Slinks DVD reviews
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slinks
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Keti's A-Z original and advanced
Original A-Z by Keti consist of 26 combinations in alphabetical ordered names. Each combination has a count of 16 and all start on the same foot, so that you can go from combination to combination smoothly. It's quite a break through for those who like to choreograph, having combinations to choose from, put on the music and away you go. But I think having so many combinations up in your thinking box can help with improvising too. The DVD is broken up into parts. There is A-E classic cabaret of both Egyptian and American, F-J are folkloric, K-O are the slow and smooth flowing Taxim or Taqsim (lol, however you want to spell it) P-T are a mix of travelling and taxim and is also getting harder U-Z are the advanced moves which consist of a lot of layered moves (not all are layered. After the above lessons Keti puts a little show on that consist of her routines strung together. In this DVD she uses a lot of Hossam Ramzy’s music.
Advanced A-Z is set up the same way as the original, 26 combinations in alphabetical ordered names. Each combination has a count of 16, but this DVD is a lot faster, as in, she breaks it down quicker. Once from the front, then once from the back and then once with the music and move onto the next combo. You’ll need to be an advanced dancer or be able to pick things up well. At the end of this Keti does a Tabla Solo using some of the routines. Both DVDs come with a booklet …
YouTube - Sample from Keti Sharif's A-Z Advanced Bellydance Routines
Original A-Z by Keti consist of 26 combinations in alphabetical ordered names. Each combination has a count of 16 and all start on the same foot, so that you can go from combination to combination smoothly. It's quite a break through for those who like to choreograph, having combinations to choose from, put on the music and away you go. But I think having so many combinations up in your thinking box can help with improvising too. The DVD is broken up into parts. There is A-E classic cabaret of both Egyptian and American, F-J are folkloric, K-O are the slow and smooth flowing Taxim or Taqsim (lol, however you want to spell it) P-T are a mix of travelling and taxim and is also getting harder U-Z are the advanced moves which consist of a lot of layered moves (not all are layered. After the above lessons Keti puts a little show on that consist of her routines strung together. In this DVD she uses a lot of Hossam Ramzy’s music.
Advanced A-Z is set up the same way as the original, 26 combinations in alphabetical ordered names. Each combination has a count of 16, but this DVD is a lot faster, as in, she breaks it down quicker. Once from the front, then once from the back and then once with the music and move onto the next combo. You’ll need to be an advanced dancer or be able to pick things up well. At the end of this Keti does a Tabla Solo using some of the routines. Both DVDs come with a booklet …
YouTube - Sample from Keti Sharif's A-Z Advanced Bellydance Routines
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slinks
New member
Keti's Astrobelly
Keti stands in the middle of a printed poster of Zodiac signs on the wall behind her, these signs are what we imagine to be tracing on the floor with dance steps or with our hips for example: imagine the Aries zodiac symbol, it's just two horns, so that's a kick forward and a push out to the side .. that is drawing one of the horns on the floor .. a 3 step turn and then 4 hip drops to finish it off, then to do the other horn .. or perhaps imagine the Gemini symbol it looks a lot like the Yin Yang (((( oooooh my bad !! Gemini is the twin lines, the Yin Yang look is the symbol for Cancer, I can't believe I made this boo boo))) and because it's full of round drawings those rounds are done with the shoulder rolls, hip slides, hips in circles and slinky figure 8's ..
She goes through one sign at a time.... taught much the same way as the original A-Z, showing us the steps, then dancing us through facing the front, then she shows us from behind and then to the front again, with the music...she also tells us about the sign, weather it's an air or earth, fire or water sign and she also explains what type of personality you should present when dancing that sign - bold or outward, inward or flowy.... it's really well done and very well presented.
YouTube - Sample from Keti Sharif's Astrobelly
We go through each star sign, one at a time then after we do the 3rd one, we join the first 3 together, then learn the next 3 individually and join those together and so on through the dvd. In the end when we have done all the signs we do the whole lot in a nice choreography .... after that Keti shows it can also be danced with the veil
She also presents the routines with a cane dance.
