What instructional DVDs/Videos you have?
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missanime
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Jillina's Shape up and Hip out DVD
Jillina's Shape up n' Hip out DVD 2008 release
I love the way this DVD has been put together and it definitely has become my favorite. The music is pleasant and not overpowering. In most cases I think the music fits the movements being performed.
She misses a few ques here and there so if you aren't watching the screen or counting the reps you won't change movements. Other than that the ques and transitions are good.
The breakdown of the movements are explained well and you do each movement in steps and then smooth them out. The same movements are drilled at each level but additional elements are added which increases the difficulty.
Introduction:
Jillina explains why she creates this video and gives a little insight on her view of BD. She states that BD is for all shapes and sizes wether male or female. She also states that this video is for a beginner that wants to learn movements with lots of repetition or a pro who wants to drill, hone his/her skills and add passion and love to their dance.
Warm up:
The warm up is a typical BD warm up.
Slow & Smooth - Level 1 Beginner
You have the option of viewing this with Instruction and music or with music only. I reallylike this option because after a while I get irritated hearing the same thing over and over again. This is the current level that I use.
Example:
Camel is broken down into 4 parts and you practice doing each part and then smoothing it out and you also do the reverse camel.
Hip drop is drilled w/o any kicks or arm movements.
*************************************************
Rhythm Hips - Level 2 Intermediate
You have the option of viewing this with Instruction and music or with music only. I can do some of the several of the movements in this section but I have trouble transitioning between them quickly.
Camel is drilled and arm movements are added.
Hip drop is drilled with a kick added.
*************************************************
Turbo Hips - Level 3 Advanced
You have the option of viewing this with Instruction and music or with music only. I'm not ready for this level yet.
Camel is drilled w/arm movements while traveling.
Hip drop is drilled w/kicks arm movements and you travel.
***********************************************
Cool Down:
Typical cool down but she changed clothes and I thought that was a little odd.
*************************************************
Live Performance:
There are several performances to choose from. Some are of Jillina and some are of other dancers from the video.
Behind the Scenes:
Several behind the scene clips with Jillina and the other dancers. Doing hair, makeup etc..
More Jillina:
This lists other dvd's by Jillina that are available.
Show Credits:
Wardrobe by Hipalicious (I liked what they were wearing and the hipscarves are gorgeous!)
IMO:
It's worth the $$ is is great for anyone who is learning at home.
Jillina's Shape up n' Hip out DVD 2008 release
I love the way this DVD has been put together and it definitely has become my favorite. The music is pleasant and not overpowering. In most cases I think the music fits the movements being performed.
She misses a few ques here and there so if you aren't watching the screen or counting the reps you won't change movements. Other than that the ques and transitions are good.
The breakdown of the movements are explained well and you do each movement in steps and then smooth them out. The same movements are drilled at each level but additional elements are added which increases the difficulty.
Introduction:
Jillina explains why she creates this video and gives a little insight on her view of BD. She states that BD is for all shapes and sizes wether male or female. She also states that this video is for a beginner that wants to learn movements with lots of repetition or a pro who wants to drill, hone his/her skills and add passion and love to their dance.
Warm up:
The warm up is a typical BD warm up.
Slow & Smooth - Level 1 Beginner
You have the option of viewing this with Instruction and music or with music only. I reallylike this option because after a while I get irritated hearing the same thing over and over again. This is the current level that I use.
Example:
Camel is broken down into 4 parts and you practice doing each part and then smoothing it out and you also do the reverse camel.
Hip drop is drilled w/o any kicks or arm movements.
*************************************************
Rhythm Hips - Level 2 Intermediate
You have the option of viewing this with Instruction and music or with music only. I can do some of the several of the movements in this section but I have trouble transitioning between them quickly.
Camel is drilled and arm movements are added.
Hip drop is drilled with a kick added.
*************************************************
Turbo Hips - Level 3 Advanced
You have the option of viewing this with Instruction and music or with music only. I'm not ready for this level yet.
