Thread: Keti Sherif's A - Z advanced: Which are your favourites?

I am currently being a very good girl, already working on my resolution for 2008 ..g.:

I am dancing my way through Keti Sherif's A - Z advanced combinations, about 5 - 6 combinations per evening (including training each combo for about 5 minutes).
Some combinations I like better than others. So far I have come to O. On the way some of my favourites were A, E, J L an M (for different reasons).
I generally like the ones with more variety.

What about you?
And how do you use this video?

I make my own short notes of each combo, because it's better for me to remember them.

The next step for me will be to practice all the combos with zills!

MEISSOUN

My resolution is to try to get all the way through Keti's A-Z Original. I think what I am going to do is go through a group of 5, then pick one to work on each session. Maybe try it to a couple of different songs and then with zills.

Be sure to report on how it works with zills!

Hi,
A few years ago, I use to practice to the A-Z video a lot. I would practice each combo, then pause the video while I practiced the combination to Keti Sharif's Drum cd (4/4 beat). I found that her drum cd worked well for the 16 counts. Then I would continue with a few more combos.

I like c (Cairo Cabaret), f (floklore-farida), p (pyramid), q (quarters) and all of the advanced ones (ululation, valley of the queens, wahda we noss, xtra shimmies, yemeni and zanzibar). I didn't care for h- too much turning. I liked j, but I thought the music was too fast to completely execute the jewel move (but hey, use it with slower music, right?). K was too much turning for me too. Oh, and I didn't care much for the Algerian wide-leg shimmy on Zanzibar. For some reason, I had trouble getting a (arabesque) down. I enjoy the video. I had some difficulty following along with the turns and spins, being as I don't have eyes in the back of my head. I would have liked it too, I think, if the practice part with music was done with Keti's back to the camera. But, I didn't study dance while growing up, so I think I am just a little bit slower at following with the instructor facing the class. But, hey, I can always skip back, skip back, skip back! :)

I really like some of Keti's instructional dvd's but do not especially like this one, as much as I admire her style. Following all the fast turns and spins makes me dizzy.

See, and I LOVE the ones that turn a lot!
I guess it has something for every taste...

Let me check back with my list and tell you the rest of my favourites since I have finished working through the video now.

MEISSOUN

OK, so here are the combos I like (and why)

A (good practice for turning)
B
C
D a)
E (good practice for arms, of course)
H (second half)
I
J (good step pattern to layer with almost everything)
L
M
R (interesting weight changes)
T
V
X (for my shimmy workshops)

I only did a little zill training with them so far - some combos still give me enough to think just to do them right!
It's good to get a video that is really challenging enough even for an advanced level dancer!
I never understood why people make more beginner/introduction videos although there are already a ton out there...
Especially since it's much harder to find a regular teacher when you are advanced!

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by catwomyn

My resolution is to try to get all the way through Keti's A-Z Original. I think what I am going to do is go through a group of 5, then pick one to work on each session. Maybe try it to a couple of different songs and then with zills.

Yes, one should get through Original first and than Advanced.
I'm an A-Z teacher and I translated the Original DVD into Portuguese. I think it's already available.
I think the best that A-Z method has to offer is discipline (of choreography systematic instruction), moves "catalog" (to keep in mind), skill development, and challenge to make routines personal (because one can always add something personal or even change them)!