YouTube - AstroBelly - Purr-Caution
Keti stands in the middle of a printed poster of Zodiac signs on the wall behind her, these signs are what we imagine to be tracing on the floor with dance steps or with our hips for example: imagine the Aries zodiac symbol, it's just two horns, so that's a kick forward and a push out to the side .. that is drawing one of the horns on the floor .. a 3 step turn and then 4 hip drops to finish it off, then to do the other horn .. or perhaps imagine the Gemini symbol it looks a lot like the Yin Yang (((( oooooh my bad !! Gemini is the twin lines, the Yin Yang look is the symbol for Cancer, I can't believe I made this boo boo))) and because it's full of round drawings those rounds are done with the shoulder rolls, hip slides, hips in circles and slinky figure 8's ..
She goes through one sign at a time.... taught much the same way as the original A-Z, showing us the steps, then dancing us through facing the front, then she shows us from behind and then to the front again, with the music...she also tells us about the sign, weather it's an air or earth, fire or water sign and she also explains what type of personality you should present when dancing that sign - bold or outward, inward or flowy.... it's really well done and very well presented.
YouTube - Sample from Keti Sharif's Astrobelly
We go through each star sign, one at a time then after we do the 3rd one, we join the first 3 together, then learn the next 3 individually and join those together and so on through the dvd. In the end when we have done all the signs we do the whole lot in a nice choreography .... after that Keti shows it can also be danced with the veil
She also presents the routines with a cane dance.YouTube - AstroBelly - Purr-Caution
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slinks
New member
Body Quake 2
Keti's, Body Quake Elements DVD, I can tell you that this is a very nice workout, for those who like to add bellyrobics to their dancing.
Both the Original and Advanced A-Z DVD routines are used. I would not
recommend this DVD to a beginner, you will need to at least have the
original A-Z knowledge behind you. And an ability to pick up steps if
you are not going to get the Advanced A-Z ;-) But having said that if you are good at picking things up, then it wouldn’t be too hard ..
The DVD has four sections:
Warm Up: there are three to choose from or do all (like I do)
1.Temple dance 5.15 mins
2.Devine Shiva 6.00 mins
3.Nile Serpent 6.00 mins
Flow Energy: there are three to choose from or do all (like I do)
4.Algerian Rai 2.30
5.Exotic Journey 3.30 mins
6.The Souk 5.15 mins
High Energy: This one has four to choose from
7.Samba on the beach 4.50 mins
8.Tabla Solo 2.00 mins
9.Hindi Fusion 3.50 mins
10.Egyptains Drums 4.00 mins
Cool Down: And three to choose from here or do them all
11.Red Sea Rhythm 5.10 mins
12.Andalutian 4.15 mins
13.Deep Ocean 1.20
The DVD if you "play all" flows through and you can skip if there is one
you do not want to do ( I do not like Samba and the Hindi fusion so I skip these.
I would prefer to really stretch it out at the end of the workout, Keti
does not do this, the cool down is slowing down, then shoulder rolls.
The filming was done on the Red Sea in Egypt and there are some
magnificent views, those who'll never see an Egyptian sunset, nice...
Keti's, Body Quake Elements DVD, I can tell you that this is a very nice workout, for those who like to add bellyrobics to their dancing.
Both the Original and Advanced A-Z DVD routines are used. I would not
recommend this DVD to a beginner, you will need to at least have the
original A-Z knowledge behind you. And an ability to pick up steps if
you are not going to get the Advanced A-Z ;-) But having said that if you are good at picking things up, then it wouldn’t be too hard ..
