is not what I want to see. I almost feel it is inappropriate.

She always has really great interaction with audience, she is truly an outstanding performer. Which with the zooms you miss. As a dancer I want to see all of her dance from head to toe. Because she truly performs head to toe.

Verdict: Keep. I never get tired of her choreography. :)

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Jillina #2

Ah another Jillina DVD. Oh how I love Jillina. I can watch Jillina all day. This again from 2003. The Song is Warda.

As you know this is part of a 3 part DVD series. I reviewed #1 here, go and check it out. The second is supposed to be a intermediate geared DVD. Again she talks while she instructs in front of the mirror. Just like a class.

The warm up is little like the previous DVD but the technique is clear. Combos led to choreography.
I had issues with these combos
2- has R/L vertical figure 8s backwards
7- too many zoom ins, I felt like I needed more feet and not hips
8- too many zooms, also too short

Even in the choreography part I wish less zooming would happen. I get confused with what direction I'm supposed to face. I got confused on the hip circle part. But man she can flick that hair fall like its nobody's business. Watch if you have neck problems, this area can be problematic. You also have floorwork, but little of it, but if you can't come to the floor you will have modify this entire section. There is no cool down. Overall I thought the choreography is cute. It is not super county so if you are one of these people who need counts, you will have problems. She performs the choreo in front of a live audience but modifies it. Still good.  BTW I love the outtakes on the credits.

Verdict: Keep. Love the choreo. The video and sound is good. The content is good and useful. I would say this is definitely an intermediate choreography.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Queen of Flowers

Ok another Neon DVD, this one is the queen of flowers. All about tray dancing. Which she does with flowers on which is lovely.

This is the menu. A bit crazy. I'll explain in a bit. 

And WTF about the neon green mini skirt she danced in the entire time. 

Ok let me start from the beginning, I am done ranting about that mini-skirt. The majority of the DVD is about dancing with a tray on your head on top of a veil. I do not condone this, too dangerous and really it sort of creaped me out. I have yet to figure this one out why that creeped me out. Why can you not dance with a hip belt, yoga pants, and a sports bra like the rest of us?

The music is very general and not to a specific song. She teaches 2 choreographies: Queen of flowers and secret garden. it is 130 minutes. So buckle up this is a long DVD. Both honestly when I had issues with the menu I thought were the same. Tho after studying it is a different dance but that was only b/c I did the DVD. They both started out the same way.

Now don't get me wrong she has serious skills and technique with a tray. Much better than I have. And the graphics do help you learn as she teaches you step by step. But she talks to you so you have to mirror her. After a while my brain hurts. And that black background, but I understand why it is there for the diagrams, which help a lot. I still think her dancing is a bit choppy like with her reverse undulations. I would like to see more flow to her moves.

So the difference also between the 2 choreographies is how she looses the veil from the head underneath the tray. Now there is actually a 3rd dance but she doesn't not teach anything. She just performs to it. It is a bit of a more advanced dance. At the end she does give logisitics and pointers for trays, veils, flowers, lip makeup.

Verdict: Toss. I do not see a need for this in my future and I need the space. I say this is for intermediate and advance dancers just b/c of the technique that is required to dance with a tray on your head. Now if you want to learn how to do this I would recommend this for you. However, if it isn't your future I say save your money.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Twins Basic Moves and Fat Burning

Next another DVD back from 2001 (god I am old!) from Veena and Neena, the bellydance twins.

Again this DVD is similar to their previous ones. They don't talk during the workout. There is a voice over. The video is good and they look at you as if you are in a fitness class. Which this is a fitness DVD so fair enough. The content is basically basic drilling. Some of it was too slow for me. I put it on fast forward a bit to help me with boredom.

This is an extreme beginner DVD. Like the kind of DVD you give your friend, family member, or coworker a DVD to do "bellydance moves". If you are a dancer you understand what I am saying. If you are any bit of a seasoned dancer you will be bored with the slowness of the DVD. I will give them this, they really describe the moves really well so for the absolute beginners this is fine and clear.

Verdict: Sell, though not because it was bad, it is just too basic to warrant taking up space on my shelf.

Oh yeah the end performance in the black and gold lame was classic 90s bellydance costume. Love it. And could have done with out the dark shadow dancing to the introduction.

