Thread: BDSS 30 Days to Vegas

I just watched the BDSS documentary 30 days to Vegas.

It shows around half an hour of glimpses, bits and pieces into the BDSS preparations, rehearsals, costuming, make up etc for the Vegas show. With little interviews with many of them like Sonia, Jillina, Zoe, Rachel Brice, Bozenka, Adore.

I found the documentary with the interviews ok, but quite honestly it could have been more interesting.. or relevant. Like they did not tell a lot of their lives as they did in part on the previous BDSS American Bellydancer documentary. You'd have to be a huge fan of theirs to trully enjoy the backstage documentary I think. For everyone else it's not 100% satisfying. Still interesting, and for the price it sells, and I got it used cheaper, it was quite worth it.

Then there' a little less than half an hour from their Vegas show.
You have the full performances of the entrance (I think), 2 tribal pieces, one group choreo to a Vaudeville type of song I'd say (interesting), and a Rachel Brice solo that did not click on me that much. But I've never been a huge fan, so I guess her fans might see things in it I don't. If tribal dancer I love Sharon Kihara. She's great on this one too.
Then there's Sonia's drum solo and Polynesian (the melodic part - if she still performs the Polynesian drum solo it is not on the dvd). At first I was kind of disappointed to see two numbers that are on the Paris live dvd on this short glimpse into the show (I would have loved to see the whole show.. much more than the documentary to be honest!).
BUT THEN it turned out Sonia's drum solo is quite different, and so is the Polynesian song.
Sonia in general has made a huge development as a dancer iMO. I found her very shy, and held back to the point of being slightly paralyzed in the previous live dvd. Since the Monte Carlo dvd I started falling for her, because already there a massive improvement was visible.
Here in the very first seconds of the dvd you see her entering in a gold costume with a bindi on the forehead, and she GLOWS. She has a major stage presence now, a good deal of charisma.
In her drum solo she is more relaxed, it is a different drum solo, technically more difficult I'd say. And she savours the moment more, which suits her (and any dancer IMO) more. She is really impressing me.

Then there's Petite Jamilla, a new song, but still spinning. In the background you see two dervish like spinning women, too. nice song, nice dance, but not that much different from her previous one. All in all I would have preferred a great oriental piece instead of Jamilla's, like I hope thy have a great Egyptian choreography like Raks Bedeya in their present show. i would have loved to see that. Or see Jamilla do something else, finally!! A cabaret piece..
All in all I am pretty sure my favorite Amar Gamal and Kaeshi are missing lots. I would have loved to see a Bozenka solo, too.

Then there's the closing piece, a nice shaabi song with Sonia and the Desert Roses (no Aubre I think), then a tribal piece (very good), then Adore enters to Marsoul el Hob, a nice Moroccan huge hit by Hasna from 6 years ago. They dance to it nicely, it has Banghra elements and they do it well. Then there s Habibi wala ala baloh by Amr Diab, and Jillina dances to it (floor work), together with the troupe.
The finale piece was good, very impressive.
Jillina also impressed me, she, too, has improved massively in my opinion. She's really dancing in a "freed" way, and really fills her movements. I loved her dance, very much one with the music, and also savouring the moment.

So.. there's still extra footage in the extras, some more in depth interviews with Adore, inter alia, and Jillina.. and Miles.


I overall quite liked the dvd. If you are hoping for the new show - the footage is not extensive. If you are satisfied with 25 min or so, go for it.

I however would have SO much loved to see the show with Saida from 2 or 3 years ago, or the new one.. I really need to see a full show after the initial one from 2004! Please produce one BDSS/Miles Copeland!

Overall: This is more a die-hard fan dvd compared with their Live at the Folie Bergere one (which I could recommend to just about anybody for a great theatre show of quite mainstreamed bellydance, ideal for people new to the art form who do not like (or are not quite ready for) the pure Arab music or pure Arab style of dancing) or their American Bellydancer (that documentary is about so much more than their actual performance, with hostilities and feuds and controversy, very entertaining).

Great review, Dina!

thanks love :)

They have the Babelesque tour coming out on DVD soon....I had the chance to see it last year...and next month I also get to go see their Art of Bellydance show too :)

Whoooaaa.. they're coming on tour..AGAIN??

aaaaawwweeee... I missed out on them on their first tour. In late 2004 I saw an ad of theirs in a very reputed jazz club (Joe Zawinul's). I did not know them back then and could not get anyone to see the show for the price it was (like 40 euros or so).
I so regretted not going when I got their dvd :)

But since then I don't think they ever made it close to me again :(

Was Babelsque the one with Saida?

Nice review! Thank you for posting!

cool, where did you get a hold of the dvd? you said you got it used
was it from someone on here?

I got it from Shira's bellydance video yahoo group!
New it's available on pekorecords, I thought about getting it from there before... amazon I am not sure, and of course the BDSS webstore (but people were quite unhappy with service there recently, you cancheck their tribe for more info.. long delivery times with no previous notice mostly).