Customer Reviews

Belly Dance Basics: A Complete Lesson with Choreography for Beginners

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This DVD is similar to Michelle's Perfect Hips workout DVD, which is geared toward those wanting a "belly dance workout". If you have to choose between the two pick that one for a workout and this one for a serious dancer's introduction to the dance. This one has a choreography and the drills are focused on the choreography, where as the other one has extended practice sessions that don't create a choreography (rather, create a great workout instead).

This DVD breaks down each move slowly then puts it into a combination that is drilled slowly then fast. Once you get the hang of the combinations they are easily strung together into a cute choreography for beginners. And there is a nice performance at the end.

THIS IS FOR YOU IF:
- you are a beginner and would like a complete breakdown of things
- you would like to get a good foundation in basic technique
- you would like a simple choreography to practice

THIS IS NOT FOR YOU IF:
- you have been dancing for a while (in that case, get "Pop, Lock and Shimmy" because it is for more intermediate level people)
- you already own "Perfect Hips", as there is a good deal of overlap
- you just want to exercise and aren't interested in becoming a dancer (in that case, get "Perfect Hips"

This has to be one of the best instructional dvds I have ever seen. Michelle explains the moves in depth without beating the subject to death. Her demonstrations are clear and easy to follow. This dvd is perfect for beginners but an intermediate level dancer such as myself will still find it an extremely useful addition to their collection. Bravo, Michelle. Keep the dvd's coming!!!!

Repetition is the mother of PERFECTION....here Michelle offers different perspectives in movement and mechanics of dance for both types of audiences. This is the best DVD for people who like CLEAR and DETAILED instruction not like other teachers who are muddy in their technique....you FEEL like Michelle is in your living room giving you a private belly dance lesson. As a belly dance teacher myself for 9 and 1/2 years I would recommend this DVD for any beginning dancer in any dance field OR to ladies at home who want to firm up those flabby areas. ENJOY!

Perfect for beginners and also intermediate students who would like to brush up on the basics. The choreography is cute, the moves are well explained, and the production quality is excellent.

I got this DVD cause I liked the Perfect Hips one. Once again, I wasn't disappointed. The choreography is fun and something you could even perform. And the performances at the end were cool.

Michelle is a great teacher - I love the DVD. She explains the movements several different ways and does tons of demonstration and follow along. A great workout also. And the performances at the end were really good.

Bellydance Basics is a great dance companion for a beginning bellydance student. Not only, do you learn a nice choreography, but the methods used in this DVD help to build strength, endurance, and coordination.
It includes a warm up & cool down, hip bumps, 5 combination sections that combine several movements, the choreography, and two performances.

There is plenty of repetition. Once the combo is broken down, then each combination section is practiced--first slow and then at a faster tempo. Her break downs and visuals are very clear and straightforward. Some of the best explanations, I have seen, on vertical figure eights, snake arms, and omis. She also teaches a few strength and coordination drills that help the dancer incorporate the movement into "muscle memory".

Though this dvd covers some of basic technique, know it is not a complete instruction on all the basic bellydance movements. I would definitely recommend this dvd.

It is true that there is some overlap between this one and the Belly Dance Basics one, but I think that earlier reviewers have made too much of it. The overlap in material and footage is minimal and there is tons of fresh material on each DVD. Both are exceptionally well done and very helpful for the beginner dancer. Great quality, great instruction, highly recommended.

I'm currently in the process of taking private bellydancing lessons twice a week from a certified instructor. These lessons are one on one and an hour long. I also attend a weekly public class taught by the same instructor. I have completed approximately 10 sessions so far. I have come a long way, but I still have a long way to go and still consider myself a beginner. Unlike the title of this video, I wouldn't necessarily consider it a complete lesson for beginners.

Granted, I am a bit lacking in coordination, but I felt Michelle moved much too fast during the breakdown of the move, which is very important to master if you want the combination to work out. It was especially frustrating watching the drop kick combination hip bump. She runs through that move fairly slowly to explain it but in order to really see and understand what she's doing, you'd have to put it on slow motion, and can she PLEASE tie up her pants for that one? I do like how after she shows a combination, she does several run-throughs, but they're so fast, they're not helpful unless you were able to master the move which is rather challenging considering how little time she spends on the breakdown.

Another frustration I have is that she is wearing pants, which makes is nearly impossible to see what her knees are doing. Ankle length pants on bellydance instructors ought to be outlawed, dang it! Occasionally, she will raise the bottom of her pants above her knees to show you, but that's rare. She does explain what her knees are doing, but if you are more of a visual learner, it's kind of hard to perceive. I also find it annoying when the video camera zooms in just on her stomach. Fortunately it's rare and they don't linger there too long, but just seeing her stomach does not help.

On the up side, Michelle is friendly and not at all irritating to watch, I just personally feel that the breakdown of the move could be done a bit slower. In a few other reviews, some mentioned that a lot of these moves are the same moves on her "Perfect Hips" video. However maybe that's the ticket, at least for me. I'm considering purchasing "Perfect Hips" to see each move broken down and explained at a much slower pace, so it will be easier to master. Then once I feel comfortable with those moves, I imagine the choreography in this video would be much easier to follow. It's a very fun video, but I highly recommend that beginners consider a more instructional video first before attempting this one or perhaps buying them together. Overall I am happy with my purchase, cause I believe I will be able to use it fairly soon, I guess I'm just one of those un-coordinated people who need a lot more detailed of a breakdown to finally master a move.