Customer Reviews

Bellydance for Beginners with Suhaila: Fitness Fusion - 4 Volume Gift Set (Buns, Jazz, Pilates, Yoga)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I took a Rachel Brice 4 day intensive workshop, and she said that Suhaila's buns and abdominal exercises were the best out there for locks and isolations. So, I found a great deal on the VHS tapes, and ever so skeptically, popped them in. I was amazed, and in awe of HOW she moves her glutes and abs like that! Sure, it's frustrating that I can't keep up the fast rolls and LRL/RLR combinations, but it gives me something to work towards.
So from a true skeptic, and professional dancer, I do highly recommend these, especially to ATS and fusion dancers. In fact, I'm going back and buying them on DVD now.

I love these DVDs even though they have some very difficult exercises on them. I know from my continuing classes that strength & control are needed to do well and the only way to get both is by practice & exercise. These DVDs are definitely, as I saw mentioned in another review, exercises for belly dancers. I really like Suhaila's instruction too.

Each DVD has a focus, but all parts of the body are worked to some extent. She also adds layering in with all 4 DVDs, which is something I am working hard on right now. I skip between the Yoga, Buns, & Pilates in my home practice. There are some periods where the moves are way too fast for me to keep up, but I figure if the women in the video can do it, I should be able to do it too, so I keep on working at it. I can definitely see the value in this!

1. The Yoga DVD is the least intensive workout and focuses on belly exercises (undulations).

2. The Buns DVD has some very difficult exercises & some not so bad. Focus is on shimmies & hip work, standing still & moving. If I could get 2 of these, this would be my 2nd choice.

3. The Pilates DVD seemed to be more all-over, with some very difficult (for me) leg work & good stretches. If I could only get one of these, this would be it.

4. The Jazz DVD is too difficult for me now, but I'll try it again in a few months to see if I can do it.

If you are looking for choreography and a wide selection of belly dance moves, look elsewhere. If you are looking for some intense exercises to help you with strength & control in your belly dance - these are GREAT!

Belly dance has come into vogue again, so of course there's been a rush of belly-dance fitness videos. Most market the same simple moves, performed to cheesy music--a kind of belly-aerobic crossbreed complete with fixed smiles and devoid of art.

Salimpour's videos go beyond those beginner moves to the isolations and exercises that will improve the viewer's dance. In other words, she doesn't offer the usual hip-twist, chest-lift routine meant for someone who's taken six weeks of belly dance class at the gym. Instead, these videos include drills meant both to exercise those muscles most pertinent to belly dance and to develop mastery of the shimmy and undulation. A beginner might benefit from following along, but this isn't the usual mechanical review of basics.

As a bonus the videos offer some great performances by Salimpour, a uniquely expressive and powerful dancer, and some inspiring advice and anecdotes about her weight gain and loss, motherhood, career pressures, and time management.

I've been bellydancing for 3 years and got what I wanted with these videos. I wanted a good conditioning video that would help maintain and improve my strength. That's what Suhaila provided. I would not recommend these videos to someone that is looking to either learn basic bellydance technique or never taken any bellydance before. Instead, these videos are perfect for the bellydancer who wants to condition their body OR someone with previous dance training.

I have been taking some beginner bellydance lessons and wanted to have something with the flavor of bellydance to work out to at home. These DVDs provide a lot of content and variety to your home routine, with mostly upper body bellydancing - some hip action, but mostly from squeezing your gluteus muscles, and no hip-dropping. I like a lot of variety so I bought the box set. I found most of the workouts to be enjoyable and worth the money.
In order of how well I liked them:
The Jazz DVD is the most advanced and the best. You will learn two short dancing routines. Suhaila explains her actions while she performs them, so there's no time for stopping, just dancing. Sometimes she just says what the move is, but doesn't explain it, so I've had to watch the screen to get it right. This one was fun and gets your heart rate up, and will probably be a favorite once I get the moves down.
The Pilates DVD is my second favorite. Some unulations of the torso and hip circles.
The Buns DVD has LOTS of glute-clenching. What else did you expect? I was able to get through this one with minimal sweat. I will note here that Suahaila uses a glute-clenching move that involves near splits and squeezing the cheeks. I'm not flexible enough to do the splits and I can't seem to figure out how they are able to do this move, and it appears in 3 of the DVDs. (not the Jazz one) It's an uncomfortable one for me, and I might suggest trying to do the exercise in an alternate way.
The Yoga DVD was my least favorite because there are lots of torso undulations, too many for me in one workout. Paired with a segment of glute-clenching (yes, undulating your body while trying to remember how to squeeze those buns) made it a little frightening to watch. I don't think I'll use this one too much until I've mastered the moves.
Suhaila does a good job of keeping the monotony out of the moves. Even though you perform many sets of the same move, she might add a different arm move or pattern. She also does a good job of reminding you of correct posture and keeps you motivated throughout all the routines. Her instructions flow smoothly with the actions and there are several other competent ladies working out with Suhaila. The music helps you keep the beat and the background is pleasing. Each workout ends with a costumed dance and a circle dance to watch.
Each DVD comes with an extra 10 minute workout in case you're feeling pumped and want to make it a 50-minute workout. They also include a couple extra dances to watch.
All in all, I say this is an excellent purchase. I enjoyed most parts of the workouts and I am feeling the burn in all the right places. If you just want a workout with a little spice thrown in, these are great, and you'll feel energized. If you just get one, get the Jazz. And you just might find yourself rocking out using your new "fusion" moves!

