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: Neon Bellydance Party

Happy Shimmy Saturday. Today will actually be a fun DVD review. Changing it up today. Bellydance party with Neon.

 

Yes She is actually wearing jeans with side ties.

Brings you back to 004. LOL So this DVD is composed of 10 combos that are 32 counts each. They sort of build upon each other. They start out easy and get a little bit harder. She states that this DVD is for club and party dancing. And to just to have fun. I feel it is like for a girls night that everyone can learn and dance to.

 

There isa nice menu and the combos you can start at any of them. This is night.

 

There are diagrams (and bad pictures from my camera) that you understand. This is great for beginners for people who don't know moves. This is very helpful.

 

 

She does well with explaining moves. Like you were in a class. She does 8 counts each separately and then builds upon them to help you remember them. Which is a great tool to help learn. At the end she does all of the combo together at 3 different tempos. You can do all of the or you can select one that you feel comfortable with. And you can do that again and again. It is to basic music so it is easy. Now what she is wearing begs another question. So more jeans (really?) a club top, then a denim blazer, and a cardigan. She switches tops for each tempo.

It is jus a little odd. I expected a costume for this which was odd. She does a performance to again some sort of club music. She dances with a tray, which she is phenomenal with, the only weird thing is the background pictures they add while she is dancing. I sort of find it distracting and take away from the dancing. I find this happens a lot with DVDs I get from the New York group. To me it is a little too much for the dancing. I just want to see a good dancer, I don't want to see pictures in the background. If you are a good dancer you don't need fluffy stuff to enhance your performance.

Verdict: sell. even though I had a few times that she did get me with the combos, which I enjoyed being challenged. It is not something I would use over and over again. So in order to keep my space, I am going to get rid of it. But I did have fun! :)

Cheers,
Lauren