Thread: Which instructional DVDs/Videos do you have? (2012 Version)

Originally Posted by Shanazel

I'm sorry, Ahava, I have to disagree that anything that talented young man is doing constitutes belley dance. Body gymnastics, amazing muscle control, smooth gyrations, hip hop- grand entertainment, perhaps, but not belly dance.

Compare to Jim Boz, Tito, Tarik:

Jim Boz dancing - YouTube

Tito and Hala duet - Egyptian Belly Dance - YouTube

Tarik Sultan- Egyptian Cane dance improvisation - YouTube

Don't forget DaVid of Scandinavia- He's super awesome!

The omission was inadvertant, I assure you!

- Pops, Locks & Shimmies with Sadie and Kaya
- Pops, Locks & Shimmies with Sadie and Kaya 2
- Pops, Locks & Layers with Sadie and Kaya
- Thrillin’ Drillin’ with Sadie
- Saida & Kirlis: Belly Dance
- Saida & Kirlis: Belly Dance vol.2
- Drum Solo: Technique & Cho​reography with Sadie


others.....
- The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique

Originally Posted by UrbanSonge

- The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique

I saw this on Amazon and am really curious about it. There are multiple videos -- which one(s) do you have? And how do you find it?

Originally Posted by atisheh

I saw this on Amazon and am really curious about it. There are multiple videos -- which one(s) do you have? And how do you find it?

To be honest I found it on a site called collagevideos.com but bought it from amazon.com and I really use it just to 'keep up' my ballet. I don't take ballet anymore, and thought they were the closest to actual ballet classes. these are the only ones I have right now - The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 2: Barrework for Advanced Beginners (Amazon.com: The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 2: Barrework for Advanced Beginners: Finis Jhung: Movies & TV) and The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 5 Intermediate Centerwork on Turns & Jumps (Amazon.com: The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 5 Intermediate Centerwork on Turns & Jumps)

Originally Posted by Ayşegül

My collection atm,

1. Belly Dance for Beginners with Leila
2. Pops, locks and shimmies vol 1
3. Dynamic Drum Solo with Sadie
4. Flawless Floorwork with Ruby
5. Sultry Slow Moves with Sadie
6. Turkish Style Belly Dance by Elizabeth Artemis Mourat

I hope to get more soon

I have belly dance for beginners with Leila and I can't recommend it enough. Even though I am not a beginner I use it often. I think I paid about £8 for it from Amazon and although I've only owned a few dvd's this is the best, great teaching and content for a great price!

Originally Posted by seona

I have belly dance for beginners with Leila and I can't recommend it enough. Even though I am not a beginner I use it often. I think I paid about £8 for it from Amazon and although I've only owned a few dvd's this is the best, great teaching and content for a great price!

Can you tell me more about it? I'm looking for Egyptian style instructionals specifically for beginners. I like Leila's dancing a lot, very relaxed and smooth. I recently got Outi's and love it. I'm wondering if Leila's is similar.

Originally Posted by UrbanSonge

To be honest I found it on a site called collagevideos.com but bought it from amazon.com and I really use it just to 'keep up' my ballet. I don't take ballet anymore, and thought they were the closest to actual ballet classes. these are the only ones I have right now - The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 2: Barrework for Advanced Beginners (Amazon.com: The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 2: Barrework for Advanced Beginners: Finis Jhung: Movies & TV) and The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 5 Intermediate Centerwork on Turns & Jumps (Amazon.com: The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 5 Intermediate Centerwork on Turns & Jumps)

Oh sorry, I phrased my question in a confusing way. I didn't mean how you found the videos in the first place, but what you thought of them! Are they good? Worth $50 each? They're certainly not cheap...

Originally Posted by atisheh

Oh sorry, I phrased my question in a confusing way. I didn't mean how you found the videos in the first place, but what you thought of them! Are they good? Worth $50 each? They're certainly not cheap...

Oh, so sorry lol.

Yes, like I said I find the finis jhung to be most like actual ballet classes: well-structured and in a comprehensive format. Each self-titled dvd is highly focussed, and very much for the in-between classes (or at least that's how I like to think of it). The teacher in it also shows you how the moves are to be done by showing you on the dancer herself as she does each of the moves, and I think that's crucial even in your daily practice.

For $50 of getting in your daily practice, to me is completely worth it. Even if you've never danced in your life - it'll provide you at least w/learning the moves *correctly*, and hey - if you find you get a nice toning or workout out of it than all the better!

hope this helps
And btw, I did have the NYC Ballet Workout dvd - was really nothing more than a video referrence of basic moves and its complimentary flexibility or strengthening that goes w/each move. I'm guessing it's more useful for a ballet teacher or something.

Originally Posted by Jane

Can you tell me more about it? I'm looking for Egyptian style instructionals specifically for beginners. I like Leila's dancing a lot, very relaxed and smooth. I recently got Outi's and love it. I'm wondering if Leila's is similar.

I haven't seen anyone post a reply so I thought I'd go ahead and put in my two cents. I have Leila's video and would unreservedly recommend it.

Outi's dvd, which is totally accessible to motivated beginners, seems to me ideally suited to someone who has a basic BD vocab under their belt and wants to delve into a bit more Egyptian styling. Leila's, I would say, is easily beginner accessible. She has a lovely persona on this video for both performing and instructing the moves. As a bonus, the video also goes quite a bit beyond beginner level to include shimmies with layering, a jewel, and traveling moves. There is an awful lot to work with.

On a humorous note, she does a lot of 'eh?' which always makes me smile. I usually say "eh." in return. I'm home, so no ones around to see me be silly that way…

Unlike Outi's, Leila's instruction is incorporated with the drilling. I don't feel so much that I stand there and listen to instruction and then go on to a few quick of hip circles before moving on in a blink of an eye. In that respect alone, I feel its very interactive and useful for multiple viewings. Her way of generating movement, including posture, is Egyptian which is not really seen in other beginning instructionals. There's a lot on here - especially traveling moves - that for me is not only done in a quintessential Egyptian style (camel, horse, those belly pops) but I just don't think I've really seen it in other places (?maybe Zahra's magnificent moves? Other combo dvds maybe?). Strikes me as quite beyond beginner...

The formatting of the video is a little weird. You have to go to a main menu to get each section. Times aren't given for each section and this is unfortunate because some sections are lengthy and others much less so. I found it helpful to write down the total times for each section to refer back to. Some sections have multiple moves but you don't realize how much or what because the sections are labeled in a way to tell you. Whenever I take the DVD out, I am always telling myself how great it is and how much I want to do it more, more, more. I think though the organization is one factor why I don't. The other factor is probably unrelated to the dvd: I'm not at the point yet were I want to narrow my focus in and I think Egypitan has such a different feel that balancing that with other feedback from my other DVD's just doesn't seem 'optimal' at this time. But, when that time comes, this DVD is going to be heavily used.

She does three dances - without instruction - from her sukara (?) CD. When I was more beginner - beginner - beginner (and I'm still beginner-beginner as a complete hobbyist) I found myself totally unable to follow these. I would watch them a lot as BD eye-candy because of her dancing - it's just beautiful. I have only recently begin to be able to attempt to follow along with her and I have to say its an awesome learning experience.

On amazon, they are on sale for under 10 bucks all the time. I saw a whole bunch of them at a half-price-books for super cheap. If you are at all interested in Egyptian stylization, this is well worth your time and money and frankly, is worth a lot more than you're going to pay.

When you get it (and I hope you do) you should let us know what you think!