Cheers,
Lauren

Nadira 5-Layers Bellydance DVD Review

Happy Tuesday! Next up is the beautiful Nadira. Who when I first saw her looked like my best friend from college Jana. I did a double take and thought, Jana when did you start dancing and how are you better than me? ;)

This is all about layering. It has a nice Chapter DVD where you can select anything to work on. This is also a great inspiration to all the really tall dancers out there with long arms, yes you can get them under control and they can be beautiful!

She teaches like a class, speaking and facing a mirror for when she breaks things down. She starts small and builds up. I felt the warm up was too fast and I needed more. Especially for her DVD! I recommend warming up a bit more. She also has a great posture section. She was also a dancer who had back problems, a herniated disc from an accident and learned how to work with her injuries. Really great advice here.

I struggled with a few of the combos. I am the shimmy queen and for some of them it was hard to not shimmy. Bad body. She goes through everything really clearly, starts small and adds layer after layer. Then you drill that combo to music. After that next combo. The combos get harder as you go through the DVD. There is also at the end an extra practice, which was really good.

I loved this DVD. It is a KEEP! Recommend for intermediate dancers and on up. Not for beginners, you need more experience under your hip belt.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Sera Solstice

Well happy Monday! Happy Veteran's Day! Today is a Tribal DVD review. Now I will admit that I went into this DVD with a bad attitude with this DVD. I did not take it seriously until I actually did it and completely willing to admit it. This is a good DVD.

The quality was good for both sound and video. I saw everything clearly. My only wish was I wish the background music was lower than the talking.

The menu was full of chapters I could go to, really nice! And it breaks it down by minutes!
The warm up was really, really good. She mirrors you and also has an interesting layout with 4 girls. 2 facing each other, 2 facing you. And what is impressive is she talks to you while dancing full out. Doesn't even flinch that she is out of breath.

The rest of the DVD was great! It is geared for a very advanced beginner and up. I learned things so I recommend for all levels. There were new things for me to combine together. And it was something I wanted to revisit again. I enjoyed different combos and moves. She goes through 6 combinations, step-by-step with clear instructions and what not to do. And then you do it together. I will say that everyone was in sync but 1 girl. It was odd. And it wasn't just once. It was a lot and that same person.

The performance with her is really odd. It is a New York bellydance DVD and they is what you see with these DVDs, its almost like the dancer is improvising and they throw over a beat which doesn't match. The girl just keeps dancing and dancing, just randomly. That is what this was. And odd, weird background stuff with her name coming up on the back.

I highly recommend this DVD I need to do it a few more times to be comfortable. Good workout too. This is a KEEP!

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Princess Farhana, balance

Here is my last Princess Farhana DVD. This one I was very excited about. Sword and Shamadan. All about balance. Any pointers I am always open to!

It has a bunch of chapters. However, I will say this they are not very long. 

The production quality is good. She talks to you while she dances however she faces you so you will mirror her. The sound is ok, like the other one you can hear cars driving by!

She has a good introduction with pointers with swords and shamadans. One good one for the shamadan, or a candelabra, is to not leave your candles in your car for even the slightest of time. Always bring more than you need and your own matches. Look for doorway clearance, air vents to blow hot wax, keep all your props on the floor for storage. Simple things to make life easy.

The routine portion in let's review, is a general song, nothing elaborate and can be used for shamadan too. It is not a full walk through so if you were looking for a routine you could use to perform this is just a stepping stone base.

Her performance is impressive with her sword floor work and transitioning from standing to ground is need. The boob balance, not always a fan. But she really teaches good technique.

Verdict: this is currently a keep. I would say this is for beginner sword performers but intermediate in bellydance skill. You need to know everything prior to putting a sword on your head.

I thought this DVD was just full of really good information and instruction. I wish I had watched it sooner in my life. I don't know if I would keep it for a long period of time should I need to save on space and I am a veteran sword performer. Though she did give me some good information that I had not thought of before.

Well I am catching up here. The wedding in Florida was fabulous but I got no rest and had to go straight back to work and I have been busy. And I am also trying to get adapted to winter. I acknowledged the fact we got early cold weather here and went through my clothes transitioning my summer to winter. Where fall went... I have no idea. But I got rid of 4 big bags of things! We cleaned up our place. Ahh. But my poor blog suffered. I normally keep things pre-written and scheduled but towards the wedding I was lucky to have things done in normal life. So I did manage during the incident here when I felt better, to get some sewing done. I just need to get some end pictures done and edit them. That is all that is holding me up and time to write. I do have a lot of DVDs done and more reviews to come. I may have this week be all dedicated to bellydance DVD and next week get back on my normal schedule.

