Product Details

• Actors: Issam Houshan, Wassan Pharoon
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Ark 21
• DVD Release Date: August 16, 2005
• Run Time: 122 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000A0GYDC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,647 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #10 in Music > World Music > Middle East > General
  • #10 in Music > World Music > Middle East > General AAS

Editorial Reviews

BELLYDANCE SUPERSTARS LIVE IN PARIS - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Losing their edge, February 27, 2006

By 

Rom Deussen "Rom" (St. George, UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bellydance Superstars Live in Paris at the Folies Bergere (DVD)

Dondi, on www.gildedserpent.com, wrote a review of the Carnivale show that BDSS is now doing, and I must admit it also corresponds to the Folies show.

I am a Middle Eastern Dancer, but a classical Indian dancer as well, and while I like Jillina's work on the whole, I was disappointed in the choreography of the Bollywood pieces. A huge part of Bollywood are gentle smiles and the eyes, both of which are lacking here, along with the arm precision.
I liked the introduction at the dancers at the end, but ATS dancers are just as feminine--yet walked down alone like Amazon warriors. I really wasn't sure if this was a planned portrayal or Miles' idea, but it just seemed like they were saying ATS dancers are not as graceful as the ladies in the glitter. And while I am a fan of Rachel's, her falling down the steps was, as another reviewer put it, clownish and forced.

I liked the addition of Adore and Petite Jamilla, but do feel this is a leaning trend of BDSS becoming more showy and less technique oriented.

The cinematography is only somewhat decent-the film is very red in parts, and pale in others, and doesn't seem to capture their presence very well. Also, several times the dancer's names don't match up to the actual dancer.

The dancing, Bollywood piece aside, is stellar, even for performers I will honestly admit I don't care for. I am not an Adore fan, but do appreciate her strength and agility, and feel she is a strong dancer. I am not a BellyQueen advocate but they work so well as a team and I love how they show two completely different body types working together beautifully. Every performance had merit, the Desert Roses, while their smiles fade at times, are well rehearsed, and Issam is always a fun addition.

I do also like the spartan stage for it does not detract from the dancers, much like the original BDSS video does with its computer-added background.

Do I own this? Yes. Was it worth the price? Yes. Could it have been better? Yes. But for those who have never been exposed to the world of Middle Eastern dance, it's a solid round exposure. For us "old timers," it shows interesting choreography and a wide range of performances not available elsewhere. I simply wish more had been put into production and pizazz.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful dance, Terrible picture quality, November 7, 2005

By 

Paris Huang "Paris" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bellydance Superstars Live in Paris at the Folies Bergere (DVD)

I LOVE Bellydance Superstars, thus I pre-ordered this DVD. But I am very disappointed to find the color of the picture is very annoying. Don't know it is becaue of the stage design, or the problem of the camera, the light is very very wrong. And all colors mixed together. A lot of times all we can see are "colors", usually red, but not the wonderful dance.

Althought it does allow me to remember the choreography, but it has too many limites. A lot of delicate moves of the dancers can not be shown in front of the camera, especially not in a whole-stage view. And of course not when the colors are all mixed up!!

For example, Rachel Brice's choreography should be tender but powerful. But it TOTALLY lost its magic in this DVD. A lot of times you wonder what she is doing althought she is doing the same thing when you saw her on live performance.

Don't get me wrong, I love those dancers and their work , it is the DVD that disappoints me so much that I regret to spent money on it (and think I even pre-order it!!)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Belly Dance All Stars, March 17, 2006

By 

Deborah Kananghinis "Alia" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bellydance Superstars Live in Paris at the Folies Bergere (DVD)

I think it's good to see Belly Dance placed in a "proper" performance arena, ie: on stage, however, it was a little jarring to see a psudo Bollywood and Hula number thrown in. I think the "Belly Dance All Stars" (BD Superstars) would be better off concentrating on presenting a couple of really authentic folkloric dance pieces to off-set their cabaret numbers and feed into the Tribal performances. Overall the show is excellent, seamless and high energy, with total professionalism, with a hint of the comedy/cheeky with a priceless Marilyn Monroe drum solo. The other thing that sets this production apart from the other Belly Dance Superstar products, is of course, the live audience, which lifts all the performances, and you can see the dancers giving their dance, as opposed to the often beautiful, but lifeless offerings from a studio set. It just goes to show that Belly Dancers are like Butterflies, you have to see them live to truely appreciate their beauty, which you can't appreciate in a glass box of a Butterfly collection.
Though if you are going to have a collection, make this DVD part of it, as you will enjoy watching this gem over and over again.