Product Details

• Directors: Bryan Scott Gordon
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: November 1, 2000
• Run Time: 34 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0970328702
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375,484 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

About the Actor

Mara has been belly dancing professionally for 12 years, and has been teaching for the last 5. She teaches regularly through the Scottsdale, Arizona Parks and Recreation Department, as well as at national workshops and other facilities.

Product Description

Welcome to the world of belly dancing. This style of dance has been practiced for centuries and is influenced by many cultures. Designed for both the novice and those who want a refresher, this video presents 12 basic belly dancing moves divided into three sections of four moves each. You will also be shown how to set the moves to music in an improvised choreography. We hope this video will be the first step in a life-long love of belly dancing!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for a beginner!, June 5, 2001

By 

Nawal_in_Az (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belly Dancing I: Beginning Instruction with Mara [VHS] (VHS Tape)

If you want to learn to dance and you want clear, simple instructions this video is an excellent choice. You won't find fancy effects, flashy sets or glitzy production, but you will learn how to do twelve basic moves, clearly explained and clearly shown. At the end of the video Mara includes a short performance using just the moves she has taught, so a beginner can get ideas for putting a dance together. One unusual feature of this video is the music. Mara's instruction and dancing is accompanied by a single guitar playing simple "Moorish-Spanish" inspired melodies. For a beginner who may not be very familiar with the rhythms and instruments of Middle Eastern music, this approach can be very helpful, since it lets you focus on the main rhythm and learning the moves. When you are ready to move on, or when you get some "real" dance music, you will find it easier to listen fot he rhythms that match the movements you have learned. I've given this video to 3 friends who wanted to get an idea of what belly dance is, and they all have been enthusiastic about it.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Novice Can Learn to Belly Dance, October 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Belly Dancing I: Beginning Instruction with Mara [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I had previously purchased the Neena and Veena videos and was pleased, but I was having trouble coreographing my own moves to music. I ordered the tapes with Mara, and I couldn't be happier with the instruction provided. Some of the steps with Mara were similar to Neena and Veena, but the style was markedly different. The tremendous thing about this video (and its follow up) is that Mara really teaches you how to put the moves to music in this beautiful free-form dance style. I just hope that more videos like this will be in production - and soon.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent video!, August 2, 2001

By 

Beth A. Brezinski (Scottsdale, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belly Dancing I: Beginning Instruction with Mara [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Hi, I've been studying belly dance with Mara for two years. Her video is really good, both for the beginner, or for the intermediate dancer who really wants to break down and refine the core 12 belly dance moves that Mara explains in her video. I've bought this video for four of my friends, most of whom have never studied belly dance, and they've found it to be a great introduction to this dance form. I've seen other belly dance videos, and Mara's is much more clear, concise, and easy to follow. Check it out. :-)