Thread: Meaning in Movement with Alimah

I just got my advance copy of Meaning in Movement: Dancing with Musicality, Texture and Nuance with Alimah. I'm SO excited about working with this one! So far I've only had a chance to watch the four lovely performances at the end, but a full review will be coming shortly. I'll definitely be spending some quality time with this one after the kiddo goes to bed tonight! ..g.:

I'd love to read your review, this video is on my wishlist! (and wasn't it you that named this one? :-)

I got my copy today, and am SUPER excited to watch it tonight! I'll post a first impression, and then a full review when I've been able to spend some time with it.

Got mine today too! I can't wait to watch it, Alimah is just fabulous!

Need to do a few other things before I go to bed, and am trying desperately to fend off a migraine, but I did check out the first few bits of this dvd, and my very first impression is that this is going to end up being one of the best dvd's that I own.

So far, I am in LOVE with Alimah's explanations- the sections on giving arms a job and zippers would be worth the price of the dvd, for me.

I really can't wait to work with this dvd! If you're wondering about it, here's a quick breakdown:

Main chapters:
Introduction
Concepts
Flow
Combinations
Extended Practice
Choreography Walkthrough
Choreography Practice
Choreography Performed
Bonus Performances
Credits

For the Concepts chapter (Intro and Concepts are the only ones I've looked at so far), there are 16 Concepts that Alimah introduces. I've only watched the first 5, and I think it's marvelous so far! If it wasn't for the migraine that's trying so hard to visit me, I'd be working through the whole dvd right now!

Yay! I've also received my copy in the mail. Have only been able to watch a small bit of it....the intro, concepts and one of the bonus performances.

My first impression is in agreement with you Amara, I REALLY LIKE Alimah's approach and the way she describes the concepts. She makes it easy to understand and visualize the concepts yourself. I am excited to work thru the rest of the DVD and will post more comments later!

Here’s my review:

This DVD is geared towards dancers who have solid technique and are looking to work on musicality and performance skills. I would not recommend this DVD to absolute beginners, as Alimah does not break down any technique in the combo/choreography section. As stated in the intro, the DVD focuses more on how a single movement can be interpreted and performed differently using the concepts presented by Alimah.

The DVD is well-structured, with logical chapters and intro screens to each section. Lighting, setting, and sound are all good.

The first half hour of the DVD runs through specific concepts that Alimah explains and demonstrates. The concepts are: breath, space, arms, hands, zippers, bowling balls, dynamic range, level changes, diagonals, texture, 3 exercises in creativity, timing, kinetic energy, interrupt movements, leaving the spine, and accents. I particularly liked ‘bowling balls’, as I’ve been working on weight changes myself. I find that visualization very helpful! Then she ‘dances’ the concepts in sort of a follow-the-bouncing-butt way. Each concept is labeled at the bottom of the screen as Alimah dances it.

The bulk of the DVD is combos and choreography which pull together all of the concepts into a performance. I found the combos to be challenging in a good way. Alimah walks through each combo, and then drills it to the music. Each combo also has a name which captures the attitude of that combo, again reinforcing the concepts presented earlier. The combos basically form the choreography with a few minor changes. Alimah reminds us that the performance won’t be identical every time, but to focus on the expression of the piece.

There are four performances at the end of the DVD. The first is the choreography, danced in the full costume. Then, there is similar styled piece, which offers another chance for the viewer to see the concepts in a performance. Alimah also performs a ney taqsim and a drum solo. I especially enjoyed the drum solo, because it had a very musical quality to it.

For the costume addicts, each piece is performed in a different, gorgeous costume. Plenty of eye candy!

(cont.)

(from above)

What I Liked:
All of the concepts are explained clearly and demonstrated multiple times in multiple ways. I can see myself coming back to this DVD again and again for inspiration and for help with improv. Some concepts spoke to me more than others, but I think every dancer will find something useful in the concepts presented. I could clearly see the concepts in the combos and choreography. Nothing irks me more than when an instructor harps on some point, and then doesn’t even perform it! I also enjoyed watching Alimah’s facial expression while she dances. She doesn’t talk about it in the DVD, but you can almost see the concepts on her face as she dances.

What I Didn’t Like:
I really did not like the music for the choreography and the second performance piece. They both had a more modern/clubby sound. I seem to have a growing allergy to drum machines! The choreography song in particular was repetitive. This may have been a specific choice though, as it allowed Alimah to demonstrate how the same section could be interpreted differently. I would have loved to see her perform to a more classic piece too.

Over all, this DVD is busting with information. I think most dancers will find something of value in it. Again, not for beginners, but for dancers who have a solid base and are looking to add that extra pizzazz to a performance.

Two zills up!

I would equate "Meaning in Movement" with an excellent movie (one you purchase to watch again and again, and recommend to friends).

Videography~ recorded in a mirrored, well lit studio with hard wood floors, sans distracting background noise. The music is synced with the dancer’s movement throughout. The instructor is miked, wears clothing which contrasts the back drop, from the tips of her fingers to her feet the movements are easy to see.

Content~ Alimah presents each concept/ combination physically and with clear verbal direction. Her words weave a mental imagery easily translated onto the body. I enjoyed discovering her humorous nature (lol a few times). Overall, the innovative quality / quantity of movements (with practice sections) will give the student a multitude of hours to contemplate and practice.