The DVD has four sections:
Warm Up: there are three to choose from or do all (like I do)
1.Temple dance 5.15 mins
2.Devine Shiva 6.00 mins
3.Nile Serpent 6.00 mins
Flow Energy: there are three to choose from or do all (like I do)
4.Algerian Rai 2.30
5.Exotic Journey 3.30 mins
6.The Souk 5.15 mins
High Energy: This one has four to choose from
7.Samba on the beach 4.50 mins
8.Tabla Solo 2.00 mins
9.Hindi Fusion 3.50 mins
10.Egyptains Drums 4.00 mins
Cool Down: And three to choose from here or do them all
11.Red Sea Rhythm 5.10 mins
12.Andalutian 4.15 mins
13.Deep Ocean 1.20
The DVD if you "play all" flows through and you can skip if there is one
you do not want to do ( I do not like Samba and the Hindi fusion so I skip these.
I would prefer to really stretch it out at the end of the workout, Keti
does not do this, the cool down is slowing down, then shoulder rolls.
The filming was done on the Red Sea in Egypt and there are some
magnificent views, those who'll never see an Egyptian sunset, nice...
slinks
New member
Shamira from New Jersey
For the beginner, who wants choreographies …
Shamira's – No Frills Drum Solo 2003
The Drum Solo 2003 is set to Mokhtar Al Said's "little drum dance" Every dancer loves a drum solo. This cute little number has a series of very playful and cheeky moves to it, Fun, Fun, Fun. She teaches it in small sequences from beginning to end. Then she works you from end to start, putting the sequences together starting from section 5 to end, then section 4 to end and section 3 to end and so on, until you're at the start. Then you go right through the dance from start to finish.
Shamira's - No Frills Wanna Dance Zill Workshop
If you have had zill lessons but can't move and dance with them, then this is for you. You learn to play in word sequences that involve, Wanna Dance or Really Wanna Dance and Wanna Dance, Dance, Dance and more. The choreography on this DVD is "hot on zills". The steps and zill words go well together. I found that later when I knew the choreography, I could put on a music cd, get into the Wanna Dance wording and juggle the choreography around to mix and match. What more could I ask for, I had so much trouble comprehending dance and play. Now I can play and dance with any move I wish to, not just these that are taught on this dvd.
Shamira's - No Frills "Zeina"
This choreography is awesome!! The version of Zeina used, is on the first Bellydance Superstars music cd. Shamira uses almost all her combinations from the sensuous workout 2 dvd. But you don’t have to have this dvd to follow this dance. I like Shamira's easy no-nonsense "bag 'o tricks" simple but very effective style. When I first started using this DVD I used to grin from ear to ear, I enjoyed it that much.
All of the above DVDs are home burnt No Frills, they all have chapters.
For the beginner, who wants choreographies …
Shamira's – No Frills Drum Solo 2003
The Drum Solo 2003 is set to Mokhtar Al Said's "little drum dance" Every dancer loves a drum solo. This cute little number has a series of very playful and cheeky moves to it, Fun, Fun, Fun. She teaches it in small sequences from beginning to end. Then she works you from end to start, putting the sequences together starting from section 5 to end, then section 4 to end and section 3 to end and so on, until you're at the start. Then you go right through the dance from start to finish.
Shamira's - No Frills Wanna Dance Zill Workshop
If you have had zill lessons but can't move and dance with them, then this is for you. You learn to play in word sequences that involve, Wanna Dance or Really Wanna Dance and Wanna Dance, Dance, Dance and more. The choreography on this DVD is "hot on zills". The steps and zill words go well together. I found that later when I knew the choreography, I could put on a music cd, get into the Wanna Dance wording and juggle the choreography around to mix and match. What more could I ask for, I had so much trouble comprehending dance and play. Now I can play and dance with any move I wish to, not just these that are taught on this dvd.
Shamira's - No Frills "Zeina"
This choreography is awesome!! The version of Zeina used, is on the first Bellydance Superstars music cd. Shamira uses almost all her combinations from the sensuous workout 2 dvd. But you don’t have to have this dvd to follow this dance. I like Shamira's easy no-nonsense "bag 'o tricks" simple but very effective style. When I first started using this DVD I used to grin from ear to ear, I enjoyed it that much.