Camel is drilled w/arm movements while traveling.
Hip drop is drilled w/kicks arm movements and you travel.
***********************************************
Cool Down:
Typical cool down but she changed clothes and I thought that was a little odd.
*************************************************
Live Performance:
There are several performances to choose from. Some are of Jillina and some are of other dancers from the video.
Behind the Scenes:
Several behind the scene clips with Jillina and the other dancers. Doing hair, makeup etc..
More Jillina:
This lists other dvd's by Jillina that are available.
Show Credits:
Wardrobe by Hipalicious (I liked what they were wearing and the hipscarves are gorgeous!)
IMO:
It's worth the $$ is is great for anyone who is learning at home.
alosha
New member
i also have the shape up, and i really like it. i do all three, and you're definitely tired after! i still can't get a couple of the turns, so i just don't do them right now.
i have rachel brice's yoga isolations and drills, but it gets kinda boring. i do love the yoga warm-up though.
and i just got neon's Luscious, and i really like it. it's fun.
i have rachel brice's yoga isolations and drills, but it gets kinda boring. i do love the yoga warm-up though.
and i just got neon's Luscious, and i really like it. it's fun.
jenc
New member
I do - I used this a lot for heavy drilling. There are 2 drills and a routine done twice (once to very weird soundtrack about a plane crash. Have decided I have finished with it cos I'm not a fusion dancer and I know need to drill more combinations and layers and so I haven't used this for a while. I also decided that I didn't need to drill fusion arms. Good for someone who wants to sharpen up - and if I wanted to do fusion, I guess I would still use it. I never got to grips with the combinations used in the routine so there is plenty to keep you going if fusion is your aim.
I will be selling this for £12 including UK shipping
I will be selling this for £12 including UK shipping
alosha
New member
thanks a bunch! maybe i will end up fusion...right now i'm doing cab, but i really need to build muscle strength, and fusion arms do that quite well for me, so i think i wll go ahead and get it. too bad you're so far away or i'd buy it from you! the shipping would be quite a bit i think. and what did you think of the yoga?
jenc
New member
I worry about trying to do that without proper instruction (and head down trying to follow instructions you can't see nio screen!). Better than Rachel Brice for that though. I don't use yoga to limber up unless it's on a vid.
I like Luscious it's all BD moves and those big hip circles make you supple. BUT for preference I would warm up first (though usuallly don't as straight into hip circles they can be a bit stiff
I like Luscious it's all BD moves and those big hip circles make you supple. BUT for preference I would warm up first (though usuallly don't as straight into hip circles they can be a bit stiff
Hi¡¡ i am a passionate of bellydance too even i live in Spain for that i will improve my english here,i have alot dvds of bellydance more than 100 hundred,if somebody want change with me writte me or if somebody want some advice about some dvds i will answer if i can do it,there are many i cant find in amazon and would like me to see,i think are very interesting for learn if dont have enought time for do many lessons...
hugssssssssssss
hugssssssssssss
Yesterday my daughter downloaded one of Ansuya`s instructional dvd`s for me. 
I loved it, have to say....the start had a very `girly` section on the home, and on bathing (though I`ll pass on wearing my dance jewellery whilst I bathe, not sure if it`d rust or not! Eek! ) and on how to put a costume together, before giving the full performance, with her troupe, that is taught throughout the dvd.
She teaches, with two of her friends, in front of full length mirrors which I also liked, because you can see how the movements look both from back and front, which is useful.
There is a section on veils, how to wear them with your costume and how to incorporate them into the dance taught, and on zills, which I own and have never used...*blushing*
And at the end is a section which highlights Ansuya and how she came into bellydance, and some of her friends, of their past and what brought them into it and their expectations of the dance and how it has surpassed those.
Lovely dvd, would recommend it for beginners like me.
I loved it, have to say....the start had a very `girly` section on the home, and on bathing (though I`ll pass on wearing my dance jewellery whilst I bathe, not sure if it`d rust or not! Eek!
