Good basics DVD?

[Varuza]

I have read Shira's amazing and long instructional DVD list, as well as many of the threads here, but I'm still feeling undecided.

I have been very happy with the *content* on Belly Dance for Core Fitness from WorldDance New York, but have had a lot of problems with the format. While I like my current teacher, I do have some frustrations, since I started the class late (didn't know it even existed until my mom pointed out an ad in the newspaper). We did do some instructional learning (as opposed to repetitions of the choreography) this past visit, but normally, all we do is a warm-up and then choreography. What I really liked about the DVD I had was the in depth explanations of the muscles, and how and why they move, as well as how to avoid injury. I have not had much of that in class.

Unfortunately, I've had nothing but problems with the technical side of this DVD. The first version did not work at all. I got a replacement, and everything was going along fine for the first part of the tutorial... then it got all buggy and acted as though it were heavily scratched. I looked, but didn't see any scratches, and I tried cleaning it... but no luck. It still doesn't work. When I wrote to Amazon, they said it was a widespread problem and that they could not replace it a second time (but they will refund me the full purchase price). I've thought about contacting WorldDance New York itself to see if I could find a workable disk, but I'm not really sure I'd have better luck that way or not.

I'm looking for something to supplement my current practice, but I'd like something with instruction, as I haven't had much of that from my teacher and don't want to jump into doing things in a way that might injure myself.

I do have Sensual Belly Dance by Blanca and have ordered Drills! Drills! Drills! based on reviews here and at Amazon, but as I said, I really liked the in depth anatomical discussion of Belly Dance for Core Fitness, and I'm definitely not quite ready for Sensual Belly Dance (but I know I will definitely find it useful when I am). The reviews on Amazon seem to suggest that Drills! is best used in conjunction with more detailed instruction for complete beginners, but if others have a different opinion, feel free to let me know. Obviously, that would be my preferred option if her instructions are detailed enough. I wouldn't be so worried if we had more of this in the class, but since we don't, I want to be careful. Perhaps my experience with other dance forms would alleviate that somewhat? If not, any recommendations for a complimentary DVD would be useful.

Style-wise: Vaguely interested in all styles of belly dance, although I have a slight distaste of dancing to modern American music.

[monsoondancer]

How about Belly Dance Basics-by the same group who did DRILLS DRILLS DRILLS-I would think using a DVD to complement another is most useful when they come from the same company or instructor as technique and teaching styles would be similar and therefore easy to tie in with the more itermediate and advance dvds. I have order both of these dvds and cant wait to recieve them. You could also try the Jillina series. I have this and really enjoy it-plus you get a choreography mixed in as well. Hope this helps you a bit ;)

[Varuza]

Ooh! I'll take a look at both of those. I hadn't realized there was a Basics counterpart to Drills Drills Drills. I saw the more advanced DVD, but not the basic one.

Thanks!

[basina]

My absolutely favorite basics DVD by far is Basics and Beyond by Jenna. Its over 20 hours long and gives detailed descriptions of dozens of moves. It also has practice sessions on the DVD as well!

[Varuza]

I'll look at that one, too, thanks!

Any other ideas out there?

[*Shira*]

Hi Varuza! There are some good explanations of which muscles are used in belly dance on the Bellydance for Body Shaping series by World Dance New York. The explanations are provided by a personal trainer, and the screen shows muscle diagrams to illustrate the points.

Suzanna Del Vecchio's Precision Motion Workout might be something you'd enjoy. She is very anatomy aware and provides crisp explanations in technique. The video contains an hour of study/instruction/technique, followed by a 30-minute drill session which could be done by itself as a workout if you insert your own warmup in front of it.

If you want something more elementary than Suzanna's video, you might like Joyous Laughter, Volume 1: Belly Dance Basics with Michele. That one begins with a well-described study in technique, followed by an 18-minute drill/practice session.

All of these are reviewed in detail on my web site. The World Dance New York ones are at Belly Dancing: Shira's Reviews of Fitness Videos and the other two are at Belly Dancing: Shira's Reviews of Instructional Videos, Alphabetical List

I hope this helps!

--Shira

PS: If you like Core Fitness well enough to keep it, then I do recommend contacting World Dance New York directly to explain your problem and see whether they'll agree to an exchange.

[Varuza]

Great! I'll have to check out those particular reviews -- I remember reading everything for beginner and novice and got them all a bit confused in my head (despite taking notes).

