Thread: Help sorting out FCBD DVDs

I'm working my way through the ATS videos. My background is Egyptian Cabaret, but I've learned so much from these DVDs. I'm feeling very comfortable with the material in Volumes 1, 4, and 5. I'm wondering if the Zil DVD would be useful to someone who has the Jamila and Artemis zil CDs. Also, I can't find reviews on Volume 6: Improvisational Choreography? Does ANYONE own and use this?

Also, what do you recommend working through AFTER FCBD? GC? BS? I've already decided the Jamila DVDs should be a prerequisite for the FCBDs. It was sheer coincidence that I did those first and the FCBD DVDs felt familiar after that :-)

Thanks,

Houdah

Volume 6 covers formations and transitions, for stringing the moves together and working as a group. If you are just looking into ATS for some basic moves to integrate into solo work, it's probably not necessary. If you are planning to perform straight-up ATS, especially in a troupe, I recommend.

Volume 7 has many more moves (my favorite, so far). I have not seen Volume 8 yet.

If you have already mastered Jamila Salimpour's zill patterns, you probably don't need the FCBD zill DVD. It's a subset of Jamila's zill patterns.

The FCBD take on zills is definitely well taught, so if you feel uncertain about how to do Jamila's zill style it could offer another perspective. But if you feel confident with what you know of Jamilla's material then you probably won't learn anything new from FCBD's DVD.