Customer Reviews

The Goddess Workout: Cardio Bellydance

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This dvd provides all the basic bellydance moves to get a great cardio workout! The first 3 sections break down the bellydance isolations so even if you are completely new to bellydance, you can learn. These sections help me to tone and sculpt my muscles and refined these movements. Each of these segments slowly build on themselves so that they get your heart rate going. Then the dvd goes into the shimmies, which is such a great cardio workout on its own and then 2 long cardio bellydance combination segments and then a routine. I find it an easy and enjoyable workout. I love all the uplifting comments from dolphina and feel my attitude is always adjusted to feeling uplifted by the end of the workout. I highly recommend this dvd to bellydancers, dance fitness lovers and those who havent exercised in a long time!

I have a few bellydance workout DVDs...but I have to say, I am very pleased with Dolphina's teaching style! She really breaks each move down step by step. This is the first time I feel I have made progress on my Camels. Great cardio segment...you will feel it!

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this new video from Dolphina. It actually did get my heart rate up, which is more than I can say from some of the other videos out there. The thing to remember is that Dolphina's videos are "workout videos" and not authentic bellydance instruction. Keep that in mind and you should be able to enjoy it. I do wish she had not called one of the steps "milkshake" though. It made me think of the song by the same name (brings boys to the curve). Gag. Also, if you want more workout..you may wish to add a weight belt from [..]

How they can call this video "cardio" is beyond me ... the pace is so slow you'll never get your heart rate up, and you'll never break a sweat. You could sleep walk through all the moves in the entire video, that's how lame it is. This is not exercise at all. :(

If you are a total beginner to belly dance and want a slow, well demonstrated view of belly dance moves, this could be good to start with for you.
Once you have the basic moves (typically, after 3-5 viewings of this DVD), go to Dolphina's "Basics of Bellydance". or just save time and money and start with that DVD to begin with. it's a much better workout then this, and you won't grow out of it in a week.

If you have mastered the basics of belly dance and are looking for a more challenging way to dance away the pounds, stay clear of this DVD. Instead got with Dolphina's earlier "warrior goddess" workout.

I have Dolphina's old bellydance Introduction & Warrior (I never tried the zills or veil) & enjoyed it. It was one of my first beside Neena & Veena (the Belly twins) when I'd done those so much I knew them by heart too much. Dolphina was was more friendly & relaxed, like working out w/a girlfriend, though not as good a dancer, but not bad, her form is a little sloppy, though she is fluid and definitely angles on the sensual aspect. She kept you moving while teaching, she did half time a lot, though her explanation could have been better. She has the Goddess angle which was different, it's suppose to encourage self-esteem, but sometimes she can take it too far into corny/lame trying too hard.
In this one, she keeps to the same formula, the only difference is the set is more basic & her tan is deeper. She teaches while demonstrating, not a voice over. Some of her comments got to me like when doing the milkshake, she says, "Next time you're in an argument, do the milkshake & see what happens." Umm, if it's a boyfriend/husband, it's a manipulative way to win an argument & start s*x. If it's a woman, shocked expression & punched? If it's a male stranger, raped??? She should keep to general or spiritual encouragement & then also just relax & be like a girlfriend, not try to be some fake guru who gives bad advice.
During the program, every chapter starts w/a fade in/out of TEN - FOURTEEN seconds of white nothingness, then her stomach moving in slow motion w/the title. WAY too long.
--Workout--
Intro: (2 min)
Warm-up: (6 min) she uses snake arms, mayas (vertical figure 8s), horizontal figure 8s, etc. w/o teaching at all.
Hips, Buns Thighs: (7 min) hip lifts, hip drops, pelvic drops (she calls good & plenty, but she uses her upper abs too much so looks more like club style stomach tucks)
Abs 1: (4 min) camel & traveling camel
Abs 2: (5 min) internal vertical figure 8s (she calls snake hips), traveling w/IV figure 8s
Upper Body: (5 min) snake arms, snake arms in genie position & both arms fwd position, wrist circles
Shimmy: (2 min) basic shimmy (tells you to squeeze gluts & use knees), very fast omni (small hip circles) she calls milkshakes. she barely teaches how to do a hip circle before speeding it up unlike the previous teaching.
The above all has 1/2 time instruction & full tempo practice before moving on.
Cardio: (5 min) Full tempo w/a very fast/furious drum/cymbal beat w/her just calling out the moves. snake arms, shimmy, camel & traveling camel, pelvic drops, genie arms, etc.
Cardio 2: (5 min) Here is a good tempo Middle Eastern beat, Dolphina here tells you how to move your body & hints that you are stringing this practice into a routine. She also adds pelvic drop to a camel but still calls it good & plenty.
Routine (3 min): She calls out the moves as you do the routine. A bit bland & repetitious.
Cool Down: (90 seconds) hip lifts, slow shimmy & wide hip circles