So, I'm very glad you replied here!

[jencUK]

I have several from World dance without probs, not this particular one. I would definately say that if Sensual Bellydance is beyond you at the moment, Drills, Drills, Drills would be also, although it is very good I am still only using it in small doses and I have been dancing 18 months (although I think I didn't learn too much in my first year. The teacher didn't believe in too much technique for beginners, She didn't even discuss posture)
I am still using Basics and Beyond and have only just added The Next Level so there is plenty to keep you going on that one. I can't believe that Shira hasn't reviewed it. It's imy if I only had one.....

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by jencUK

I am still using Basics and Beyond and have only just added The Next Level so there is plenty to keep you going on that one. I can't believe that Shira hasn't reviewed it. It's imy if I only had one.....

They're in my stack of to-be-reviewed ones! <smile> So many videos, so little time!

[Varuza]

I imagine it would be tough to get through all of them! I think it's amazing that you're going to all that work. It's definitely appreciated!

At the moment, I'm leaning toward Basics and Beyond and the Precision Motion Workout by Suzanna del Vecchio (because one of the moves I'm having the most troubles with is the body wave, and it doesn't seem to be on many of the others).

I did have a question: When researching Basics and Beyond, I found that one of the Amazon reviews said that the instruction on undulations wasn't as good as the instruction of everything else.

Those of you who've used the video: did you find that to be true?

Also, since it's not one that's reviewed by Shira, I haven't found a list of the moves covered. Does it cover the body wave? What about the Belly Dance Basics one by Michelle Joyce? Does it cover the body wave?

Shira, one of your critiques of the Suzanna del Vecchio video was that it used a lot of physiological terms without explaining them, and I'm not sure *I* know enough about them to understand her as well as I'd like. So, how big of a problem do you think that would be? Are the other explanations adequate in alleviating that problem? Or are there some moves where it's essential to know the scientific terms?

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by Varuza

Shira, one of your critiques of the Suzanna del Vecchio video was that it used a lot of physiological terms without explaining them, and I'm not sure *I* know enough about them to understand her as well as I'd like. So, how big of a problem do you think that would be? Are the other explanations adequate in alleviating that problem? Or are there some moves where it's essential to know the scientific terms?

I definitely think it's possible to get a lot of value out of Suzanna Del Vecchio's video even if you don't know what the "obliques" (and other muscle names) are, but it would take a little more effort. Given your background in Western dance, you probably have a trained eye for recognizing what the body is doing, which will help you as well.

[Varuza]

Originally Posted by *Shira*

I definitely think it's possible to get a lot of value out of Suzanna Del Vecchio's video even if you don't know what the "obliques" (and other muscle names) are, but it would take a little more effort. Given your background in Western dance, you probably have a trained eye for recognizing what the body is doing, which will help you as well.

Good point. I remembered that I learned how to do hip lifts not by listening to how they were described, but by watching the way the moves actually looked on my first teacher's body - in particular, where there were wrinkles. Also, when I figured out the shoulder forward-back movement, I could tell from my body that I was doing it right (or, should I say, in a manner that was not going to injure me). It was later confirmed that I was indeed using the right muscles to do the movement.

[bellyruby]

Hi Veruza,

I have been studying this dance form almost entirely from video for about seven years. The videos that I wish that I had started with are "Bellydance Movement Foundation" by Yasmina Ramzy (not Serena) and ""Volume 1 - Arms and Torso" by Sahra Saeeda. Both are available from Dahlal International. Dahlal does not compensate me for the referral. And for an "eye on the prize-big girl dancer" video, "Serious Bellydance" by Tamalyn Dalal.

I found that "Core Fitness" filled in nicely with "Bellydance Movement Foundation" and "Volume 1 - Arms and Torso". As Ayshe says, "don't be a wiggle bunny!"

Hope that this helps. May your journey be bountiful!

Ruby,

[Varuza]

Ruby: Thanks for those titles! Would any of the videos you mentioned replace Core Fitness? The problem is that the disk doesn't work properly.

Also, I'm guessing that Serious Belly Dance would have the body wave... What of the other two?