All of the above DVDs are home burnt No Frills, they all have chapters.
slinks
New member
21 shimmies and 1001
This Dvd is very handy, for those interested in learning various shimmies. It shows how to do the "whatever shimmy" then that shimmy with the music and variations.... lots of variations, even boring ones
Leyla Jouvana is a lovely lady, very comfortable within herself. I like this confidence.... most ladies when they first start to shimmy are not comfortable with everything “shaking” and Leyla is definitely the lady to look to if you have this problem ! I did not shimmy for at least the first 4 years of dancing …
From rotation shimmy to muscle shimmy and vibration shimmy to calf shimmy, buttock shimmy, Egyptian walk shimmy and Ghawazee, hand shimmy, flutters, they're all there !!
Leyla's performance at the end of the Dvd is dyn--o--mite She is a lovely dancer.
A must for the shimmier !!
This Dvd is very handy, for those interested in learning various shimmies. It shows how to do the "whatever shimmy" then that shimmy with the music and variations.... lots of variations, even boring ones
Leyla Jouvana is a lovely lady, very comfortable within herself. I like this confidence.... most ladies when they first start to shimmy are not comfortable with everything “shaking” and Leyla is definitely the lady to look to if you have this problem ! I did not shimmy for at least the first 4 years of dancing …
From rotation shimmy to muscle shimmy and vibration shimmy to calf shimmy, buttock shimmy, Egyptian walk shimmy and Ghawazee, hand shimmy, flutters, they're all there !!
Leyla's performance at the end of the Dvd is dyn--o--mite
She is a lovely dancer.A must for the shimmier !!
slinks
New member
Ansuya
I really like Ansuya, she is a lovely dancer to watch and has that youthful enthusiasm she dances like I would want to, if I were younger … but alas, I can only try !!
Hot Combinations is an IAMED production, you can't go wrong with it, though I will admit there are one or two combos that don't appeal "fully" to me, I'll do some of the combo and make the rest up with what I like to do.... you get to know how to do the following combinations that Ansuya uses in her dancing: Funky Temple, Camel Pull, Freezing Cobra, Grapevine Snake, Bump and Wave, Infinity Sway, and Tick-Tock-Ripple-Lock.... First she walks you through the combo, showing both front and back views and then we practice it to the music.
Lavish Layers is another IAMED production, you can't go wrong with this one either !! This DVD is a godsend .... it really helps you to be able to add those shimmies to your circles, undulations and figure 8's.... “Layering” Again Ansuya shows both front and back views.
The DVD is broken down into three parts the first part is the chest circles, chest figure 8’s, all chest movements and then we move onto the hip circles and figure 8's, all hip movements, undulations etc .. the second part various shimmies but mostly the Freeze and shoulder shimmy .. then it’s onto the layering section of the DVD, in this section Ansuya starts with the normal move, then the shimmy, then the two put together .. in the same order as the first part of the DVD .. to finish this off Ansuya then takes us through Drills ..
Ansuya allows for lots of practice time in these two DVDs, she is Funky, I think she's terrific, the dancer of Techno, though this does not mean I am a fan of Techno music, I just love to watch her dance!! And boy can she dance and layer and play zills at the same time .. Lucky for her, her mother was a bellydancer too …
I really like Ansuya, she is a lovely dancer to watch and has that youthful enthusiasm
she dances like I would want to, if I were younger … but alas, I can only try !!Hot Combinations is an IAMED production, you can't go wrong with it, though I will admit there are one or two combos that don't appeal "fully" to me, I'll do some of the combo and make the rest up with what I like to do.... you get to know how to do the following combinations that Ansuya uses in her dancing: Funky Temple, Camel Pull, Freezing Cobra, Grapevine Snake, Bump and Wave, Infinity Sway, and Tick-Tock-Ripple-Lock.... First she walks you through the combo, showing both front and back views and then we practice it to the music.
Lavish Layers is another IAMED production, you can't go wrong with this one either !! This DVD is a godsend .... it really helps you to be able to add those shimmies to your circles, undulations and figure 8's.... “Layering” Again Ansuya shows both front and back views.
