Customer Reviews

Amira's Bellydance 101 Belly Dancing Basics For Beginners

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all, I think the best instructional and workout DVD is "Learn lavish layers with Ansuya".

But Amira's disk is also of exemplary quality, and I can see how for some people it might be the best place to start:

- Amira teaches the proper posture and reminds you about it throughout her lesson. Majority of instructional videos neglect that.
- Her instructions are more thoughtful than in any other bellydance program I've seen so far (except Ansuya's).
- Unlike some instructors who don't realize that you need to practice the moves individually before you can put them together and up to speed, Amira makes sure you absorb each movement by repeating it many times.
- The camera is always where it belongs (which is rare in the world of bellydance videos).
- Amira's style is very soothing and helps focus on movement execution. There are bellydancers that are more picturesque, but their intense Mideastern charm might overwhelm or distract a beginner. Their bodies also may intimidate an overweight novice, whereas Amira shows that you don't have to be slender to be able to move with admirable grace. And Amira is certainly pretty as well.
- Amira's appearance and the choice of background and music are very tasteful.

This video is probably the gentlest, non-intimidating introduction to bellydance I've seen so far. But the drawback of this approach is that you might outgrow it rather quickly. "Learn lavish layers with Ansuya" will prove much more efficient in the long run.

This is the DVD to get for your first bellydance instruction workout. I can't say enough good things about it, but let me start. First, the production values are high. The setting is lovely and restful, with beautifully sensuous pillows and gauzy drapes hanging in the background. The music is exotic and hypnotic, and Amira's voice and pleasant accent make you feel you're on a nice vacation, far from your own stressful world. The exercises are explained carefully and done slowly, so that you can pick them up. They are filmed in such a way that you can see the movement (no cutting away to a face while you are trying to figure out what the hips are doing.) There is a warm-up at the beginning and a gentle stretch at the end. If you skip the combination, which you might want to do at first, while you're learning the movements, you can do the whole dvd in an hour. The sections are short enough so as not to tire you out or frustrate your beginner's attention span. At some point this workout might become too basic, but I suspect I would always want to come back to it sometimes, on days when I'm not feeling so strong, or when I just want to de-stress. I love this DVD, and I hope Amira makes more!

As a total beginner, I watched this DVD once and was able to keep up with her pretty accurately at the end when she put all movements together. I'm 54 and have gained 40 pounds over the past two years (up from size 6 for 30 years). I was delighted to feel graceful and feminine while going these exercises with Amira. I'm slightly sore today...not an unpleasant sensation, but a sign that muscles were really used. If you're interested in Belly Dance, I think you'll really like Amira.

Amira provides an exercise video that celebrates women's natural bodies, strength, grace and beauty.

This DVD offers a solid foundation in bellydance by expertly teaching basic movements and techniques. I am impressed with Amira's teaching style, the beautiful dance moves, her clear and concise commentary, and the quality of the video. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning this sensual and creative art form.

I think it is important for instructional videos to provide proper guidance and explanation of the techniques. I never felt like she was moving too fast, and I appreciated the combination of technical and artistic explanations of the movements. It also never felt boring or slow. Plus the setting looks like an Arabian lounge complete with Persian rugs and velvet pillows, and the music by Hossam Ramsy is gorgeous! It really added to the sensual and relaxing feeling of the video.

I definately give this DVD two thumbs up!! (Or two hip lifts!)

Length:: 1:54 Mins

Amira's Belly Dance 101 Dvd, a 5-Star Instructional Video of Belly Dancing Basics for Beginners

This is a two minute video trailer that shows a couple of short excerpts from the DVD. For further reviews, all of the others that are left here seem to describe the content and quality pretty well..

