Search - Discover Bellydance on DVD

Best instructional bellydance videos

Amy | Washington | 09/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Neena and Veena are fabulous instructors. There are three videos included: Basic Dance, Beyond Basic Dance, and Mystic Dance. If you are deciding between VHS and DVD, I strongly recommend the DVD. The DVD has some great bellydancing extras on it, including some fitness bellydance examples. You can choose having the instructional voice on or off.My one complaint about these videos revolves around the instructional voice, which is not always in sync with what Neena and Veena are currently doing. If I'm not paying attention, when I'm learning the steps, I can get frustrated by that, as I tend to listen to the voice more. (habit left from dancing and aerobics)I LOVE the videos. These are the best bellydance instructional videos I've tried. The camera focus is almost perfect - when small movements are occurring (say with the wrist), it's focussed on the wrist, or if there is a bit of trickier footwork - focus is on the the feet. Otherwise, it's mostly a whole body shot - which is much better than many of the other bellydancing videos.Instruction starts slow - I like how they teach arm positions for you to be able to experiment. The progression from slow to tempo does occur a little fast, but it's allowed me more enjoyment of the video because it has been a little more challenging. It's not too difficult! The steps all come together in the end with a choreographed dance, which is great fun. The videos definitely build skills from one to the other. Once you've practiced a few times, and are getting the dance routines down, you will be getting a workout!! My arms already look totally different, and I have more hip flexibility than I use to.These videos gave me enough experience to feel confident enough after three weeks of (secret) practice to give a dance to my husband. He thought I'd been taking lessons on my lunch break. (and no, he's not suave enough to have just come up with that!) :)Fun and energizing exercise, with an element of sensuality - for what more could I ask?"

The real deal!

Anya | Provo, Utah United States | 05/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a bellydancer for over 10 years, I was happy to find this set. It seems that this art is becoming popular, and so there are many instructional dvds out there now, you will notice the release dates are all pretty new!Anyway, these two know how to teach well, and they are great! I learned a few new things, and it is a fun workout as well.Get this one if you really want to learn bellydance."

Belly dance at home, but...

Amy | 10/26/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Belly dance is much more fun learned in a class, but these DVDs are a good back-up if you are just starting out and want a structured practice at home. All three DVDs have the same format: you learn various steps and movements, then at the end you learn a short routine. The background is nice: lots of candles and curtains. The two dancers are lovely to watch. So the DVD is not boring, and that should bring you back. It's not a cardio workout, but you will notice your abs working to stabilize your torso. My main criticism is the voice-over. The two dancers demonstrate perfect form, but say nothing. The instruction is given by someone who was apparently not watching the DVD at the time because her timing is usually wrong. Sometimes you have to ignore her in order to figure out what is going on in a step. Sometimes she completely fails to mention crucial details (ex. in one step the dancers go up on the toes of the back foot) so you have to be watching the dancers very closely. If you've never taken dance lessons before then this might be extremely frustrating. If you've had some dance experience then you'll enjoy these disks. Worst of all, no information is given on proper posture. You could hurt your back doing all the twisting motions!!! Please make sure you are constantly monitoring your posture: shoulders down away from your ears, shoulderblades pulled down your back, chest lifted straight up, your butt tucked slightly underneath, and knees slightly bent (never locked or hyperextended). Many of the hip motions come from bending your knees (watch the dancers' knees and feet). If you feel ANY discomfort in your lower back then stop and reassess your posture. Watch the dancers closely and you will see that even when they lean back slightly their back is straight, butt tucked, knees bent, etc. I've knocked off one star for this big problem because if your back hurts then you're not going to want to carry on.The demonstration dances are really inspiring and show you three different styles of belly dance. Wonderful!"

Sensual, fun, and a lot easier than I thought it would be...

Anya | 09/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased the DVD set (not having ready any reviews) wanting to learn something new, have fun doing some sort of exercise, spice up my sensuality, and really to try to bring my body back to some sort of shape four months after giving childbirth.I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!I really enjoy this DVD set. The lessons are fun to learn with several movements much easier to learn that I thought they would be (like shoulder shakes and body shimmies) I didn't feel like any of the moves were impossible to master. You're working out while you're learning and having fun at the same time. One bonus for me is that my four month old son enjoys watching lovely Veena and Neena dance while I follow along (looking silly right now). So I can get in my physical activity without waiting for him to nap. I look forward to the time I can show my new talent to my husband, which I have no doubt he will enjoy. Until then I'm going to keep practicing, practicing, practicing, with Veena and Neena. The extra dance videos are fun to watch and really get your imagination going. They show the different forms of belly dancing there are out there. The costumes are lovely (and inspiring)and so are the ladies performing them. I've gotten several good ideas as to the type of costume I would like to make for myself. If you decide that to buy this DVD set, I doubt you'll be disappointed. It's fun, lovely, and tastefully done."