The DVD is broken down into three parts the first part is the chest circles, chest figure 8’s, all chest movements and then we move onto the hip circles and figure 8's, all hip movements, undulations etc .. the second part various shimmies but mostly the Freeze and shoulder shimmy .. then it’s onto the layering section of the DVD, in this section Ansuya starts with the normal move, then the shimmy, then the two put together .. in the same order as the first part of the DVD .. to finish this off Ansuya then takes us through Drills ..
Ansuya allows for lots of practice time in these two DVDs, she is Funky, I think she's terrific, the dancer of Techno, though this does not mean I am a fan of Techno music, I just love to watch her dance!! And boy can she dance and layer and play zills at the same time .. Lucky for her, her mother was a bellydancer too …
slinks
New member
Saqra
Saqra's veil Dvd is very interesting, Saqra covers a LOT in this Dvd set. I like it a lot.
She shows you technique after technique, which she uses on a choreograph basis, but it has way too much for the "less is best" saying, so I prefer to use it as a technique or combinations Dvd.
Saqra can talk !!! under water with a mouth full of marbles
You get a two set Dvd, the first Dvd takes you through the contents "movement library" and at first is filmed in a very bright room, my guess is that she notices this halfway through and takes the project home, we end up with a much more pleasant lighting. The
second Dvd goes over and over the choreo, "repetition" a little too much, perhaps, but it certainly gets imprinted on the brain this way.
Saqra tells us about the music that is playing too, most of the time I can't hear it, even with the telly turned up.
I really like the contents of this DVD, Saqra really shows us some "things" to do with the veil. She has a wealth of information on veil moves, I like that because the veil is my favourite prop.
What I don't like is the space waster.... while talking she just stands there and uses up time, there are no chapters, so you end up being good at juggleing a veil and the remote control to hit the fast forward button
As a result I ended up recording the parts I use onto video. In some parts of the choreo, what she does next doesn't match up with what she did last, which is another reason I would prefer to use it as a technique, practice Dvd.
She even forgets in some places a result of too much fancy stuff in one dance !!
Saqra's Dvds are home made, No Frills (at the time I got mine anyway, a few years ago)
Saqra's veil Dvd is very interesting, Saqra covers a LOT in this Dvd set. I like it a lot.
She shows you technique after technique, which she uses on a choreograph basis, but it has way too much for the "less is best" saying, so I prefer to use it as a technique or combinations Dvd.
Saqra can talk !!! under water with a mouth full of marbles
You get a two set Dvd, the first Dvd takes you through the contents "movement library" and at first is filmed in a very bright room, my guess is that she notices this halfway through and takes the project home, we end up with a much more pleasant lighting. The
second Dvd goes over and over the choreo, "repetition" a little too much, perhaps, but it certainly gets imprinted on the brain this way.
Saqra tells us about the music that is playing too, most of the time I can't hear it, even with the telly turned up.
I really like the contents of this DVD, Saqra really shows us some "things" to do with the veil. She has a wealth of information on veil moves, I like that because the veil is my favourite prop.
What I don't like is the space waster.... while talking she just stands there and uses up time, there are no chapters, so you end up being good at juggleing a veil and the remote control to hit the fast forward button
As a result I ended up recording the parts I use onto video. In some parts of the choreo, what she does next doesn't match up with what she did last, which is another reason I would prefer to use it as a technique, practice Dvd.
She even forgets in some places
a result of too much fancy stuff in one dance !!Saqra's Dvds are home made, No Frills (at the time I got mine anyway, a few years ago)
slinks
New member
Veil with Aziza
Veil with Aziza is an excellent DVD for beginners and advanced dancers alike although a little short (for my liking, aint they all there is a lot of practice and very good information that I had not heard/seen elsewhere at the time of getting this DVD.
This DVD has four sections a warm-up unlike a lot of DVD’s, Technique #1 and Technique #2 and a cool-down.
