Neon DVDs

[starrbursts]

WHat do yall think about Neons dvds? Are the better than Veena and Neena (personally, I am bored with their Basic dance dvd cause there is no like practice really). I am getting Amirah's DVD (yay!) but I've read the Neon dvds are really really good? Any advice?

 

[Suhad]

I hate hate hate the music she uses for them, but I have to say that her directions are very good, clearly understandable, and she has geometric shapes/figures to the side of her that are animated and show you how the move is supposed to work. I was impressed in spite of myself. And her combinations video is quite good, some of them I still stumble over my feet with so i still use it.

 

[Salome]

Hi,

we carry all of Neon's DVD's in our store so I've had a chance to look at them. The music in Neon's video's are also not to my taste but her instruction is very clear and the production quality is quite high and her stuff is reasonable price wise. I've got some clips of the DVD's up, not all yet, but you could take a peek and see what you think Instructional Belly Dance Videos

 

[Eve]

the music isn't the best but she certainly packs plenty of movements in to them and they're at a good price, the WDNY dvds are quickly becoming my favourite company.

 

[Shanazel]

Good clear instructions, ghastly music. Nice combinations.

 

[Salome]

She may genuinely like the music she uses, or it may have been an economical choice, I have no idea. I know that as I have been looking into music for my performance video the costs of using music from a label are very high. For example, Smithsonian folkways wanted over 500 dollars to use one of George Abdo's songs. When you are looking at 12 or so tracks etc. that adds up. Maybe she had the music composed for her, or the artist gave her permission to use it for free or at low cost etc. Just a thought.

 

[Reen.Blom]

She may genuinely like the music she uses, or it may have been an economical choice, I have no idea. I know that as I have been looking into music for my performance video the costs of using music from a label are very high. For example, Smithsonian folkways wanted over 500 dollars to use one of George Abdo's songs. When you are looking at 12 or so tracks etc. that adds up. Maybe she had the music composed for her, or the artist gave her permission to use it for free or at low cost etc. Just a thought.

I really like Neon's Instant Belly dancer, though I would not like that one to be my only dvd.... She explains the technique of the moves like noone else, and surely the graphics helps! But in addition I would really love to learn combos! To put together even the simplest moves gives a great boost to a beginner! I am looking at her other DVDs... (surely not gothic one )

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

World Dance New York dvds:

I have a couple of Jenna's dvds and I think the instruction in them is excellent. Especially for the price, I recommend them to my students as outside practice material. It's been forever since I've watched the instant bellydancer series, but I remember thinking the graphics didn't really help ME, but I've heard other people swear by them.

Those bellydance fitness DVDs are a lot of fun too.

Honestly, can I say this? Some of what a certain large instructional video producer has been putting out lately hasn't exactly been (in my opinion) worth the expensive price tag. With Neon's DVDs, even if you hate the thing, you're only out $10-$15 instead of $50 or $60.

Neon's promised to do a line of more advanced instructional DVDs too, for the intermediate and advanced dancer. AND, a sword DVD! Yay!

 

[Tikvah]

Hi,

we carry all of Neon's DVD's in our store so I've had a chance to look at them. The music in Neon's video's are also not to my taste but her instruction is very clear and the production quality is quite high and her stuff is reasonable price wise. I've got some clips of the DVD's up, not all yet, but you could take a peek and see what you think Instructional Belly Dance Videos

I agree. I'm not much for Neon's aesthetic, but everything is laid out well, clearly visible, described well, and the price is right.

 

[Reen.Blom]

I like Jenna too, Still waiting for the 2 DVDs I ordered to arrive... And compared to others, Her Basics and Beyons is almost 2hours and a half long! Catainly not a 45 min Program!

It is so difficult to make out heads or tails of all those thousands of istructional DVD's out there! It is best if a preview videoclip is available...

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

I had no interest in "tribal fusion" really, AT ALL, until I saw the clip from East Coast Tribal on Youtube. I thought the drills looked interesting and the combos looked cool. THAT SINGLE CLIP made me buy the DVD.

Turns out, I quite like the DVD I'm not a big fan of Melodias and crop tops for costuming, and I'm not crazy about the music they use, but I actually do like doing that DVD. And I did steal a couple of combos for my own use.

All because of a short video clip.

It is so difficult to make out heads or tails of all those thousands of istructional DVD's out there! It is best if a preview videoclip is available...

 

[Reen.Blom]

I have seen that preview clip and actually considering that DVD! It looks different from other programs! I love the arm movements Sera uses! I am not mad about music, but the way she controls her body is just WOW!

Thank you Azyiade for your review!(the only thing that sucks about ordering from Amazon, is that it has to travel here from England and the customs tax they charge for "merchendise" is just enourmous! have to wait till I go to england )

I really like what those "hip drills" on that DVD look like!

 

[Q-Tip]

In regards to exercise videos if it doesn't have a clip I can watch I don't usually buy it. (Collage video is where I usually get my fitness vids - I don't know how much BD stuff they have)

 

[Jayms_fallen_angel]

I hate the music neaon uses, so I play my own stuff during the learning stuff when there's nothing and mute the tv during practice But they're really good. They're really helping me out.

 

[Reen.Blom]

I agree the music is just horrible!

 

[Jayms_fallen_angel]

it is easy to count to 8 with though Basically it's a drumbeat instead of a number

 

[TribalDancer]

The East Coast Tribal video of hers is the only one I have ever liked. It's good stuff. I don't like the music, either, but I think the content Sara provided is excellent.

But I CANNOT STAND all the video effects in the performances, where the dancers are superimposed on all kinds of crap. BLECH! PLEASE NO MORE!

 

[Reen.Blom]

I agree the performance as a dance is brilliant, but the music and the effects-yuck!!!

 

[Zorba]

I have her "Stellar Body" performance DVD.

I *LOVE* her dancing, she is so very graceful, beautiful, and skilled...

And yes, there's an unfortunate "but".

I lent this DVD to my instructor - she said it was one of the BEST examples she's ever seen of why Belly Dance should only be performed to Middle Eastern music!

It looks almost like Neon was performing to perfectly good (Middle Eastern) music, and this CRAP music was dubbed in on top - much of the time her dancing, while wonderful and skilled, doesn't even look like it goes with the music presented.

I'm willing to go along with a certain amount of MTV-esque camera effects in a performance video - but IMHO, this one goes too far with them. But I'd be happy enough if that music just "went away".

I'll be posting a mini-review on my site shortly, and it just kills me to have to give a video from a dancer as accomplished as Neon is, and with the high production values it has (MTV-stuff not withstanding), a low rating - but that's what I'm going to have to do.

I'm going to suggest turning the sound down and playing some better music on your stereo. The dancing will be at least as synced up with that as it is with what's on the video (and probably better), and will look/sound better!

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

I've asked about this, and part of what keeps the cost down on the fininshed product is that she has original music composed for her DVDs and she doesn't have to license any songs from anybody.

That said, I would love it if her composer could make them at least SOUND Middle Eastern. But maybe that new age sound is what she likes.