Thread: Authentic Belly Dance with Lana

Does anyone already own this? What are your thoughts on it?

SHOPDVD

I've been curious about this DVD as well. I think she is on Bhuz. Was there a clip?

Originally Posted by lylagus

I've been curious about this DVD as well. I think she is on Bhuz. Was there a clip?

She's on Bhuz somewhere. I haven't seen a promo for her DVD, but I think this is her YouTube channel YouTube - detroitbelly's Channel.

She is on Bhuz. I just saw a new ad for her DVD today on here as a matter of fact. I have her DVD and I actually just ordered a bunch from her to sell to my students at my studio.

A lot of my students ask for something to help them at home, like a visual aid. I used to tell them to order this DVD and many of them did. It just became easier for me to buy them from her and that way the students could get them right away.

All the students who have watched it so far have said it was a help to them. She teaches all of the movements in my first beginner class, and then some! She teachers the movements almost exactly as I do, so it's really worth it for students of mine to have.

It's worth it for beginners as well as intermediate level dancers to drill their basic movements. I believe there is also some dancing at the end of it, as most instructional DVD's have now.

I have this DVD.

Its a really good class companion. Like Alyssa said, it teaches basics moves and then she makes a point to show students how to build on top of the basics so that they can get a feel for improv later. I think its a great one to encourage your students to purchase so that they can continue their practice at home. The way Lana breaks down the movements is really great too. She uses terms everybody can understand.

I personally think that beginner students would really benefit from having a dvd like this at hand. Especially students who find it hard to drill themselves at home without a little help.

Thumbs up IMO.

Originally Posted by Samirah-NH

Does anyone already own this? What are your thoughts on it?

SHOPDVD

Hi Samirah! I do own this DVD and LOVE it. To be honest I am really not one to buy instructional DVD's. I am certain there are may great ones out there but I have found most (not just BD vids) serve the ego of the instructor more than try to help the target audience. The first impression I got from this video is that it was very well thought out. It truly focuses on the person trying to learn/improve. The instructor, Lana, really makes it seem like she is talking directly to the viewer. It's really fantastic how she does this. It just shows me that she really cares about the viewer and the art form. I get the idea this video wasn't created just to make a buck but to help expand the viewers dance vocabulary and keep the dance true, you know? Another cool thing is the video is divided into sections that make it super easy to navigate. The hands and arms section is FAB - check it out!

I have to tell you about a super great bonus - probably my favorite part of the whole DVD... is there is a whole section of Lana improvising to live musicians that I have watched a number of times. The set instructional sections are great, they really help with technique and foundation but as you know, you learn a lot by just watching a great dancer. I notice something different each time I watch it... she has made me a fan for sure!!

On a personal note, because of my crazy schedule over the last few months I have not been able to get to my normal classes and this video has come in super handy!

Let us all know what you think after you get it!

This DVD came up on another discussion (not sure if it was this board) because the cover said it teaches "the REAL maya". So, just curious for those of you who have it - what is the REAL maya, and how is it different from how others teach the maya?

Hip down figure 8s, reverse hipovers, "gooey" down hips, or Mayas (the term I learned from my primary teacher in the 80's - she studied with dancers from the countries of Bellydance; & is a certified DEA [Dance Educator of America]: I have noticed some controversy re: the correct or real way to do. I offer my input as how I was trained by what I consider top notch instruction.

What most people mean in this discussion of real or not = heels lifting versus heels staying flat. The heels flat is the way considered the real intent of the Maya. (the meaning of Maya I have heard as the name of a popular Egyptian dancer in the 1930's, or that the word means "honey" as in slowly & languidly pouring out of the edge of a cup.) By keeping the feet on the floor, the midsection muscles have to work more creating the desired effect.

That being said, many professional dancers of the native Bellydance countries lift the feet when performing mayas:as accent, as making it more jazz like which is hugely popular today, or to travel with.

Lifting the foot initiates a skeletal movement rather that the muscular and can distort the integrity of the movement. Many teachers do teach this way however as a beginning way to learn it as it gives a wider range of motion and helps the new student in getting the area to move at all.

So this is where this controversy starts from the heel up or down and which is correct, authentic, real. My opinion is that a teacher demonstrate the effect both ways, of what happens to the hip and what the muscles "should" do either way, but help them drill with feet flat; the feet lifting as a form of layering.

So I will add I agree with Lana's demonstration of "real" maya, but as a teacher I add an explanation of why I think this real or not happens in the first place.

Thanx everyone. I did order it. Before even posting this thread actually...l;, It hasn't arrived yet, so I might not get a chance to try it till after the New Year, since I'll be out of town for the week after Christmas & too busy this week preparing for the holidays, but it sounds like just what I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by LiesaB.

Hip down figure 8s, reverse hipovers, "gooey" down hips, or Mayas (the term I learned from my primary teacher in the 80's - she studied with dancers from the countries of Bellydance; & is a certified DEA [Dance Educator of America]: I have noticed some controversy re: the correct or real way to do. I offer my input as how I was trained by what I consider top notch instruction.

What most people mean in this discussion of real or not = heels lifting versus heels staying flat. The heels flat is the way considered the real intent of the Maya. (the meaning of Maya I have heard as the name of a popular Egyptian dancer in the 1930's, or that the word means "honey" as in slowly & languidly pouring out of the edge of a cup.) By keeping the feet on the floor, the midsection muscles have to work more creating the desired effect.

That being said, many professional dancers of the native Bellydance countries lift the feet when performing mayas:as accent, as making it more jazz like which is hugely popular today, or to travel with.

Lifting the foot initiates a skeletal movement rather that the muscular and can distort the integrity of the movement. Many teachers do teach this way however as a beginning way to learn it as it gives a wider range of motion and helps the new student in getting the area to move at all.

So this is where this controversy starts from the heel up or down and which is correct, authentic, real. My opinion is that a teacher demonstrate the effect both ways, of what happens to the hip and what the muscles "should" do either way, but help them drill with feet flat; the feet lifting as a form of layering.

Right, but I was wondering which one Lana teaches. Just curious because from what I've seen, it's primarily American belly dancers who do this move, and, as you said, that when Egyptian dancers do perform it, I've seen them lift the heels.

Originally Posted by LiesaB.

the meaning of Maya I have heard as the name of a popular Egyptian dancer in the 1930's, or that the word means "honey" as in slowly & languidly pouring out of the edge of a cup.)

Hmmm.. not in Arabic (asal) nor Turkish (bal). Farsi is asalam I believe, from the Arabic. Kurdish hemgem or something similar.

I do see lots of Arabic dancers from the past especially lifted the heels. I find it looks elegant, and I believe judging it as "wrong" is a bit misguided.

Originally Posted by dinavienna

I do see lots of Arabic dancers from the past especially lifted the heels. I find it looks elegant, and I believe judging it as "wrong" is a bit misguided.

Once you learn the muscle articulation to do the heel-down version, you can lift your heels while doing it to get a more dramatic effect. (This is probably what most of the Egyptian dancers are doing.) The problem is that if you only learn how to do the move by lifting your heels, you may not understand how to drive the movement with feet flat on the ground.

Thanks Tourbeau, re: "wrong" & driving the movement: that's what I meant to say in my overly wordy way :-). Lana teaches the heels down method.

ya I can totally see what you both mean - driving the movement only with the heel would be cheating I guess, and not have the same effect as if one can do it flat footed and then increases with the heels.
Michelle Joyce and Sandra definitely teach the heels down method in their beginner tutorials too. I believe Sadie does, too, as well.