Customer Reviews

Instructional Bellydance With Jillina, Level 3

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

 

 

This is a great choreography DVD for intermediate to advanced dancers. The combinations are dynamic and she does a great job of breaking everything down. The song used is "Men Adak Di", which is available on the Bellydance Superstars CD Volume 2, which is available on Amazon (ASIN B0001DMXX8).

FORMAT:
- Jillina starts with some stretching exercises, although she cautions you to do a full warm-up first
- Next, she teaches some of the less common and more difficult movements used in the choreography. (NOTE: there is no standard bellydance vocabulary, so you might not be familiar with some of the names Jillina uses for the movements. She might teach them in levels 1 and 2; I haven't seen them, so I don't know.)
- In the third section, Jillina teaches the combinations (9 or 10 of them) to be used in the choreography.
- Next, she puts variations of these combinations together into a choreographed dance. This section is really well done. For each combination, Jillina walks you through that segment, then performs the entire piece up to that point. This gives you LOTS of repetition. Plus, the editing is great; when the run-through reaches the current combination, it seamlessly cuts to a take in which she talks you through the moves while you dance.
- The last section is a performance in costume, including this choreography (slightly varied).

The back of the DVD says that the total run time is 71 minutes.

This is a well-thought-out program with wonderful production values. The teaching segments are done in a small carpeted studio. The camera is placed behind Jillina, and she faces a mirror, so you can see her from both angles. She wears a black choli top and pants. The studio is darkish, so I would have preferred more contrast between her outfit and the background, but I could still see what she was doing clearly.

This is also a GREAT deal. Since belly dance videos of substance tend to be self-produced or produced by belly dance organizations, and the market is limited, they often cost $40-50. I would not have been disappointed with this DVD even at that price.

I've been really enjoying this DVD for quite a while now. My family enjoys watching the performances, and I've been working with the instructional portion. The photography is very nice, Jillina gives clear directions about each movement, and the menu is segmented so that you can easily find what you want to work on. I really liked the fact that the movement combinations were numbered 1,2,3,etc., because that makes it easy to find where you left off last time so you can go directly to what you want to work on. This is also one of the least expensive DVDs in my collection---most bellydance DVDs of this quality cost a lot more. Kudos to Jillina on doing a great job! I own the other 2 DVDs in the set, they're equally wonderful.

Jillina is one of the best and most professional dancers in the country. Not only is her dancing superb, as a choreographer she has been instrumental in bringing the Bellydance Superstars and the Desert Roses on stage to elevate bellydance to its rightful status in the world of fine performing art.

I've been taking classes for about seven months now. My goal is to become an instructor so I need to perfect my own moves as well as considering different teaching styles. At intermediate level, I found Jillina easy to follow. Her verbal instruction is good and the photography allows you to see the move from head to toe as well as including very good closeup shots. Jillina is in front of a mirror, so you also get to see front and back. I think I've only seen this in one other DVD, Rachel Brice's.

I tried to evaluate this DVD from the viewpoint of an absolute beginner. I feel that Jillina spends adequate time on each move but she goes a bit fast. She spends less time on the less complicated combinations. Her breakdown and cuing are excellent. She breaks down each movement, repeats it a few times and then goes through it again with music. She then takes you through the entire choreography with variations on the combinations, again building on it piece by piece. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it the first time. Jillina truly has packed this DVD with several months' worth of bellydance classes. If you were taking actual bellydance classes, most of you won't learn most moves perfectly the first time and will probably forget them by the next class. Bellydance takes practice, practice, practice. In a class, you would learn only a few new moves per class or per week. Jillina teaches 7 or 8 combinations plus an entire choreography. The good news is that since it's a DVD, you can rewind easily and practice it until you get it as you would in a real class. You'll learn and develop a great foundation of basic moves and learn how they go together with the music. This will help you choreograph your own dances in the future.

