Dance Fitness for Beginners: Unclear on the concept

[tigerb]

This week I've done three out of five segments in the exercise video "Dance Fitness for Beginners: Daily Quickies 10-minute Workouts."

I did Rania's Upper Body Toning section, Suhaila's Buns section, and Jayna's Bellydance Body section. I haven't yet gotten to the two hiphop workouts.

These workouts are not bad, but the video suffers from a horrible case of mislabeling. Rania's "Upper Body Toning" section is mainly chest isolations, which is not what most people think of for upper body toning -- there's little for shoulders and arms, although it is a nice bunch of chest moves. Jayna's workout is described as letting you "dance the weight away" but she uses almost no motions that are quick in tempo -- lots of hip circles, chest circles, shoulder rolls, figure 8s. Again, very nice, but not exactly cardio.

Suhaila's workout will indeed work your butt, but like the other two, there is a mislabeling problem here: where does "beginner" come into it? She gives 10 minutes of glute squeezes: half, full, and double time; walking on releve; walking with the squeeze on the weighted foot and then on the unweighted foot; then two different 3/4 shimmies. It's a great drill if you want to work your glute shimmy! But exactly what beginner could do this stuff? (Most would flee at the sight of the opening glute squeezes in straddle stance.)

To sum up: these little sets of drills aren't bad! In fact, if you needed an absolutely miniaturized set of isolation drills, or wanted to work your glute shimmy for all it's worth, for $14.95, this is a steal. Just don't believe all the text on the box!

[jawahir]

i find that with a lot of the "beginner" videos. i really like neon's series, but there is little to no breakdown, and i can't see a beginner doing those combinations correctly. same with neena and veena...not much of a fan of those videos, same problem, no breakdown. at least neon does mention ways to keep your back safe. i think sometimes we lose sight of just how much a true beginner can do. after you've been dancing a while, some of those moves come so easily to you that maybe you think a beginner can do it. i've seen that in multi-level dance workshops too. instructor says "...then layer this rib figure 8 with a shimmy...easy!" and all the beginner types sigh, and look flustered while the more advanced dancers go "yeah, easy...". i think i'm going on a tangent. work is so boring today!

[Lauren_]

Thanks for the really honest review. Sounds like a pretty handy little video for a busy dancer to fit some drills into her day, even with the labeling issues.

Labeling issues seems to be a huge problem these days! I bought a wings video that's actually an excellent posture/arms video recently, and I can think of several other examples!

[Lesgemini_Zafirah]

Rania's video has really good "bite-size" workouts that open with a killer Ab section; Arms, chest & back; Legs & buns; Waist-Whittler and Flexibility (See Shira's review of it).

...But again, it says the word "Beginner" in the title/subtitle, but I think it may be a bit much for a truly brand-spankin'-new beginner.

Lesly

[ssipes]

I haven't seen any of the videos being discussed, but I believe there is a fundamental conflict between the objectives of beginner level dance training, and fitness, at least if "fitness" means aerobic activity and strength training.

Beginners need things broken down to simpler steps, and they need to repeat things very slowly, with correction and feedback. Often, lengthy verbal explanations from the instructor are needed. Yes, beginners are gaining strength, flexibility, endurance, and coordination, but the process at the beginning level is generally mutually exclusive of the constant movement needed to get an aerobic work out. If you speed up the movements to get the "fitness" aspect, then probably what is happening is that beginners will just repeat incorrect/suboptimal movements so many times that it becomes entrenched in muscle memory, making it that much harder for them to progress to correct movements.

Rania doesn't display any kind of upper body energy/movement in her dancing, so I wouldn't expect her workout video to provide it.

Sedonia

[bintbeled]

In general, I've been disappointed in most of the beginner DVDs I've surveyed. The only one I recommend to my students is the one by Virginia. Are there any Beginner DVDs that other Bhuzzers would actually recommend? My newbies want something to drill with, but it would have to be more basic than - for example -- Aziza's Practice Companion or Rachel B's yoga & drills. I'm hoping to find something so I don't have to do a beginner DVD myself!!

[Lauren_]

Originally Posted by bintbeled

I so I don't have to do a beginner DVD myself!!

Sometimes that seems like the obvious solution, doesn't it? My students beg me to make videos of the choreographies we do in class -- hmmmm, I feel a new thread coming on.

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by bintbeled

In general, I've been disappointed in most of the beginner DVDs I've surveyed. The only one I recommend to my students is the one by Virginia. Are there any Beginner DVDs that other Bhuzzers would actually recommend? My newbies want something to drill with, but it would have to be more basic than - for example -- Aziza's Practice Companion or Rachel B's yoga & drills. I'm hoping to find something so I don't have to do a beginner DVD myself!!

There's a pretty good beginner-level drill on Joyous Laughter, Volume 1 by Michelle Morrison. See my web site for a review at www.shira.net/videocenter-alpha.htm for details.

I think the "Basic Moves" workout in Veena & Neena's exercise-oriented series isn't half bad for beginner drills. It doesn't try to be instructional, but as a tool for taking someone who learned the moves elsewhere through them in a structured way, I think it's fine.

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by ssipes

I haven't seen any of the videos being discussed, but I believe there is a fundamental conflict between the objectives of beginner level dance training, and fitness, at least if "fitness" means aerobic activity and strength training.

Beginners need things broken down to simpler steps, and they need to repeat things very slowly, with correction and feedback. Often, lengthy verbal explanations from the instructor are needed. Yes, beginners are gaining strength, flexibility, endurance, and coordination, but the process at the beginning level is generally mutually exclusive of the constant movement needed to get an aerobic work out. If you speed up the movements to get the "fitness" aspect, then probably what is happening is that beginners will just repeat incorrect/suboptimal movements so many times that it becomes entrenched in muscle memory, making it that much harder for them to progress to correct movements.

Sedonia, I see your point, but I think you have to consider the target markets for belly dance fitness videos:

• People who really aren't looking for dance instruction, they just want a new and fun way to move.
• People who already know how to belly dance, and want to use what they know in a workout.
• People who are currently taking classes at a beginner level and want something that offers a structure for home practice between classes.

Most of the so-called "cardio" workouts I've seen based on belly dance were pretty mild. Ie, they'd help a couch potato start getting into shape, but someone who does high-energy cardio on a regular basis wouldn't break a sweat.

Also, some of the workouts based on belly dance moves assume you're already at an intermediate level of belly dance skill - for example, Temple of Jehan Ultimate Belly Dance Workout. Since they assume you already know what you're doing, they don't get into explanations and technique, they just exercise.

IAMED did something interesting with the Art of Belly Dance series of three videos. They had 60 minutes of slow-moving, detailed instruction in elementary moves, including some simple (VERY simple) drills to help transition from one to another. And then the same DVD also included a workout based on the moves that were taught in the instructional section. I really like the concept. Separating instruction from the exercise routine is good.