) and on how to put a costume together, before giving the full performance, with her troupe, that is taught throughout the dvd.She teaches, with two of her friends, in front of full length mirrors which I also liked, because you can see how the movements look both from back and front, which is useful.
There is a section on veils, how to wear them with your costume and how to incorporate them into the dance taught, and on zills, which I own and have never used...*blushing*
And at the end is a section which highlights Ansuya and how she came into bellydance, and some of her friends, of their past and what brought them into it and their expectations of the dance and how it has surpassed those.
Lovely dvd, would recommend it for beginners like me.
Kharmine
New member
Dahlena's Technique Basic & Intermediate
I just got this and have only looked at the first of the two discs, so far.
That said, can cheerfully say this is one of the best instructional dvds on belly dance I've ever seen!
Dahlena teaches very simply -- no fancy set, elaborate outfit, etc. -- in front of a big mirror so you can see her from more than one angle which I, personally, find very helpful.
The mirror is in a clean, bare studio which looks professional -- something that bothered me in another otherwise OK teaching video was that it all took place in what looked like a rather junky basement!
Dahlena takes the time to show how to do a correct warm-up and cool-down, then breaks down some basic dance movements. She not only shows the right way but how these movements can be done incorrectly -- which is helpful when you're wondering why what you do doesn't quite look right.
The demonstrations include combinations of these movements, and then drill exercises to do them to music.
I'm looking forward to seeing the second disc which will end with a short drum choreography and some performances in short video clips.
My only caveat is that sound quality might be a little better. Dahlena has a rather high voice, the only microphone is, apparently, in the video camera, and that bare room is not great for acoustics. She's clear enough, it's just not the best as an audio presentation, IMHO -- especially when the recorded music kicks in.
Dahlena is an old hand at teaching, having been one of the earliest Western belly dancers in the States, and pioneered teaching OD in the early 1960s in Chicago (my teacher, Natasha, was one of her students and a member of her troupe). She was a ballet dancer previous to that, which may have helped her in knowing how to break down movement for teaching Westerners.
BTW, she looks VERY good, even when not made up and costumed to the nines!
While her dvd, so far, doesn't touch on it, Dahlena has gotten enthusiastic chops from Middle Eastern folks for a long time because of her dedication to the cultural context.
All in all, so far, it's been a great experience for me, worth the money (bought for $30 at dahlena.com) and worth recommending to others. Her site also sells more advanced instruction, choreographies and stage performances from a great career.
I've been out of practice for longer than I liked and I wanted something that would smooth my return back to the classroom, besides being a good home practice aid.
This seems just the ticket!
I just got this and have only looked at the first of the two discs, so far.
That said, can cheerfully say this is one of the best instructional dvds on belly dance I've ever seen!
Dahlena teaches very simply -- no fancy set, elaborate outfit, etc. -- in front of a big mirror so you can see her from more than one angle which I, personally, find very helpful.
The mirror is in a clean, bare studio which looks professional -- something that bothered me in another otherwise OK teaching video was that it all took place in what looked like a rather junky basement!
Dahlena takes the time to show how to do a correct warm-up and cool-down, then breaks down some basic dance movements. She not only shows the right way but how these movements can be done incorrectly -- which is helpful when you're wondering why what you do doesn't quite look right.
The demonstrations include combinations of these movements, and then drill exercises to do them to music.
I'm looking forward to seeing the second disc which will end with a short drum choreography and some performances in short video clips.
My only caveat is that sound quality might be a little better. Dahlena has a rather high voice, the only microphone is, apparently, in the video camera, and that bare room is not great for acoustics. She's clear enough, it's just not the best as an audio presentation, IMHO -- especially when the recorded music kicks in.
