Secrets of the Stage Volume 3: A Performance Course for Belly Dancers by Michelle Joyce
by Michelle Joyce
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DVD details
Actor: Michelle JoyceDirector: Michelle Joyce
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: NTSC
Running Time: 85 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-12-15
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Cheeky Girls Productions
DVD Reviews of Secrets of the Stage Volume 3: A Performance Course for Belly Dancers by Michelle Joyce
DVD Review: Great Series
Summary: 5 Stars
Disclaimer
I am reviewing this from a complimentary preview copy I was lucky enough to obtain. I feel that I am an advanced "begintermediate" dancer, so please take that into consideration.
Dancing to Live Music
Yikes! The thought of dancing to live music sounds terrifying. Performing for a live audience to recorded music is challenging enough. In this section, five performances to live music are shown and voiceover by the dancer and sometimes the band members comment on the process. Communication between the dancer and the band, before, during, and after the show is very important. I just didn't realize how much until viewing this section. Advice is given on dancing to the music successfully, working with the band, performance tips, etiquette, and how not to stress out. Apparently, a little good band etiquette goes a long, long way in nixing stressing out scenarios. As I said, I have no desire to dance to live music so I didn't expect to appreciate this section as much as I did. The dancers' obvious love of dancing to live music and the musicians' enjoyment working with dancers to provide a unique, fluid performance experience was simply contagious. I felt this section educated me as an audience member as well as a bellydancer.
Creativity & Inspiration
Michelle Joyce introduces this section with a recommendation for the book, The Artist's Way. This is a book meant to help artists tap into their creativity, but not for dancers per se. Neon gave us "story" and Nadira Jamal "noodling" via their instructional dvds. Michelle has given us The Artists Way as a tool, but I would have liked some concrete examples on how she has modified exercises from this book to serve a dancer's needs. Some of us need a little more help. Well, maybe a lot of help, lol. This section, however, focuses on the creativity & inspiration of well-known dancers: Adriana, Bahaia, and Luna and I feel my request would have interrupted the flow. Nevertheless, it would be nice if Michelle could share her creativity exercises in written or clip format. Possibly, a Secrets of the Stage "More Secrets" club on her website where purchasers could access additional information through a code.
The performances of Adriana, Bahaia, and Luna in this section exemplify that a cookie cutter belongs in the kitchen and not on the stage. Each one dances beautifully in her own way. During the performances, each dancer shares what inspires her and how she fills her dance well from dry to overflowing. There was some overlap of tips between the dancers, but to me that serves to highlight the truth inherent in the advice--it works. It was reassuring to hear that these well-known dancers go through a specific process and that it is not always easy to birth their dance. The main point I took from this section is that Dance is 10% Inspiration and 90% Perspiration. The less well-known dancer, the semi-graceful, and the beginner should all be very inspired by that alone. If not, fine emergency chocolate might be necessary.
Your Professional Image
I have no professional aspirations, so I won't be spending money on a photographer. A cute bellydancer vanity picture at some point might be nice so I appreciate the do-it-yourself tips. This section with professional photographer, Michael Baxter, is short and interesting. He give tips on how to prepare for your photo shoot physically and mentally, what to bring, do's and don'ts of a good photo, and examples of a variety of attractive dancer photos. More could be said on the subject, but I feel the most important tip Michael Baxter offers is that your photo should be "alive" rather than a two-dimensional rendering. A dancer represents The Dance well when he or she appears vibrant, alive, and caught in a moment of dance.
In the make-up section, Adriana puts her show face on step-by-step. The results are very nice and I wish I could look like that for a performance! I know I'm going to spend some more time working with this section. Not all dancers, however, are in their 20's (or look like they are) and a few makeup don'ts were mentioned regarding the older dancer. It also would have been nice to have some flattering do's on that topic or another dancer's pre-made face to compare and contrast to Adriana's.
Survival Arabic For Dancers
I enjoyed the micro Arabic lesson in this section and found the cultural notes very interesting. It would be nice if other installments of Secrets of the Stage further explored the topic of survival Arabic. Even better, if Leyla's two-hour workshop (or more) was put on dvd. I attended a workshop where the presenter recounted a story of a dancer embarrassing herself by dancing to a catchy, but unfortunate choice of songs. Maybe, some cautionary material would also be appropriate.
Thoughts
Each section of the dvd is divided into an introduction and logical sub-headings making navigation and exploration a pleasure. You don't have to wade through unwanted material to get to the information you want and if you are rushed for time, just view a sub-chapter. The slim case also comes in handy for the bellydance dvd collector.
Michelle Joyce's Secrets of the Stage series offers information a bellydancer often does not have access to in class. Information that would take time and effort to obtain is now easily available by purchasing this dvd or others in the series. What a convenience. I enjoyed all of the topics covered in this dvd and, as a matter of fact, I feel that each topic had the potential to become its own dvd. Yes, there is always more to learn, but I feel that the content of Secrets of the Stage 3 is both varied and valuable.
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Description of Secrets of the Stage Volume 3: A Performance Course for Belly Dancers by Michelle Joyce
Topics Covered:DANCING TO LIVE MUSIC - Dancers these days just don t seem to have as many opportunities to dance to live music and are out of their comfort zone when performing with a band. In this section we interview both dancers and musicians to get practical advice about preparation, etiquette, and survival techniques.
CREATIVITY AND INSPIRATION - In this section we interview dancers about how they fill their creative wells and continue to stay motivated to create new dances. Concrete exercises and habits are suggested while potential blockages and bad habits are discussed.
YOUR PROFESSIONAL IMAGE - Belly dance photographer Michael Baxter gives is advice about how to get great photos. Professional beauty consultant and belly dancer, Adriana, gives us a make-up lesson.
*BONUS* SURVIVAL ARABIC FOR DANCERS Leyla Lanty gives us a micro Arabic lesson. You will be able to identify several of the commonly used words in Arabic songs.
FEATURED DANCERS - Nanna Candelaria, Sandra, Amira Ariana, Sabriye Tekbilek, Zari, Shoshanna, Adriana, Bahaia, Luna,
FEATURED MUSICIANS - Kaweh, Tim Bolling, Doug Adamz, Al 'Azifoon, Flowers of the Nile, Mary Ellen Donald
FEATURED EXPERTS - Michael Baxter (photography), Leyla Lanty (Arabic)
ABOUT THE SERIES
"...information that every performer and instructor should have."
What makes a captivating dancer? A captivating dancer knows how to draw in the audience and takes them on an emotional journey with every movement and expression. A captivating dancer shows us a different way of listening to the music without overpowering it and teaches us that there is beauty in even the simplest movements. A captivating dancer knows how to build drama and set up those wow moments.
Unfortunately, most dancers simply focus on the mechanics of their movements and don't train themselves in the art of performing. Many dancers mistakenly think that performance skills cannot be learned and feel frustrated that it does not come naturally.
Having sharp isolations and cute combinations are a result of training your muscles, but incorporating stage presence, emotion and musical awareness into your dance require training of a totally different kind. The exercises in this DVD are uniquely designed to help you become a better performer and to push your dance presentation to the next level.
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