The choreography is fun and easy to catch on to as well as challenging enough to keep intermediate level dancers interested. Designing choreography is likely to be my weakness as an instructor and I'm learning a lot from Jillina. Her performances on the DVD are amazing. I'm biased because I love her, but she's only one of my top ten which includes Sonia, Sharon Kihara, Amar Gamal, Kaeshi and Ansuya among others.

You don't have to like the dancer to benefit from their DVD. For instance, I don't care for Suhaila Salimpour's style, but that woman has control over every single muscle in her stomach and I admire her skill. There is still a lot that I can learn from her. We are so incredibly blessed to have such a variety of and access to the best of the best. Every single dancer has their own unique style and areas of expertise. We can take what we need or admire from each one. These dancers have given us such an incredible gift by sharing this. This truly demonstrates their love of their art form.

If you're taking classes, this DVD is an excellent supplement to your practice. If you can't take classes and want to learn bellydance on your own, you'll accomplish that as well. If bellydance is something you think you'll stick with for a while, do yourself a favor and buy the 3-DVD set, because you'll want to go further. This DVD is an excellent investment in yourself.

To learn more about the history of bellydance and Jillina and the Bellydance Superstars' role in educating the public about this art form, check out the "American Bellydancer" DVD.

Jillina has put together some very nice combinations which you can use with almost any upbeat music. She is a very good teacher and she repeats the combinations enough times for you to really learn them by heart. Advanced dancers might not learn any new moves (I am an intermediate dancer and I knew them all except one) but if you are looking for some great, bouncy combinations it is well worth the money.

I really enjoyed this DVD, and am amazed I only had to pay ~$13. Jillina's teaching style is clear, consise, and straighforward. Although it says advanced, I would say the DVD has intermediate steps.

I especially enjoyed her finale performance in full costume. The cameraman did have too many close-ups on her stomach at during this section, so it was hard to see what she was doing a lot of the time.

I also enjoyed comparing her choreography to performances on the Bellydance superstars DVD. I can see how she puts it all together. I had the pleasure of seeing her live at a BDSS concert and she is is gorgeous and charismatic.

Can't wait for the next one.

Sincerely,
Vinita

I have Instructional Bellydance- Level 1, 2 & 3.
Jillina is an exceptional artist. Her teachings are easy to follow. Her form and technique are great! I've learned a lot from Jillina. She is one of the best. This collection is a must have for anyone who is studying the Art of BellyDance

Instruction:
Not deep and sometimes unclear. Some of the moves included in choreography are not explained at all.

Drilling:
None! As some reviewers pointed out, you have to constantly rewind, as each move is demonstrated only a few times. You'll end up spending more time rewinding than practicing.

Choreography:
First of all, in the absence of proper instruction and drilling, it is pointless. Secondly, for quick learners and imaginative dancers, her routines are neither challenging nor cute.

Technique:
I have to note that Jillina is not a very gifted dancer. I find her rather rigid compared to many other bellydancers I've seen, including some that are not famous (yet). Her Egyptian shimmy is downright poor.

Filming:
Will make you nauseous, since the camera was handheld. The "sliding" transitions between sections make it even worse. Most of the time you have to watch Jillina's back, which is quite frustrating, as naturally one tends to pay more attention to the front. In addition, the position of the camera makes her look short-legged. The lighting level is too low, considering Jillina's dark outfit.

I highly recommend this DVD to all. The entire choreography is broken down. Her progressive method of teaching allows for most people to catch on to the choreography by the end of the video. Also, the moves are cute and can add a little variety into anyone's dance routine. Infact, I really enjoyed all 3 of her videos. The only problem that I had was with some of the editing during her performance. It was a little difficult to tell what her legs were doing because the camera person would key in on just her belly or upper body. Granted she is a beautiful woman....but I just wanted the choreography!!!!! Regardless, the DVD is great!!!

I find Jillina's belly dance lessons very easy to follow and learn. I enjoy that she goes back over previous combinations which makes the dance a joy to learn.

This is a great video to practice bellydancing as an artform. Jullina is great to watch and her choreography is challenging but she'll take you through it. Experience is required in order to be able to do this video. I fully recommend it.