I agree with Alice lake & Antoniette's review.
I put all the detailed info of exactly what moves you will do on each on the separate DVD pages.
I loved them all except her Buns workout which seemed the slowest & most like aerobics with redundant hip & glut isolations/contrations that are done on w/better flow on her yoga & other DVD.
She is very honest, friendly & personable & not annoying or cold in any way like some other instructors.
The pace of the DVDs are great, you don't get bored (except the Buns one possibly) & you get one hell of a workout. You do moves so many times you really work the muscles. I always felt the burn & it was hard for me to keep up. Seeing her & all the students having no trouble keeping the pace (though nice to see some students struggle a little also) & make it look so easy kept me going.
The music selection is great with a good beat. She has great innovative way to teach undulations on one of her DVDs.

You can see previews on youtube

I began doing the exercises almost as soon as I got this video. While I have not lost a single pound (due to fat to muscle conversion), I have dropped 3 sizes in 4 weeks. I don't know how graceful I am, but I can feel tightening and toning in muscles I didn't know existed as well as increased muscular control over regions of my body that I thought were autonomous before. Very impressive.

My first impression when I received the 4 volume gift set was how very professional the packaging was. I was very excited to see these dvd's as I had been waiting sometime in anticipation of them. Having been a professional dancer in the 60's and the 70's I almost wondered how I was able to dance without the benefit of training my body. I was an improvosationalist and danced strictly on emotion from my heritage. After watching these dvd's I understood how much more I could have done had I total control of my body. That is not to say I wasn't successful at what I did. The clarity of Suhaila's teaching method allows the student to learn not only faster but to condition her body to the point of perfection. The buns video had me in awe. What glute control, and it was amazing that her dancers were right there with her proving it wasn't a freak in nature type of move.
I especially liked Suhaila sharing her personal experiences of her pregnancy, weight issues and motherhood. The circle dance was beautiful and of course Isabella was the highlight of the
dvd's. I would definitely recommend these dvd's to any one who has serious aspirations of improving their body and learning to dance.

I am so glad that these DVDs were released! I have just about ALL the Natural Journeys bellydance DVDs (Raina,Veena& Neena) and I was getting a little tired of them. Along comes Suhaila, who I must say, is my fave instructor in this series. She is very animated, the sets are great and the exercises and routines are different.
I tried the Jazz DVD and it was a great workout. Although I didn't work up the sweat I had anticipated since I'm a practicing dancer anyway, my hips, waist and abs were a little sore the day after. This is my fave DVD. The rotuines are fun, sexy and with repeated viewings, easy to learn. I take jazz dance classes so I was probably a bit more familiar with the terminology than other people. But hang in there, you'll get it! Also, you may need a little extra room to accomodate the turns in the routines.
I can't wait to try the other DVDs, if Jazz was any indication, then I'm sure the others will be great too!
Update: I have tried to Yoga and Pilates DVD in this set also. I preferred the Pilates one a little more. It was a bit more challenging and I found that I felt more like I "worked out". The Yoga DVD was good also, but probably my least favorite. It moves reeaaally slowly and you may get a bit tired of all that butt clenching--isn't that what Suhaila's Buns DVD is for?? Anyway, still this set is my favorite Bellydance workouts so far.

...because for an experienced dancer, I am sure these videos would be a perfect integration excercise. For a beginner: aside from the jazz, there is not a lot of actual dancing and the isolation excercises are really hard... so I think a beginner would be disappointed and discouraged.
The mood of the set though is very encouraging and Suhaila emits this unexpected maternal interest in her viewers, I felt like I was being mentored to by a personal friend.
Although a exceedingly challenging workout that might make you feel like you are missing muscles (particularly in the bum region) that other people seem to have, Suhaila is a fantastic dancer and teacher because not one of her girls had a single flinch through the whole routine, and they are all such amazing dancers and really in-shape.
As a performance dvd collection- AMAZING!!!!! The zill performance on the pilates dvd was absolutely incredible.
I have heard her called the Bruce Lee of bellydance and now I know why.