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

[Ahava_Melantha]

I got the 2 new dvds last night -

I think the shimmy workout would be great, you can do a 5 minute shimmy drill for six days of the week

the 2end one is good too, but its a "movement catalogue" not a workout but you can practise along to get a feel for it. its still very informative I think.

 

[duskshade]

Being a new dancer, I have to rely on my dear wife's collection. she has Amira's Bellydance 101, which was fun. She recently got the Tribal Fusion - Pops and Locks - I managed Level 1... and loved it. I'm sure I looked like someone hooked me up to the electrical grid and flipped it on and off, but I seemed to catch on after a bit.

I did the yoga workout of serpentine with RB, and loved it. The yoga was up my alley, and the yoga for backbends helps me in capoeira... so yeah.... (damn, I'm derailing... must steer on course! Rachel Brice... *drool*)

Back on track, now.

I'm planning on trying Tribal Fusion with Sharon Kihara next week. and I have RB's Tribal Arms, too.. for another time when I can straighten out the movements. Also RB's Tribal Fusion Yoga Isolations and Drills.

My wife has the floorwork disk "Flawless Floorwork" which we haven't broken into yet... of course, my movement vocab has a different meaning, so its been a challenge to take what I know to do and isolate it out...

 

[Ahava_Melantha]

dusk shade you are incredibly lucky. not everyones hubby likes bd and you really love it.

you should check out this youtube video, I think its my fav dance of male bd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlDMcHO0b0s

 

[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

 

[Ahava_Melantha]

I would at least classify it as fusion. And I do beleive that he won at a Gala show in either russia or the Ukraine.

 

[Shanazel]

Fusion covers a wide swath so I might give you fusion but what I saw was not belly dance. Old argument, I'll never give in, but I'm old and cute so maybe you can learn to love me anyway.

What do you think of his style when compared to the dancers whose videos I referenced?

 

[Ahava_Melantha]

okay, i think we're getting off topic but I'll just say one more thing and I'm done -

I'm not a big fan of male belly dancing. I know, and admit that it has a history to it. its different or similar, depending on your point of view, in different coutnries.

My favorite kind of dancing for watching men dance, is actually bollywood or bhangra. I know what I said is controversial and incorrect or whatever. but thats my personal preference.

 

[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

 

[Taluma]

Sharon Kihara - Tribal Fusion Bellydance
Zoe Jakes - Killer Drillz
Jillina Instructional

The DVD of Sharon Kihara is the best!

 

[Jane]

My videos come and go. I have a couple that are still for sale in the marketplace thread. Some will have to be pried from my dead cold hands and a few of these are my daughters, she's some-timey with belly dance, so they live at my house on my shelf.