[bellyruby]

Varuza: Core Fitness focuses on the use of the psoas muscles as internal muscular movement. Both Bellydance Movement Foundation and Arms and Torso explore the movements within the movements through the legs, pelvis, and torso to create torso undulations (without being psoas specific), if you want to sway up, sway down, sway the entire torso, sway just a little bit of the torso, sway slow, sway fast, sway in place, sway through different body angles, sway while moving, I would recommend those two, as well as Yasmina Ramzy's Bellydance Technique Volume 1, which focuses on "walking undulations, body waves, walking forward and backward figure 8's , walking fish and maya (vertical hip figure eights) and undulating fish, walking hip circles and six kinds of hip kicks, with variations" and dances presented of each these steps. Bellydance Movement Foundation presents "an in depth explanation of the elements of Bellydance movement. It includes ten kinds of isolation accents, chest and hip shimmies, undualtions, body waves, hands, four kinds of figure eights, two travel steps and three kinds of hip and chest circles" again, she includes a dance presentation with each movement taught. Sahra Saeeda's video presents dance concepts, muscular versus skeletal movement throughout the torso, an extended practice session with a drummer, and cues on how to see what a dancer is doing so that you may continue to teach yourself by watching other dancers.

Three videos is in the one hundred dollar range; for me, they have been worth it.

[Varuza]

Well.

I just got Drills! Drills! Drills! and it's really wonderful. I can't do the part with zills, because, due to my lack of skill, they end up making a cacophony and I forget what I'm doing with the rest of the body. I stopped after an hour and a half when she started the grapevine drills (more because it was 11:30 and I realized I should stop if I wanted to get some sleep). She's also pretty clear in her explanations (although I don't think I managed to isolate the glutes in the very first exercise).

So, I'm definitely leaning towards the Suzanna del Vecchio one, or possibly one of the three that Ruby mentioned, because, at least at the level I'm working at, there aren't a lot of different moves to practice. Otherwise, I'd be tempted to just keep it and not get anything else at all. This isn't a criticism, by the way: I think it's absolutely perfect for what it sets out to be (a drill-based video). But I am feeling the desire for one that can explain some of the other moves I'm doing in class.

I found it easier than Sensual Belly Dance, simply because instead of starting with one move and then layering everything onto that one move, and then going to the next, she does ALL of the isolations as isolations first. Also, after doing the isolations alone, the first thing she adds to them are the leg movements (styled differently of course) I remember from ballet drills, and arms (different from the ballet ones, but same concept).

This is turning into a bit of a review, which I hadn't intended. My point is simply that I'm no longer really looking for something to replace Core Fitness, per se, but rather something that can teach moves that I'm learning in class, but that aren't on Drills! Such as the body wave, which I'm still having problems with.

[shimmy21]

I'll put in a vote for Basics and Beyond with Jenna! I just got it, and it is even better than some of the live classes I've taken! (Though I'm starting those up again as well!) It is also the first basics dvd I couldn't go straight through, so I actually have to something to work on! Yeah!

Rachel

[jencUK]

what's a body wave? Is it an extreme camel/undulation?

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by jencUK

what's a body wave? Is it an extreme camel/undulation?

A body wave is the opposite of a camel/undulation.

What I'm about to say is a simplification...

A body wave starts at the bottom (hips) and rolls to the top (chest). An undulation starts at the top (chest) and rolls to the bottom (hips).

Both body waves and undulations involve movement of both the hips and the rib cage. In both moves, the rib cage moves like a Ferris wheel. Both involve fluid movement of the spine.

For simplicity's sake I'll describe just the rib cage only, because realizing what the rib cage was doing provided me the big "Aha!" moment back when I was a student. In the case of the body wave, the rib cage motion is back, up, forward, return. In the case of the undulation, the rib cage motion is forward, up, back, return.

Neon gives a good description of the body wave on one of her Instant Bellydancer DVD's. I forget which ones, but my reviews list which moves each video teaches, so a quick glance at the moves section of my reviews of Neon's videos should help find it fairly quickly.

[Varuza]

Ah - my teacher calls them "up" and "down" body waves -- I have troubles with both :)

And -- yay, I'm not insane! I had thought that one of them was called camel, but due to the differences in terminology that I'm just discovering, my teacher calls something else a camel. Which I actually think I have a decent handle on - it's more arm/feet related than the hip/torso related. Hard to describe in words, though.

Edit: I should note that the trouble I'm having is connecting the hips to the rib cage without involving my neck and head. My mom thought it looked scary, like I was casting a spell or something. I have more troubles with "down" than "up", though, as we've practiced it less.