Technique #1, Aziza goes on to show us the Basic Scoop and Pivot, shows us how to wrap ourselves up like a Burrito and to unwrap whilst turning. A Sharita is another type of wrap that wraps around the front, the Burrito wraps behind, and some Sharita, front wrap, variations .. the Roman Cape, which is where the veil is on the shoulder and is passed through a cross over in the front, over to the other shoulder, some nice variations here too. Flourishes, lots of variations on this move, tossing the veil from behind to the front via over the head and from side to side, another wrap called the Toga Dress with a how to unwrap from that too. Step Through, is where you have the veil in front of you, down low, and you step over the veil .. with all this above practiced, you then move onto a combinational Technique #1 dance of the above moves ..
We then move onto Technique #2 which starts with Angel wings, getting the veil from in front of you up onto your neck and draping over the shoulders behind you, Scoop and Pivot with Angel Wings, Half Angel Wings with some nice poses there. The Helicopter in which you have half Angel Wings over one shoulder and you bring the veil up over the head and rest it on the other shoulder, which then gets you into the position in which you then Juggle the veil, throwing half Angel Wings from arm to arm. Then you move onto the Technique #2 practice all of the above in a combinational dance.
This DVD has been the hardest, so far, to review .. sorry if you don’t understand any of it.
I love the veil so I was extremely pleased with this ones contents.
Veil with Aziza is an excellent DVD for beginners and advanced dancers alike although a little short (for my liking, aint they all
there is a lot of practice and very good information that I had not heard/seen elsewhere at the time of getting this DVD.This DVD has four sections a warm-up unlike a lot of DVD’s, Technique #1 and Technique #2 and a cool-down.
Technique #1, Aziza goes on to show us the Basic Scoop and Pivot, shows us how to wrap ourselves up like a Burrito and to unwrap whilst turning. A Sharita is another type of wrap that wraps around the front, the Burrito wraps behind, and some Sharita, front wrap, variations .. the Roman Cape, which is where the veil is on the shoulder and is passed through a cross over in the front, over to the other shoulder, some nice variations here too. Flourishes, lots of variations on this move, tossing the veil from behind to the front via over the head and from side to side, another wrap called the Toga Dress with a how to unwrap from that too. Step Through, is where you have the veil in front of you, down low, and you step over the veil .. with all this above practiced, you then move onto a combinational Technique #1 dance of the above moves ..
We then move onto Technique #2 which starts with Angel wings, getting the veil from in front of you up onto your neck and draping over the shoulders behind you, Scoop and Pivot with Angel Wings, Half Angel Wings with some nice poses there. The Helicopter in which you have half Angel Wings over one shoulder and you bring the veil up over the head and rest it on the other shoulder, which then gets you into the position in which you then Juggle the veil, throwing half Angel Wings from arm to arm. Then you move onto the Technique #2 practice all of the above in a combinational dance.
This DVD has been the hardest, so far, to review .. sorry if you don’t understand any of it.
I love the veil so I was extremely pleased with this ones contents.
slinks
New member
IAMED performance DVD
“Belly Dance Sensations" is a terrific performance DVD.
When I first watched this performance DVD and saw all the heads from the audience, in plain view and full light, I was like, hmmm, I’m not going to like this. The show was filmed with a live audience in the same studio as the one they film all the instructionals in. If you’ve seen IAMED performance DVDs, you’ll know that the audience, though seen, are in the dark, these are in plain view of the camera. You soon forget about the heads and become very engrossed in the performances, which BTW with camera angle changes you don't always see the heads anyway... I totally loved Meissoun's, from Switzerland, performance !! very B52 ish if you know of them, a 70's band, with the big Beehive hairdo..they sang Rock Lobster... She does all the popular 70's dances, the twist, the swim etc, in a bellydance style, fun, fun and more fun !!Yep it's fantastic.. actually I've yet to see an IAMED performance dvd that I don't like !!