21 Shimmies and 1001 Variations with Leyla Jouvana
Aisha Dances Vol. II Dances of the Arab World
Amaya’s Gypsy Fire
Amaya’s La Alma de Amaya
Amaya’s Mystical Movements of Belly Dance
Amaya’s Veil
Hips! With Amaya
American Belly Dance Legends
Arabian Melodies with Dr. S. Farag
Arabic Percussion with Faisal Zedan- Derbakki Fundamentals
Art of Belly Dancing with Joynan (TV series)
Atea: Bellydance! Magical Motion
Atea: Bellydance! Slow Moves
Bellydance Basics and Beyond with Jenna
Belly Dance for Body Shaping: Upper Body by Tanna
Belly Dance Egyptian Style the Baladi- Ranya Renee
Belly Dance Egyptian Style Modern Oriental- Ranya Renee
Belly Dance with Michelle: Pop, Lock and Shimmy
Bellydance Superstars
Belly Dance Travel Steps with Autumn Ward
Combin-ography with Bahaia
Dahlena Choreography & Technique
Dahlena Turkish Cabaret
Dances of Egypt with Aisha Ali
Dances of Iran—Robyn Friend (Persian Dance)
Delilah’s Belly Dance Workshop Vols. 1,2,3
Dynamic Drum Solo- Sadie FOR SALE
Egyptian Folkloric Dances- Ahmad Khalil Dance Company
Bellydance Taqasim- Ranya Renee
Bellydance-the Next Level with Jenna
Faisal Zedan: derbakki Fundamentals
Fat Chance Belly Dance, Tribal Basics Vol 1 Revised Dance Fundamentals
Fat Chance Belly Dance, Tribal Basics Vol 4 Advanced Workshop
Finger Cymbals with Ansuya
Fundamentals of Egyptian Belly Dance with A’isha Azar
Habibi, You Are My What?! Leyla Lanty’s Essential Arabic for Dancers Vol 1
Hossam Ramzy Bedouin Tribal Dance
How to Play the Darbuka (Turkish with English voice over)
Improvisation Toolkit- Nadira Jamal
Instructional Bellydance with Jillina Vol. I, II, III
Introduction to Belly Dance with Kathryn Ferguson
Jamilla Al Wahid Drum Solo
Katia, Oriental Arms
Karim Nagi Presents Arab Folk Dance
Latcho Drom (Rom documentary)*
The Legends of Belly Dance 1947-1976
Killer Ziller- Michelle Joyce FOR SALE
Lavish Layers with Ansuya FOR SALE
Marta Schill- Belly Dance “Fine Art of the East”
Masters of Egyptian Choreography Vol. I- Randa Kamel
Masters of Egyptian Choreography Vol. II- Diana Tarkhan
Masters of Egyptian Choreography Vol. III- Leila of Cairo
Mona El Said- Turquoise International Workshop
Morocco- Casbah Dance Experience
Nadia Gamal Dance Workshop
Nagwa Fouad staring in Turquoise Intl. Conference Video Vol. II, Vol III
Nourhan Sharif Presents Rakset Assaya, Intro to Egyptian Saidi Technique
Nourhan Sharif Presents Hazar Fazar
Nourhan Sharif Presents Layali Yasmina
Oryantal Turkish Belly Dance on Location Vol. I
Ragia Hassan Oriental Dance Technique
Ragia Hassan Oriental Dance Workshop
Raks Al Asaya with Virginia
Raks Habibi: Belly Dance by Viktoriya
Rania: Boogie
Rania: Hip Hop
Rania: Pure Sweat
Raw Roman: Turkish Gypsy Dance
Rhythms of Oriental Dance- Nesma & Khamis Henkesh
Saroyan Presents How to Play Finger Cymbals with Mesmera
Secrets of the Stage: Vol. I with Michelle Joyce
Secrets of the Stage: Vol. II
Secrets of the Stage: Vol. III
Shareen El Safy Oriental Opening in the Style of Sohair Zaki
Shareen El Safy Saidi for the Stage
Shareen El Safy Maryat Al Ayam
Suhaila Salimpour Beginner
Suhaila Salimpour Drum Solo
Suhaila Salimpour Intermediate
Bellydance Performance Ensemble with Suhaila
Suzanna Del Vecchio Dynamic Combos
Suzanna Del Vecchio Lock, Roll & Flutter
Suzanna Del Vecchio Precision Motion Work Out
The Bellydancers of Cairo
The Doumbek Video: featuring Jonathan Kessler
The Fabulous Samia Gamal
Shareen El Safy Technique I
Shareen El Safy Technique II
Shareen El Safy Technique III
Totally Turkish with Ruby
Turkish Style Belly Dance with Elizabeth Artemis Mourat
Umm Kolthoum: A Voice Like Egypt
Veda Sereem Advanced II
Veda Sereem Drum and Kashlimars
Veda Sereem Floorwork
Veda Sereem Intermediate II
Veda Sereem Teaching Technique
Veil with Aziza
Zills! by Z-Helene

 

[Jane]

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!

 

[Shanazel]

The omission was inadvertant, I assure you!

 

[UrbanSonge]

- 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

 

[atisheh]

- 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?

 

[UrbanSonge]

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)

 

[seona]

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!

 

[Jane]

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.

 

[atisheh]

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...

 

[UrbanSonge]

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.

 

[MidnightSunDancer]

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!