Customer Reviews

Combination Nation Vol 2: Belly Dance Instruction with America's Hottest Performers

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

 

 

I am thrilled with Combination Nation II. I also have Combination Nation I, and I received the sequel for Christmas. I actually like it MORE than Combination Nation I, which is also a DVD in heavy rotation in my practice sessions. My favorite thing about the Combination Nation series is that the majority of the combinations are taught to music, and go with the music. In one case, as I was learning the combination without the music, I actually could identify what song it would be set to - the movements are that tied into the music. For that reason, someone who just wanted to learn combos that go with any music may be disappointed; but for me, it's fantastic to see how these great dancers would emphasize certain accents or flourishes with their bodies. I also like learning new dance steps, how dance steps can go together, or get the accompanying technique tips.

In my reviews, I do like to tell you a bit about myself and my background. I have been taking bellydance classes for seven years and have been dancing for about four. I consider myself an intermediate student. I don't need an explanation of what a maya is, but I still like to be told what the weight changes are. I am not one of those people who can just see choreography and copy it. So, I would rate this as an intermediate DVD in terms of instruction. The DVD doesn't take the time to break down the execution of every movement, nor does it simply show a combination and expect you to follow it. It falls somewhere in between those two extremes. I make reference to this in my review, not as a criticism, but to help you, the audience, make the choice about whether this is the right DVD for you.

I have spent more extended time with certain combinations than with others, so I will not write about every single one here.

Oreet teaches a combination on this DVD. She is pregnant, and since I just had a baby, it was cool to see another pregnant dancer. Well, you can tell that pregnancy isn't affecting her dancing at all - she is light on her feet! I enjoyed her combination, which has a lot of directional changes and a nice contrast between tempos and moods. After several repetitions, however, I still struggle with the footwork on some of the turns. I have replayed it a few times and I do not think she explains the footwork as much as I would like. This is not a criticism, but more of an indication of level. A more advanced dancer would probably be able to watch once and discern where the weight would be.

Sandra taught two combinations. She is one of my favorite dancers, so I was thrilled to learn from her. Her combinations definitely reminded me of her style of dance. She has a good way of teaching, starting with the footwork and then adding the isolations. I also liked that she had plenty of repetition as you learned the movements. Her combinations are not that difficult to execute once you understand the movements, but they are filled with variety. My only criticism here would be that she did not break down some of the movements where they might have benefited from it. For example, she cues a hip circle, but doesn't mention that you bring it around by crossing one foot over the other. Luckily we drill this sort of movement in class over and over, but it isn't part of every teacher's vocabulary. So some people might struggle with the specifics, and it happens so fast (and you're turning), that you might not catch what she is doing.

Maria's tabla solo combination was adorable. Her delivery is very sweet, and she explained it very well. This combination is probably one of the easier ones, but it's very nice, and very musical.

Saddiya also has two combinations. I was excited to try them out because I am taking a workshop with her soon. She has a great teaching style. The Saidi combination contained some new wrinkles on Saidi movement vocabulary I hadn't seen before. Her other combination is more light & airy, more Oriental.

Aradia is one of my favorite combination teachers of all time. Her Saidi-influenced combination was well-organized and had a lot of cute movements in it. It is probably my favorite on the DVD. She always explains things very clearly.

DaVid also appears on this DVD. He has a really Egyptian style, emphasizing the core, and muscularly-based movements. His combination was not complicated in its footwork, but it requires a great awareness of your own body and a connection to your core strength to execute. His cueing was extremely helpful; I felt like I was learning something about Egyptian style at the same time that I was learning a combination. I even learned a new step - the Samia! It was a great opportunity for me to practice some of the principles that my teacher has been trying to get into my head, like engaging the core muscles. It is one of the shortest combinations, but it contains a lot of complexity. He also gives you the freedom to make this combination your own by adding level changes, layers, etc.


There was one combination on this DVD that just felt very scattered to me, as if it had no structure. It just felt like a series of unconnected, unrelated movements. There was also the one where I felt it did not connect that well to the music. Admittedly, I had a bias against the latter because I am not a fan of the instructor's dance style. However, with ALL these combinations, if there is only two you don't like, the DVD is still a winner. I have combination DVDs from other producers, where, I only like two combinations of the whole DVD. In this one, I like all but two.

Length:: 6:44 Mins

Fab DVD, got it for C-mas. I liked the fact that even though all dancers were cabaret, there were a variety of styles, and body types. I usually find that dancers moves fit their body type, and I found plenty of combos that I could do ( and that looked good on me) based on that. This dvd is good for everyone.

This dvd was an excellent purchase. The combinations are varied, nouveau, well delivered and the picture quality is excellent. With some of the hottest, most sought after instructors from all methods of dance like Oreet, Lotus Naraja, Aradia, Summer Suhair and Ahava - it is a GREAT bang for your buck. You are guaranteed to learn not only modern and exciting steps and performance techniques but how to use the nuances that make up a professional piece of choreography. Finally since alot of the music is highly recognizable improv dancers (like myself) can easily incorporate the steps into songs that already love to dance to.

The performace routines at the end are the perfect bonus!

You won't regret it. Hours of fun practice - I highly recommend it. I would buy every one and I just might

There is a nice variety of usable material here! If you enjoy belly dancing at all, you will like this dvd.