Dahlena is an old hand at teaching, having been one of the earliest Western belly dancers in the States, and pioneered teaching OD in the early 1960s in Chicago (my teacher, Natasha, was one of her students and a member of her troupe). She was a ballet dancer previous to that, which may have helped her in knowing how to break down movement for teaching Westerners.
BTW, she looks VERY good, even when not made up and costumed to the nines!
While her dvd, so far, doesn't touch on it, Dahlena has gotten enthusiastic chops from Middle Eastern folks for a long time because of her dedication to the cultural context.
All in all, so far, it's been a great experience for me, worth the money (bought for $30 at dahlena.com) and worth recommending to others. Her site also sells more advanced instruction, choreographies and stage performances from a great career.
I've been out of practice for longer than I liked and I wanted something that would smooth my return back to the classroom, besides being a good home practice aid.
This seems just the ticket!
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I got the Fantasy/Mystery Bellydance dvd yesterday, with Neon as the Serpent, plus two other dancers (sorry, I have still to check it out fully!) as Shadow and Pheonix. Neon, I always admire, she looks boneless the way she moves, and fast forwarding through the dvd, she breaks down the dance of the Serpent move by move, allows time for repetitions then shows each segment complete in costume.
Shadow is a Goth/Tribal dance, I watched the breakdown of that one, and though it`s taught every bit as well as Neon`s section, saw the girl do the splits, went "OUCH!" and fast forwarded to Pheonix (though, for younger or fitter dancers than me, it`s a lovely piece, has a kind of techno feel to it at times if that makes sense?
Pheonix dances with flame coloured Isis wings, the woman doing so also teaches just as well as the other two, though I have no wings I`ll try to substitute with veils and give it a go.
Out of them all I preferred Neon as Serpent and that`s the one I`ll learn best I believe, though I haven`t an ounce of her talent and none of her abs! (Is there a secret workout I don`t know about to get abs of steel btw? )
but some of the moves, I can already do! I lack the ability to move fluidly from one move into the other, however, so using that choreography I should be able to learn a great deal more.
Shadow is a Goth/Tribal dance, I watched the breakdown of that one, and though it`s taught every bit as well as Neon`s section, saw the girl do the splits, went "OUCH!" and fast forwarded to Pheonix
(though, for younger or fitter dancers than me, it`s a lovely piece, has a kind of techno feel to it at times if that makes sense?Pheonix dances with flame coloured Isis wings, the woman doing so also teaches just as well as the other two, though I have no wings I`ll try to substitute with veils and give it a go.
Out of them all I preferred Neon as Serpent and that`s the one I`ll learn best I believe, though I haven`t an ounce of her talent and none of her abs! (Is there a secret workout I don`t know about to get abs of steel btw? )
but some of the moves, I can already do! I lack the ability to move fluidly from one move into the other, however, so using that choreography I should be able to learn a great deal more.
I got Hot Combination with Ansuya
I love this woman! She makes it so easy to learn, breaks down every move and gives plenty of time for repetition, there`s no rush that I`ve seen with some other teachers.
What she does is easily seen, both from behind and in the mirror, so I know what it should look like from all angles
The footwork is also often close up so I can see that too.
Have to say a huge thumbs up to Ansuya and her instructional dvds. :dance::clap:
I love this woman! She makes it so easy to learn, breaks down every move and gives plenty of time for repetition, there`s no rush that I`ve seen with some other teachers.
What she does is easily seen, both from behind and in the mirror, so I know what it should look like from all angles
The footwork is also often close up so I can see that too.
Have to say a huge thumbs up to Ansuya and her instructional dvds. :dance::clap:
I got Egyptian Bellydance for Intermediates with Hillary Thacker yesterday. Have to admit, I`m a bit disappointed....it`s too short (30 minutes) and I think simply, more time should have been spent on breaking down combinations and moves as the whole thing felt a bit rushed. She did give a good performance with a cane at the end though.
Does anyone have any recommendations for good Egyptian dance instructional dvd`s please?
Does anyone have any recommendations for good Egyptian dance instructional dvd`s please?
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