Performance~ for costume aficionados each costume change is more glamorous than the last. For those seeking new dance moves~ Alima’s amazing performances are fluid, graceful, emotionally connected with the music, and pure belly dance (a treasure trove of information). Keep the remote close, you will want to rewind and study her dance many times. With this video there truly is Meaning in Movement.

Suzanne Azhaar

Thank you so much for the kind reviews!! I am so glad you are enjoying the DVD!!

Michelle does a truly amazing job editing and producing her DVDs. She's got the eyes, ears, and mind of both a dancer and a producer/videographer. Thank you, Michelle!!

best to all,

Alimah

Originally Posted by emtink

Here’s my review:

This DVD is geared towards dancers who have solid technique and are looking to work on musicality and performance skills. I would not recommend this DVD to absolute beginners, as Alimah does not break down any technique in the combo/choreography section. As stated in the intro, the DVD focuses more on how a single movement can be interpreted and performed differently using the concepts presented by Alimah.

The DVD is well-structured, with logical chapters and intro screens to each section. Lighting, setting, and sound are all good.

The first half hour of the DVD runs through specific concepts that Alimah explains and demonstrates. The concepts are: breath, space, arms, hands, zippers, bowling balls, dynamic range, level changes, diagonals, texture, 3 exercises in creativity, timing, kinetic energy, interrupt movements, leaving the spine, and accents. I particularly liked ‘bowling balls’, as I’ve been working on weight changes myself. I find that visualization very helpful! Then she ‘dances’ the concepts in sort of a follow-the-bouncing-butt way. Each concept is labeled at the bottom of the screen as Alimah dances it.

The bulk of the DVD is combos and choreography which pull together all of the concepts into a performance. I found the combos to be challenging in a good way. Alimah walks through each combo, and then drills it to the music. Each combo also has a name which captures the attitude of that combo, again reinforcing the concepts presented earlier. The combos basically form the choreography with a few minor changes. Alimah reminds us that the performance won’t be identical every time, but to focus on the expression of the piece.

There are four performances at the end of the DVD. The first is the choreography, danced in the full costume. Then, there is similar styled piece, which offers another chance for the viewer to see the concepts in a performance. Alimah also performs a ney taqsim and a drum solo. I especially enjoyed the drum solo, because it had a very musical quality to it.

For the costume addicts, each piece is performed in a different, gorgeous costume. Plenty of eye candy!

(cont.)

wow, sounds like very unique content! thanks for the review!

When is it going to be available? Cheekygirls website says it would be released the 15th of October but when I went to order from Amazon today (the 16th) Amazon says they don't have it in stock yet. ..cr.:

I'd like to chime in! I received an advance copy of this DVD (thanks Michelle), and really enjoyed what I saw on my first watch. Alimah shares some creative visualizations to use for dancing (and they are useful for teaching). My favorite sections were the concepts and flow sections, and I also had fun following along to some of the combinations. Her ideas reminded me of many things I love about Eric Franklin's books (a big compliment from me, I really love his work!). I would recommend this DVD to dancers looking to make connections between movements and for visual learners who feel they have 'steps' but not necessarily fluidity. If mental imagery works for you, definitely check this out. There is not a lot of emphasis on musical interpretation, though it is clear from the performance clips Alimah is a very musically attuned dancer, but for the physical side of expressing meaning through belly dance movement. this is very good.

There is a lot of information on this DVD, and I look forward to spending more time with it. Alimah speaks clearly, and she has obviously put a lot of time, thought, and work into the concepts she shares on the DVD. It is a nice addition to the belly dance instructional market.

I also received my advance copy last week (thanks heaps Michelle!!) and I just love this dvd. Alimah has such natural grace and the combos were great, you could easily use them for other pieces of music. I particularly liked the "interrupt" concept, I can see myself using that more in my dancing. I found the section on level changes really interesting as well. There was so much food for thought on this dvd, including extra inspiration from the performances. I'll be having this one on high rotation!

Originally Posted by jessedan

When is it going to be available? Cheekygirls website says it would be released the 15th of October but when I went to order from Amazon today (the 16th) Amazon says they don't have it in stock yet. ..cr.:

They must have sold all of the first wave that they ordered and are waiting for the second shipment. I sent them on Saturday, so they should be in stock on Amazon by mid week. But you can order it now and they will send it when it arrives at their warehouse. I am also waiting for Film Baby to list them as available, which should be around the same time.

So far I have only watched the concepts section and the performances but this DVD is already one of my favorites! Alimah has such a unique style and it is great to get insight into how she creates her dances. My favorite part so far was the 3 exercises in creativity, they were really fun! I also appreciated hearing her play the violin and her description of the texture each sound had and translating the texture of the sound into movement in dance. It was great to have the bonus performance footage included as well. The drum solo was my favorite performance, she did a lot of cute and sassy combos. A little off topic, but I also have to say the pleated plum Bella is probably the nicest Bella I have ever seen.

I can't wait to watch the rest, I highly recommend this DVD to anyone looking to add new dimensions to their dance.

I must buy this one... I'll wait until they have it in stock on Amazon.ca (or .com) and will get this one and the Spins/Turns DVD.
*excited dance*

Thank you to all for taking the time to review this DVD! I really appreciate and enjoy the feedback. It is incredibly fun and a bit scary to put one's heart and soul onto a disc! I'm so glad to hear people are learning from it.

happy dancing,

Alimah