Sensual Bellydance
by Blanca
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DVD details
Actor: BlancaDirector: Blanca
Brand: STRATOSTREAM
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown)
Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: StratoStream - World Dance New York
DVD Reviews of Sensual Bellydance
DVD Review: Wonderful... but there is a tiny problem
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me say at the outset that I love this DVD. Blanca's style of dance is a welcome relief from the more athletic styles that seem to be in vogue at the moment and much more representative of my personal dance preferences. I really, REALLY wish that she would make more instructional videos. Long ones. Perhaps a set... [Blanca, this is a HINT!]
The only problem? I absolutely LOVE the song "Ifrit" to which Blanca performs the Venus choreography variation with floorwork. The song is credited to Tim Rayborn's album The Flame and the Shadow. I would love to put that piece on my iPod and practice to it for hours but I can't because the song on the DVD is completely different from the one on the album. I know because I GOT the album expecting the song to be there. There IS a song titled "Ifrit" on the album but it isn't the one that is on the DVD. I've searched high and low and I can't find this song anywhere but on the DVD so if you fall in love with it as I have and you want to dance to it, you're going to have to have a DVD player handy and if you want to make it part of a dance "suite" you are going to be out of luck. Other than that disappointment, this DVD is pure delight and I hope that at some point, the version of "Ifrit" on the DVD will be made available for fanatics like me to download.
DVD Review: Wonderful attention to detail
Summary: 5 Stars
The dancer in this video is very thorough in all details of her techniques, and brought a whole new dimension to my dancing, adding in many of her moves to enhance ones I already knew. Moderate level of difficulty I would say.DVD Review: Highly recommended!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are wanting to learn how to bellydance this is a great video! She takes you through all the steps it takes to learn how to dance, as well as does an actual dance with you at the end of the video. This is a great video!DVD Review: Sensual Bellydance
Summary: 5 Stars
"Sensual Bellydance" provides a fun, low impact workout that makes you feel beautiful. It may be used for both beginner and intermediate skill levels. Blanca is very focused on "Progressions". This effective technique will enhance the quality and grace of your dance. Her easy -to-follow dance directions as well as the asthetic quality of her art make this an enjoyable form of exercise. As a dancer, I use this video to practice my technique and instructional abilities. It is an excellent product.DVD Review: Sensually Confusing.
Summary: 3 Stars
The one thing that saved "Sensual Bellydance" is how highly excited I am to be learning belly dance again. And while all of the moves were sexy and fun, I found the instruction to be a bit vague and rushed. As a matter of fact, it convinced me to go out and sign up for an in-person belly dance class instead of relying on generalized and impersonal DVD sets. This bothers me only because I bought this DVD hoping it would accommodate beginners. I took a few belly dancing classes a couple of years back but have not practiced since and thus consider myself a re-beginner.
I felt that Blanca did not focus on explanations of moves. She kind of expected the watcher to just know what she is talking about most of the time when it came to how the hips should feel and posture.
It was also confusing when, in the middle of new moves, the DVD would change to another scene which would show Blanca waving a scarf through the air to demonstrate how my hands should flow, or something similar. One problem with that: my hand isn't a scarf. I needed her to show me step by step with an actual hand and not rely on feckless visual metaphors.
To further confuse: during one section of the DVD, Blanca's dancing doesn't line up with the voice over instruction or the music. This made following her and the music (which she stressed) very hard to do.
Also as soon as one move was demonstrated, the DVD just went on to the next move without much review of what was just learned. There are also no pause times between learning moves and it is for this main reason that I would not recommend this DVD for beginners.
During the warm-up and cool down stretches, Blanca once again moved to quickly, and didn't explain the exercise in time with her movements. She would explain a move while she did it or suddenly change directions of stretches out of nowhere. This made it tricky to focus on learning anything and I felt more like I was just awkwardly trying to keep up. The warm up and cool downs were also ineffective and I was unsure of the proper way to breath or if it would help ( I know that sounds whiny but it's true).
Another bugger was the arm positions instruction: Blanca would out of nowhere call out an arm position (goddess arms or princess arms) without any prior discussion of them or even explaining how to why to use them with what type of belly dance.
I hate to sound like I am bashing the DVD because I am not. I really liked it as a matter of fact and would just like to see some improvement. Overall, the Blanca's instruction was enjoyable and a good work out for me as a lover of dance. But for me, as a beginner, it was exhausting and confusing.
Description of Sensual Bellydance
In Blanca's Sensual Bellydance, you will discover how sensual dance radiates from deep inside you; how your whole body can flow like silk, and how your movements can be beautifully interwoven, breathing with meaningful, effortless grace.
The core of Blanca's program is the Sensual Bellydance Flow [beginner-intermediate]. These are sequences of steps building from simple isolated moves to layered moves. Footwork, arm/hand patterns and head angles are gradually combined for the effect of total coordination and effortless control.
Sensuality is translated into dance through connectedness -- the wave-like echoing and interweaving of movements. A special section of sensual poses and fluid transitions is designed to improve your pacing. Slowing the pace into a still pose helps you to learn measured, uncluttered dance phrasing. This section offers a 40-minute music only option -- you can follow Blanca's voice prompts, or practice a non-stop flow of combinations with music-only.
In the Technique section Blanca offers a step-by-step breakdown of the movement vocabulary for the Flow and introduces her core method: Progressions --the gradual layering of bellydance moves on footwork with a special attention to body and head angles, arm positions, and patterns.
The last section includes a step-by-step breakdown, a demonstration, and two performances of Blanca's "Venus" choreography [intermediate] - a perfect opportunity to practice sensual bellydance!
Currently (June, 2008) and for more than eight months, this DVD, Blanca's Sensual Bellydancehas been the bestselling bellydance DVD among the more than 240 on sale at Amazon.com.
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