This is a good production quality dvd with chapters & bonus performance by Amira.
This is set so that it looks like Amira is in a traditional Middle Eastern tent. The choices of volors/fabric & decoration is wonderful, though to me it felt a little claustrophobic but doesn't hamper/distract the great teaching.
Amira is very relaxed, friendly, patient. This is a learning like a class dvd, not a workout, though she does have you practice for a decent amount of time before moving on. Even better, the music is slow/soft to start which bored me, but it increased in tempo so that I did full speed on moves since I already knew them from my many other bellydance dvds. Even though I own more, her teaching is great, she taught me that snake arms come fron the shoulders, not the arms which makes a huge difference.
Amira starts with a short 3 min intro about belly dance history & benefits.
There is about a 5 min stretch with head rolls, shoulder rolls, hip stretch, squats & spine stretch movements.
Head/Sshoulders - head shifts, snack arms, wings
Chest - shifts, vertical & horizontal chest circles, camel
Hips - hip single & double bumps, hip circles, hip lifts & drops & w/kick & diff directions, hip twists, figure 8s, vertical figure 8 is touched on,
body wave
Shimmies - Lebonnese/hip focused & Egyptian knee focused
Combinations - simple routine of shoulder shimmy, chest lifts, shoulder roll, hip lifts/drops, body wave & ends in shimmy done 4x in faster succession.
The learning/practice portion ends at about the 55 min mark.
This dvd is best for people new to bellydance or feel that they didn't get enough detailed instruction on ones they already own. If you feel you already happy with how you execute with the moves listed above, skip this dvd.

You can see a trailer at her site amirasbelly com

I really appreciate the proper instruction in this DVD. The first sequence about posture is very informative and I like Amira's efforts to contrast 'this is the correct way to do a move', and 'this is not the correct way to do a move'. It gives you great pointers and I find it most effective to have a full-length mirror next to the TV so I can see my form properly. I would like it if there was a second combination at the end or more moves to grow with. Lastly, I don't recommend this for 'production snobs'- this is about bellydance, not cinematography. Nonetheless, this provides great instruction for a beginner.

This is the perfect beginners DVD! After a couple of weeks of pure fustration with other DVD's (not having the move fully explained, or not being able to see anything other then the workout instructors navel), I ordered this one. If you are one of the totally un-initiated like I am, this work out is for you. Granted once you master the moves, you will quickly want to go on to others, but this has been a Godsend. She explains, goes slow, does plenty of repetitions and gives great visual technique! Even I was able to accomplish the body wave (maybe not well...)after the first workout.

I highly recommend this video for all literal beginners!

Amira's Bellydance 101 is a great instructional dvd for beginners to bellydance.

Amira gives clear explanations and visual demonstrations step by step to help you understand the basic moves that are the foundation of bellydance. She teaches many foundation movements from hip drops to basic shimmies, pays special attention to proper dance posture, and includes a warm-up/cool-down.
The overall production of the DVD is very professional, good lighting and sound. There are no annoying, abrupt camera angles or zoom effects. Amira's outfits are tasteful and appropriate, and do not distract from, or hide her movements.

Though I enjoyed the "combinations" section, a short repetitive drill of the moves learned, I have to say I was disappointed that it did not show how to layer the moves together to create a simple dance routine.

Overall, I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone who is a beginner to bellydance. It is a good "starter" instructional DVD for the person who does not have access to a bellydance class and great for "at home practice" for those that do. Another great beginner bellydance DVD to try is Bellydance Basics and Beyond with Jenna. Both of these DVDs will cover most of the basic moves that would be taught in a beginner level bellydance class.

I am new to bellydancing and I have not found an instructor in my area. As a result, I have slogged through a lot of instructional DVDs trying to find a good one. Let me tell you they are few and far between. This is an EXCELLENT instructional DVD. Amira gives you wonderful tips and visuals for learning the different moves. Besides the quality instruction, this is shot very well: the camerawork and the voiceover are right on cue, and that is not easy to find. If you are interested in learning to bellydance, do yourself a favor and buy this DVD. You will get a lovely introduction to this dance from a very good teacher. I promise you will not regret it. If you are still unsure after reading these reviews, then look at the price. Amira's DVD is half the cost of other instructional (not fitness) DVDs out there and she is a far better teacher than many of them. You won't regret it. I hope she comes out with more DVDs soon!