Speaking of IAMED performance DVDs/videos. My absolute favourites are the 3 in the Bellydance series, Rocks, Revolution and Reloaded, which are taken in that same studio that all the IAMED instructional dvds are produced. The most outstanding dancers on these that I like are Mesmera, Paulina, Leyla Jouvana and Roland (who is on all of them) Urban Tribal Dance Company, Willow, Judeen and Louchia there are others but these are what I remember .. Urban Tribal Dance Company held me captive actually, they were very good doing Hip Hop and bits of Breakdance along with the usual Tribal stuff.
“Belly Dance Sensations" is a terrific performance DVD.
When I first watched this performance DVD and saw all the heads from the audience, in plain view and full light, I was like, hmmm, I’m not going to like this. The show was filmed with a live audience in the same studio as the one they film all the instructionals in. If you’ve seen IAMED performance DVDs, you’ll know that the audience, though seen, are in the dark, these are in plain view of the camera. You soon forget about the heads and become very engrossed in the performances, which BTW with camera angle changes you don't always see the heads anyway... I totally loved Meissoun's, from Switzerland, performance !! very B52 ish if you know of them, a 70's band, with the big Beehive hairdo..they sang Rock Lobster... She does all the popular 70's dances, the twist, the swim etc, in a bellydance style, fun, fun and more fun !!Yep it's fantastic.. actually I've yet to see an IAMED performance dvd that I don't like !!
Speaking of IAMED performance DVDs/videos. My absolute favourites are the 3 in the Bellydance series, Rocks, Revolution and Reloaded, which are taken in that same studio that all the IAMED instructional dvds are produced. The most outstanding dancers on these that I like are Mesmera, Paulina, Leyla Jouvana and Roland (who is on all of them) Urban Tribal Dance Company, Willow, Judeen and Louchia there are others but these are what I remember .. Urban Tribal Dance Company held me captive actually, they were very good doing Hip Hop and bits of Breakdance along with the usual Tribal stuff.
slinks
New member
Veda Sereem
I got several of Veda’s dvds, I was ecstatically happy with the first ones I purchased. I so loved her ways because her style is the old American Cabaret. There was only one dvd I didn’t like and that was the drum solo one, having said that, this does not mean that I like all the contents on these dvds.
All of Veda’s dvds are home made, No Frills and they have no chapters. Also all dvds are over two hours long and have at least two segments. The segments consist of a show how and practice, then string them together.. and she does a costumed performance at the end of the dvd using the moves she has taught.
I’ll start with the veil dvds.
Veil Advance, I really liked this one, there were lots of old fashioned veil moves that are rarely seen these days. The way Veda teaches on this dvd is in a continuous way, so you’re dancing nearly all the way through.
Choreography Veil, I could have lived without this one BUT was still happy to get it as it gave me some ideas to try out, this is a beginners dvd, perhaps after Beginner Veil dvd.
Multi 3 Veil, this dvd was a godsend !! because at the time that I bought it I was learning the double veil, in fact, that is the reason I bought it, for double veil ideas not to use 3. I found that all the double veil dvds I got concentrated on letting go and spinning around “see me fly 2 veils” I wanted to dance doing double veils and I needed ideas. Veda does some Taxim with 2 veils on this dvd it was the perfect thing for me, I use a lot of her ideas.
Intermediate 1 & 2 very old fashioned American Cabaret style here the perfect dvds for me. As mentioned there are some contents that I don’t like but I do them and practice them anyway. From stuff that is rarely seen today to stuff that is used in common everyday American Cabaret, where would I be without Veda
I got several of Veda’s dvds, I was ecstatically happy with the first ones I purchased. I so loved her ways because her style is the old American Cabaret. There was only one dvd I didn’t like and that was the drum solo one, having said that, this does not mean that I like all the contents on these dvds.
All of Veda’s dvds are home made, No Frills and they have no chapters. Also all dvds are over two hours long and have at least two segments. The segments consist of a show how and practice, then string them together.. and she does a costumed performance at the end of the dvd using the moves she has taught.
I’ll start with the veil dvds.
Veil Advance, I really liked this one, there were lots of old fashioned veil moves that are rarely seen these days. The way Veda teaches on this dvd is in a continuous way, so you’re dancing nearly all the way through.