Bonus:
Performance by Dolphina - quick, with a lot of pausing, way zoomed in angles, etc. so you can barely see any moves/style.
How to create a bellydance costume - (4 min) How dolphina has them in almost every color, to make sure you use bracelets, anklets, toe rings, belly chain, belly jewel, etc., accessories. How she got inspired for some costumes by shells at the beach, metal tassel, etc., and she used to spend 6 months doing beading, but now uses a professional seamstress.

This is good for bellydance beginners only & those who don't workout regularly. It's good on it's own, but considering not many moves are taught & more are taught on her Intro & Advanced Warrior previous workouts years ago, I'd suggest those workouts, or renting this at netflix first.

Clip at totalfitnessdvds com
Clips of her previous workouts on youtube
mish-mosh clip of all her workouts & screenshots on her site: goddesslife

This is a great video to learn belly dance moves and work up to put these moves together into a routine. Dolphina makes the moves easy to understand and follow, and you can go at your own pace if you don't master these moves right away. The video is separated into different sections, such as abs, upper body, and Cardio 1 and 2, then routine. I highly recommend this DVD to learn belly dance and plus it's a fun workout.

Loved dolphina's latest video!

she always inspires! and delivers a beatifully done home, work out video

I now have the entire collection hope she makes more!

Rhiannon.

I have Doplhina's whole collection of DVD's and this is by far my favorite! Once you have the basics down from the beginner bellydance video you are able to reach your full speed and flow with a great 1 hour workout. I wish there were not such long pauses between each section..but thats her style I guess. I am part of a bellydanc club and we get together and do this DVD almost every week!!!!

- I recently bought "The Goddess Workout: Intro to Bellydance" from a local store. The DVD had a problem with the sound, so I returned it and bought this DVD "The Goddess Workout: Cardio Bellydance" on Amazon.com. I decided not to re-purchase the "Intro" DVD because the camera angles didn't always show the moves, and because Dolphina, the host, was a bit annoying. I saw so many more positive reviews for "Cardio" that I bought it instead.
- BIG MISTAKE! The camera angles are a little better in this one, but Dolphina is sooooo much more annoying! She has this airy, lispy voice that makes her sound like a stereotypical "dumb blond". She keeps saying stupid phrases like, "your a goddess", "you can't change everything about yourself, but you can change some things", "don't worry about it, your a goddess", and did I mention "your a goddess". All of this is done with a fake, bleached smile plastered to her face.
- But the cherry on top of this disastrous sundae is that she doesn't even dance with the music! I couldn't believe that a dance instructor, who is doing simple side-to-side movements couldn't move with the 1-2-3 beat of a drum. It's pathetic. She does things like saying "let's do 5 more", but does seven more while counting to four.
- I could go on and on about miscellaneous other things like random hand twitches (not artistic or lyrical, just random), and long, pointless musical interludes between sections, but I won't waste any more of your time. I just hope you don't waste your time, and money, by buying this DVD.

She's definitely got an upbeat attitude, not annoying though. I didn't find that I go a work out at all with this video. I didn't even sweat. I got bored with the repetition. I really wanted to learn belly dance - I don't think this is the way to go.