Customer Reviews

Bellydance for Body Shaping: Upper Body

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

 

 

I absolutely love this DVD, and I don't think I will ever be tired of it. The DVD contains a tutorial that teaches basic moves, such as chest circles, hand ripples, and snake hips. The tutorial also demonstrates basic veil moves, including barrel and flamenco turns, and finally into cane basics. The cane moves are excellent, and include folk moves using a few Hagallah, or light jumping steps. The video then divides into three workout sections demonstrating basics, veil, and cane technique, which then form into a dance choreography at the end of each section. What I enjoyed best is that the choreography is set, but it still feels improvised, which I love. The video is also low impact, yet strenuous enough to get the benefits of a good workout. The production quality of the video is excellent. The DVD offers details on where to obtain the music used in each section. However, I missed the information supposedly offered on where to obtain a cane or veil. This video is both a great workout, and an awesome source for students who want to learn veil and cane technique. Most videos on the market are either exclusively fitness or instructional videos, but Tanna's video is a blend of both, with the added value of teaching two props. Finally, Tanna performs with a veil using the moves she teaches in the video, which is beautiful. This is one of the best deals I have encountered.

Tanna is an apt dancer and instructor. In the introduction, Strength & Conditioning Specialist Andy Troy goes over some of the moves you will cover and what muscles you'll be exerting - but then he vanishes, not again to be seen on the DVD. Tanna is articulate and looks you in the eye as she goes over the different props and the history of the dance as well as the step by step moves.

Somewhere along the way, however, the lessons begin to segue away from upper-body workout to full body jazzercize. The music is a mixture of sometimes Middle Eastern, then tossed in with some whacky New Age style stuff that just seems inappropriate.

While demonstrating the dance moves in a well lit dance studio, reflections of the outside windows are visible in the mirrors and during the lessons a construction worker can be seen waltzing back and forth. This is simply distracting.

After lesson one, we're no longer just doing upper body - Tanna is twirling like a Dervish and leaving the floor now and then with a hop. For the people who need to workout the most, these are not the best maneuvers. They are pretty movements, but more of a performance than a lesson in upper body toning. Unlike the "Buns & Thighs" edition, this is not a DVD suitable for just about any body type or conditioning level. I for one, could not keep up and watched the last two thirds from my recliner.

Tanna does a great job of instruction, but it seems like the lesson plan was dumped about half-way through. If you suffer from vertigo - or heck, if you're over 25, you're probably going to get dizzy doing some of these moves. I was following at first, then it was just "Bring on the Dramamine!"

I was a bit lost on the Performance section. This looked like a music video - not like a performance so to speak. The camera zooms in and out so it's hard to concentrate on the moves, choreography and the gestures.

The cover art looks like some disciplinarian is going to smack you with her riding crop - I think they should have consulted someone outside of their circle of dance afficianados on how the cover art could be interpreted.

The DVD is well presented and put together, but it does lose a star for the issues I cited above. Just going over the tutorial and first half of lesson 1 will really help those learning belly dance incorporate moves to tone their triceps and other problem areas above the waist. Another well-done job by WorldDance New York.

I find Tanna's dancing a bit stiff, but she has a great personality.
It starts with a 8 min intro about this dvd. With Troy, a personal traainer telling you how the arm movements work which muscles using a computer graphic. There is also a little history about the costumes & use of veils & canes. Also a short info about different kinds of veils & canes.
The tutorial is fast, it's best if you've bought already the bellydance twin's dvd, jillian's, etc. & about 14 min. she gives good verbal clues, builds up but only slows down a little.
Then there are 3 session each with a 2 min warmup, 10 min learning, 1-2 min dance & 2 min cooldown. She gives verbal clues for the warmup, learning & cooldown, but is always going normal speed.
The first one is w/o veils.
The second one has alot of turning.. A LOT & uses veils.
The third uses a cane & much more hip work.

There's a more in-depth review at shira net & more pics at the production site at worlddancenewyork com You can see a trailer at totalvid com

This would be a good dvd for intermediate belly dance students who are moderately fit but I wouldn't recommend this a first belly dance fitness dvd to someone who is a total couch potato. I may also hesitate to recommend this dvd to absolute beginning belly dance students who may find the fast pace of these routines difficult to keep up with, especially since they will be unfamiliar with the dance moves. For that reason, I think the tutorial section could be a tad longer. That said, anyone who has taken some belly dance classes or has worked with other belly dance basics dvds (such as Neon's Instant Bellydancer series) should have no problem following along with this workout.

I'd like to put in a slight word of caution about the cane dance section of this dvd which involves bouncy moves that can be hard on the knees and ankles for anyone who has arthritis or other joint problems. But, as with any fitness dvd, if you take things at your own pace and speed you'll avoid injury.

I also found the spinning part of the veil section a bit much too handle -but I have Meniere's Disease so I get vertigo at the drop of a hat. Someone who has never practiced spinning will probably be left feeling pretty dizzy if they try to follow Tanna as she twirls like a gorgeous, sparkling veiled tornado. I recommend spinning at your own pace and not trying to keep up with Tanna who has the enviable ability to be able to spin like she's in a blender without falling down in a queasy heap (like I do!). Truthfully, I am jealous of Tanna's talent and would love to be able to gracefully spin without tossing my cookies!

That said, I think that Tanna is a very good instructor/dancer and I'll look forward to more dvds from her in the future. Overall, I enjoyed this workout and learned some interesting cane and veil moves that I will be able to use in future dance routines.

Thanks Tanna and World Dance New York for producing another invaluable and reasonably priced belly dance dvd!!!

This is such a fun workout for the arms. I love the veil workout, it tones your arms and you get to dance with a veil! I met Tanna at the Bellydance of the Universe Competition in 2008 and she won first place for her veil dance. You will learn beautiful veil moves that are not on any other veil dance videos. Have fun and feel elegant and beautiful!

Not for people who want to shape their bodies! This is more of a performance dance dvd. Tanna is not a good instructor and production values are not very good, either. And why have an introduction by a fitness instructor if you made a dance dvd? I was disappointed in this workout because it is not even on each side of the body, the moves are vague, the instructor mumbles. I did like the mirror- this helped me see better how to perform the moves. I felt as if I should already know how to belly dance; perhaps that is the target audience? I will stick to Rania's workout dvd's with a belly dance 'flavour', at least I can work up a sweat. And what is all this palaver with the fabric and the cane? I thought they were optional, but they are central to the dance.

I found the cane dance on this DVD adorable! I can't get enough.
From that alone, I feel like I got my moneys worth!