Cheers!
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Temple of Jehan Ultimate Workout

Happy Shimmy Sunday! Today's DVD review is a fitness bellydance DVD. Which during the DVD I asked the question- if this is a fitness geared DVD why are you working out in jeans??

This is from New York Bellydance which I will admit I am not a fan of, they tend to be overly edited with weird background graphics, sometimes odd lighting, etc. A lot of fluff and stuff, I just want content. I don't watch bellydance DVDs for their background graphics I watch them for their content. So in my opinion they are a bit of a fantasy based DVDs. But since this isn't performance based DVD and a fitness maybe this one would be better. And yes it was. The format was filmed in a studio with a white background. Ah thank you. 

Here is the DVD menu. Each chapter has a name which is a section where it is lead by 1 dancer, with 2 backup dancers. However, everything is dubbed over with a voice. Grr. I dislike that. 

So there is a warm up, followed by: strength, sensuality, joy, passion, energy, and then a cool down. Now you have to know moves already, you can't go into this workout blindly. Also what is missing at times is they don't say everything they do. You must follow the video. Or else you totally miss it. Some chapters are better than others. But sometimes even I was confused on what I am supposed to do. 

In the sensuality section, I will give a warning- if you have any sort of head or neck issues you need to watch this section. It is just filled with hair and head flings even body flings. There was actually NO warning that if you have issues- don't do this part.  

In joy, it is filled with lots of jumping and high speed. I got really confused in this section. The other sections I could manage. 

Overall here is my take on this DVD: this DVD is a Temple of Jehan billed DVD. Jehan doesn't dance or even make an appearance. Nothing. There is no breakdown of any move. What is proper, what to do to avoid injury. If you are not a seasoned dancer where you know what to do to NOT hurt yourself, I would not recommend this DVD. You will probably hurt yourself. Not worth it. Also the whole dancing in jeans? Really? I know this is 2003 DVD, but come on none of us in the bellydance community bellydance or workout in jeans. None of us practice in jeans, unless we are somewhere and it is impromptu. Most of us practice in yoga pants or exercise wear with a sports bra. Also some of these bedazzled bras with big cheap rhinestones glued to bras feels really artsy craftsy. I know they were trying to go for that mysterious bellydancer feel. But really it comes off as cheesy and beginner. At least a few of them wore cholis. That was somewhat redeeming. 

And at the end is a cheesy trainer talking about safety. Well sort of. 

Now this was not supposed to be a fellow dancer bashing sort of review. But I feel what I feel. The overall question is would I keep this DVD? The answer is MAYBE. Why b/c I did get a sweat going, and some of the fast paced did challenge me. So was it a workout yes. And hence why I am possibly thinking of keeping it for a bit longer. :) But I would not recommend for the beginner bellydancer.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Bozenka

Happy Shimmy Saturday! I am so sad to be writing the DVD review. Since they were both so bad I combined them together. I am so disappointed in this, I spent decent money on something that was so paltry. I will say this I DO NOT RECOMMEND. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Bozenka I expected more from you and as a former performer in the industry I can't believe you would put your name on this. Shame on you. Each DVD claimed that it was a choreography instruction. I had met Bonzenka and took workshops from her and I was eager to learn more from her. Sadly I was bitterly disappointed.

After spending over $30 on each DVD thsi is what I received in the mail. 2 DVDs in cases, no cover not artwork, nothing what I thought I was going to receive from the website. I did not get this. Then I got a CD written in sharpie with the 2 songs. Really? Really?

Even worse when I put the DVD into the player this is what I had. No talking. Just Bozenka dancing in her studio. She dances each 3X. No words no instruction, no explanation of the steps or moves. 

After that there is nothing else. Just dances it 3X. I am sorry, but if I am going to spend my hard earned money I am going to expect some level of professionalism. Some breakdown of moves. Do not bill your DVD as instructional when you DON'T EXPLAIN A SINGLE MOVE. DANCING IN FRONT OF A MIRROR IS NOT INSTRUCTIONAL. I can get the exact same experience watching your performance on youtube or another DVD and break down what you do and I can do it for free.

Such a shame b/c she is such a gorgeous dancers and I would love to have instruction and breakdown. She really has some great stuff. I feel slighted. I will never buy anything from her again. Never. Not worth the money. Do not do it, just watch a youtube video. you will have the same experience.

