Not for beginners

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Suzanne Azhaar

Active member
Lately, I've been purchasing dvd's to supplement ongoing dance training and exercise. Tubitv (free online streaming service) had a Belly Dance for beginners, 1/2 hour tutorial. Feet spread a meter apart and I kept waiting for her to get passed the warm up and start teaching the basics of belly dance. Never happened. Consider it an epic fail and wouldn't recommend it for any beginner. To make it worse, prior to witnessing the Tubi episode, I had ordered a dvd of hers off e-bay. Hasn't arrived yet, but we'll see, maybe a dvd that lasts a split second before heading to the shredder.
 
Daimona

Daimona

Moderator
Zorba said:
DVDs fly really well if thrown properly!
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And I've seen someone in the neighbourhood using DVDs or CDs for scaring off birds from their balcony or game from crossing the roads at certain points (reflecting the lights from the cars).

But to be more serious, I hope the DVDs have a better value than the free sample.
 
Shanazel

Shanazel

Moderator
Daimona said:
And I've seen someone in the neighbourhood using DVDs or CDs for scaring off birds from their balcony or game from crossing the roads at certain points (reflecting the lights from the cars).

But to be more serious, I hope the DVDs have a better value than the free sample.
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I strung ropes of them across the entrance of my back garden last year to keep the deer from eating my roses. Seemed to work pretty well, so I'll be putting them out earlier this year. Great use for both old CD/DvDs and tubing from O2 machines: I sew the cords holding the discs through the tubing so they don't slide around in the wind.

Hmm. There would be a funny comic costume: decorative hip bands of plastic tubing and old discs, maybe a couple of discs strategically placed so the holes formed nipple enhancement. Could choreograph a dance to a disco beat, hmm?
 
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Suzanne Azhaar

Active member
Belly Dancing for Abs DVD. Wasn't Denise Druce teaching; she quickly passed it off someone by the name of Melissa. (When you know the camera is going to be on your feet and hands, you'd think a pedi/mani would be priority. But no, chipped toenail polish is fine.) Melissa's entire mantra for teaching tight BD abs- 'I want you to keep your abs tight through the whole lesson. Tight, tight, tight.' (Um, no. Not happening.) She needed to be mic'd up and stop speaking with 'girlish nighty night' voice. Also, please don't put on a two piece cabaret costume, then dance to tinny unidentifiable repetitious sound. (Not a song, repetitious sound.) Very grating. Off to check if my shredder really will shred a dvd. (That's what the manual stated.) I give this dvd a "double stink eye".
 
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Suzanne Azhaar

Active member
Belly Dance Travel Steps by Autumn Ward. Professional dancer who knows proper posture, obviously has had ballet and extensive Raqs Sharqi training and correctly identifies muscles being used. This DVD is for advanced dancers. Initially, no breakdown of steps or narration. She shows you twice and moves on to the next step at rapid pace. There is a separate section that is a dictionary format of moves. Very informative, however, this is not a dance instruction / choreography dvd. (Which is what I'm looking for.) It's worth having on the shelf. Giving it a "two thumbs up for Advance Dancers".
 
Greek Bonfire

Greek Bonfire

Well-known member
First red flag is when they tell you tighten the abs. Abs should be engaged but we all know that there will be times when the abs have to be totally loose. I wonder if someone sent Melissa a bottle of nail polish! She's a good example of that saying "there goes the neighborhood!"
 
Shanazel

Shanazel

Moderator
Greek Bonfire said:
First red flag is when they tell you tighten the abs. Abs should be engaged but we all know that there will be times when the abs have to be totally loose. I wonder if someone sent Melissa a bottle of nail polish! She's a good example of that saying "there goes the neighborhood!"
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My dear, you keep the abs tight, tight, tight so they look good, good, good in that revealing costume. Actually dancing in it is beside the point.
 
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Suzanne Azhaar

Active member
Neena and Veena- Basic Belly Dance, Beyond Basic Dance, and Mystic Dance. Satisfying warm ups, clear instructions for belly dance moves, and a fun choreography at the end. "Two thumbs up for beginners" and absolutely for dancers just looking for exercise and a refresher.
 
Greek Bonfire

Greek Bonfire

Well-known member
Shanazel said:
My dear, you keep the abs tight, tight, tight so they look good, good, good in that revealing costume. Actually dancing in it is beside the point.
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When I took a weekend workshop with Aziza of Montreal several years ago, she blew that theory to smithereens, as it impairs many of the actually belly moves. She also stated, and I can attest to it, that you should engage the belly but not tighten it, and yet when you do "loosen" the belly, most times it goes back to its original place, at least mine does :)
 
Shanazel

Shanazel

Moderator
I'm getting all envious reading about taking classes and seminars. The belly dance class I taught at the rec center for so long was cancelled last semester, whether from lack of students or lack of a teacher, I don't know. It is listed in the catalog this semester, but I haven't heard whether it is being held.
 
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