Choreography Veil, I could have lived without this one BUT was still happy to get it as it gave me some ideas to try out, this is a beginners dvd, perhaps after Beginner Veil dvd.
Multi 3 Veil, this dvd was a godsend !! because at the time that I bought it I was learning the double veil, in fact, that is the reason I bought it, for double veil ideas not to use 3. I found that all the double veil dvds I got concentrated on letting go and spinning around “see me fly 2 veils” I wanted to dance doing double veils and I needed ideas. Veda does some Taxim with 2 veils on this dvd it was the perfect thing for me, I use a lot of her ideas.
Intermediate 1 & 2 very old fashioned American Cabaret style here the perfect dvds for me. As mentioned there are some contents that I don’t like but I do them and practice them anyway. From stuff that is rarely seen today to stuff that is used in common everyday American Cabaret, where would I be without Veda
slinks
New member
Art of the Drum Solo
There are two people from the BDSS group that I like and they are Sonia and Issam.
Their dvd Art of the Drum Solo is perfect for the beginner, not only for the choreograph but for the way they help you to understand and interpret the music. Issam tells you about the drum sounds and Sonia tells and shows you what goes well with that sound. After the warm-up and the initial move and sound introductions, they move onto the choreography which comes in two segments but they don’t join them together at the end, that is for you to figure out .. I have seen the youtube clip of Sonia and Issam and that is basically the drum dance that she does except on this dvd except the one on youtube is a far more advanced version.
There are two people from the BDSS group that I like and they are Sonia and Issam.
Their dvd Art of the Drum Solo is perfect for the beginner, not only for the choreograph but for the way they help you to understand and interpret the music. Issam tells you about the drum sounds and Sonia tells and shows you what goes well with that sound. After the warm-up and the initial move and sound introductions, they move onto the choreography which comes in two segments but they don’t join them together at the end, that is for you to figure out .. I have seen the youtube clip of Sonia and Issam and that is basically the drum dance that she does except on this dvd except the one on youtube is a far more advanced version.
slinks
New member
Mesmera's Garden
I adore Mesmera, she is one of my favourite dancers. She’s got this wild woman attitude about her and she is one dancer who dances with abandon, let alone with feeling !! This dvd is chocker full with combinations, variations, beginner and advanced moves and shimmy layering. It is probably the only dvd that one will take forever to outgrow, Mesmera has crammed it full, it’s worth every penny. There are times when the moves are broken down and other times when they’re not. Filmed at a resort in Africa, the settings are gorgeous and she matches the settings with her clothes and jewellery, it’s a pleasure to watch her !! :clap:
I adore Mesmera, she is one of my favourite dancers. She’s got this wild woman attitude about her and she is one dancer who dances with abandon, let alone with feeling !! This dvd is chocker full with combinations, variations, beginner and advanced moves and shimmy layering. It is probably the only dvd that one will take forever to outgrow, Mesmera has crammed it full, it’s worth every penny. There are times when the moves are broken down and other times when they’re not. Filmed at a resort in Africa, the settings are gorgeous and she matches the settings with her clothes and jewellery, it’s a pleasure to watch her !! :clap:
Reen.Blom
New member
hA HA jANAKI! I was looking at the video clips on her site and with the zill ones she teaches some rythms like "Im-a-belly-danc-er" and "im-a-god-dess" that took me out of my mind! Now my sweetie is teasing me with that "Im-a-belly-danc-er" so that phrase is banned by me from our conversations- so he sometimes knocks the rythm on the table to tease...LOL
When I saw her showing 'snake arms' I was really shocked lookied like a broken windmill for her sake I hope THAT was not the best piece of her DVD!!!!
Slinks, you are such a dear!!!!!! This is really helpful!
janaki
New member
I think it should go like this
Masmudi 8/4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
D D D T D T T
I am a self proclaimed Warrior God dess
All the tkt in between should be filled with BS,BS,BS. :lol::lol::lol: