Amanda (was Aziyade)
Well-known member
There's someone posting on the bellydancevideos Yahoo group about wanting to create a series of instructional dvds on the AUTHENTIC dance. What are your initial impressions of this posting (the bold parts are mine, making note of specific things):
Greetings Listees,
I'm working on a series of instructional dvds in classical Egyptian
dance. From beginning stance to end floowork, and everything in
between (including arms). I won't be teaching props at all, just
the moves and how to break them down and how they all fit together.
I also will not teach choreography. I prefer you mix and match the
moves to create your very own dance, as the music and moods
influence you each time you dance. In other words, I don't want to
create clones of me, but individual artists instead. Just as you
see all Egyptian dancers are individual as they use the moves they
prefer and are good at, in the way they prefer to use them (fast,
slow, small, large, broken into tiny components of the moves, etc.).
We've worked up an outline for 10 1-hour videos, and there may be
one of two more when we've finished shooting these. There are about
70 moves in all (I mean FULL moves, not the broken up or made up
ones you've seen in most videos). I was privately instructed for
nearly 3 years, which cost me $10.00 per class back in the 1970's.
I missed a handful of classes during my instruction (less than 10),
so this added up to quite a lot of money my family and I paid.
Please keep this in mind with regards to your suggestions for the
cost of the dvds?
Finally, these dvds will not have distracting backgrounds or music.
They will be shot in the dance studio I've instructed in for the
past 5 years, with no "set dressing". Just the studio background.
Also, I will not be in a hip scarf or costume of any sort. I want
you to see what my feet and legs are doing. The majority of the
moves come from the feet and legs, so I have prepared my wardrobe to
help you focus on this. These dvds are straight up instruction. No
bull, no lit candles, no fluff.
The most important thing is this. These videos MUST be followed in
the order they are made. For instance, Beginning Level 1, Beginning
Level 2, Intermediate Level 1, etc., etc. If they are followed out
of order the dancer learning from them runs the risk of severe
injury, possibly permanent. In the final standing dvd (before the
first floorwork dvd) I am teaching what's commonly known as
the "Turkish" drop, and the small steps and exercises involved in
mastering this move. Those dancers who know about this move will
understand the importance of these dvds being followed IN ORDER.
So, with all of this in mind, here are my questions to you...
1) Would you be interested in a series like this, which teaches the
authentic classic Egyptian dance from A-Z (this is the SAME dance
that Lucy, Dina, Fifi, Tito, etal do. NO ballet or other influences
involved at all)?
2) Would you be able to follow the series in it's given order and
not try to skip ahead?
3) Would you take the recommended time mastering the steps in each
dvd before moving on to the next? I will give guide posts for each
move so you will know when you've mastered it, AND there will be an
online message board for any questions you have while learning,
which will be answered by me personally. The message board will be
accessable to anyone online.
4) Would you be willing to pay $30.00 per dvd? (The costs of my
producing this are high, so I'm not trying to rip anyone off, just
break even)
5) Have you ever seen a series like this?
6) What is your biggest beef about instructional dvds/videos you've
previously seen and/or purchased?
7) Ideas, suggestions, etc, please?
Thank you so very much for your time in reading this, and any input
you may offer.
Greetings Listees,
I'm working on a series of instructional dvds in classical Egyptian
dance. From beginning stance to end floowork, and everything in
between (including arms). I won't be teaching props at all, just
the moves and how to break them down and how they all fit together.
I also will not teach choreography. I prefer you mix and match the
moves to create your very own dance, as the music and moods
influence you each time you dance. In other words, I don't want to
create clones of me, but individual artists instead. Just as you
see all Egyptian dancers are individual as they use the moves they
prefer and are good at, in the way they prefer to use them (fast,
slow, small, large, broken into tiny components of the moves, etc.).
We've worked up an outline for 10 1-hour videos, and there may be
one of two more when we've finished shooting these. There are about
70 moves in all (I mean FULL moves, not the broken up or made up
ones you've seen in most videos). I was privately instructed for
nearly 3 years, which cost me $10.00 per class back in the 1970's.
I missed a handful of classes during my instruction (less than 10),
so this added up to quite a lot of money my family and I paid.
Please keep this in mind with regards to your suggestions for the
cost of the dvds?
Finally, these dvds will not have distracting backgrounds or music.
They will be shot in the dance studio I've instructed in for the
past 5 years, with no "set dressing". Just the studio background.
Also, I will not be in a hip scarf or costume of any sort. I want
you to see what my feet and legs are doing. The majority of the
moves come from the feet and legs, so I have prepared my wardrobe to
help you focus on this. These dvds are straight up instruction. No
bull, no lit candles, no fluff.
The most important thing is this. These videos MUST be followed in
the order they are made. For instance, Beginning Level 1, Beginning
Level 2, Intermediate Level 1, etc., etc. If they are followed out
of order the dancer learning from them runs the risk of severe
injury, possibly permanent. In the final standing dvd (before the
first floorwork dvd) I am teaching what's commonly known as
the "Turkish" drop, and the small steps and exercises involved in
mastering this move. Those dancers who know about this move will
understand the importance of these dvds being followed IN ORDER.
So, with all of this in mind, here are my questions to you...
1) Would you be interested in a series like this, which teaches the
authentic classic Egyptian dance from A-Z (this is the SAME dance
that Lucy, Dina, Fifi, Tito, etal do. NO ballet or other influences
involved at all)?
2) Would you be able to follow the series in it's given order and
not try to skip ahead?
3) Would you take the recommended time mastering the steps in each
dvd before moving on to the next? I will give guide posts for each
move so you will know when you've mastered it, AND there will be an
online message board for any questions you have while learning,
which will be answered by me personally. The message board will be
accessable to anyone online.
4) Would you be willing to pay $30.00 per dvd? (The costs of my
producing this are high, so I'm not trying to rip anyone off, just
break even)
5) Have you ever seen a series like this?
6) What is your biggest beef about instructional dvds/videos you've
previously seen and/or purchased?
7) Ideas, suggestions, etc, please?
Thank you so very much for your time in reading this, and any input
you may offer.