And that is all I have to say!
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Princess Farhana Basic DVD

Happy Shimmy Saturday! A DVD from a bellydancer. This should be better.

Now I will say I have not always been the biggest fan of Princess Farhana but this DVD changed my mind. She is not a hippy dancer, which I am-there in lies my strength, hence why she has never been always in my radar. But with that said that does not mean I can't learn something from her. And I did! 

She had a separate guide to the styles of bellydance which was nice to have. And even talked about the history (albeit from cards- you can totally tell she is reading my cards, it is all good). In the intro before the whole DVD you see some old school performances from her which I just loved. She gives a good warm up. She also talks while she dances so it just feels more personal. And you get her personality. 

One of the things I liked about this was she talked about how the belly can be a separate part of the body. And each part of your body as its own zip code. Nice analogy. Good talk about posture, arm positioning- I liked that. Also what is proper and the right way to dance. 

She dances in a studio with a curtain in the background. However the sound is a little shady. It goes in and out while she dances. And if she moves to a certain part of the stage it was almost hard to hear. Also there was some weird camera cuts. Since I know most of the moves, I just drilled and listened to her interpretations and advice on technique. 

There was also a performance part. Not going to lie, it was a bit boring for my taste and it was also not live so it is a bit hard for a dancer to get the energy from the audience. I will say this, and I also ride my students on this, she looked at the ground a lot. I sort of expected more from a professional dancer. Sort of a performing no-no. 

Overall I did like this DVD and I would recommend to beginning students. Now I would not call this a fitness DVD, it is not aerobic by any means nor is it an intensive drilling DVD. I did do arms that she drilled on my fitness ball and wow that was a workout! She is really good at explaining things so you will learn something and even if you are past beginner this is great for teachers who want other ways to explain moves to beginners.

MAYBE as a keeper. Depends on my space.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Princess Farhana Intermediate Workout DVD

Happy shimmy Sunday! Here is the 2nd DVD from Princess Farhana. this is the intermediate component of the set (it came as a 2 pack).

LOl so the introduction has scrolling words with dancing, which I put on fast forward, I mean I don't want to read this. She then talks (and reads off cue cards) which just feels odd again. There is a warm up, technique, rolls/flutters, dance, and then drum solo. Again she talks while she dances while facing you, I always like that.

The sound is better you can hear her. However, I hear cars in the background. I could not help but laugh. She had a really good explanation about stomach flutters and undulations. OMG finally! And she even showed the book technique in order to demonstrate how to isolate your abs. So great! I finally had my aha moment with getting stomach flutters over an undulation. THANK YOU PRINCESS FARHANA!! Finally! I got it and with some drilling I'll have it. But she was the first one to explain it in a way I could actually grasp doing it. That is what stood out the most from the DVD. Thank you again. 

Performance at the end. It was better than the other one. Though I could have done without the cheesy effect of her magically appearing on the stage (bad video effects). I will give her this, she always has gorgeous costumes!

Overall a good explanation again of moves. I would not call this a workout. She did throw some things at me that I was like huh-nice take! So I enjoyed myself. I am most likely to keep this DVD just for the drilling on the stomach flutters.

Cheers,
Lauren

Bellydance DVD Review: Rania's Cardio Shimmy

Another Rania workout DVD. And it is all about the shimmy! Yeah! Happy shimmy Sunday!

I was excited about the DVD, b/c I wanted a sweat! Again we had nice video menu. And you can select what you want to do. And even bonus features.

Now the bonus workout is just from her daily quickies. It is the abs one. Now there is a weird group dance intro in the dark. This DVD is a group format but she still voices over all of the workout.

Now there is a basic shimmy combo she teaches you that you will always go to. But then you do small sections. They are all basic easy moves. Which is good if you have bellydance knowledge. This is a good bellydance fitness that incorporates bellydance. I enjoyed the workout, I got a good sweat. Again, you are not going to learn a dance but you will get a workout.

The DVD includes: warm-up, combos, then a cool down. And all the girls in the DVD did AWESOME with smiling the entire workout. They looked so happy and perky, which is what I did not look like during the workout. There were 2 performances. Now I do not care for her style of performance. Sometimes she has very wide eyes (only when she performs) that looks like she is deer in highlights. Sometimes she stares at the ground. She is not much of a stronger performer. But she always has beautiful costumes though. Props to her!

Verdict: keep, I could use a DVD to sweat to and have some fun.

cheers,
Lauren