Search - Shake It Up!: Exotic Bellydance Performances on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 12/15/2021...

Lots of great music and dance!

Oh Dear

Shantell Powell | Kitchener, ON, Canada | 11/27/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Oh dear. Where do I begin?

First of all, I'm glad I didn't pay money for this. I saw it at the dance studio where I teach, and since I had some time to kill, I put it in the DVD player.

I suppose I should have guessed from the "Exotic" in the title that this video would pander to all the stereotypes. The video is an Orientalist's wet dream. Let's see what stereotypes are to be found:

Reclining pasha? Check.
Veiled mysterious women leaning up on said pasha? Check.
Hookah pipes and Turkish rugs and King Tut busts? Check, check, and check.
Dancers using those hokey walk-like-an-Egyptian arms? Check.
Dancers making porn faces at the camera while they dance seductively? Check.
Belly dancers as strippers? Nope.

So they missed one. Maybe their next DVD will cover that one.

Some of the performances had me staring with my jaw agape. Although Meleah's floorwork routine starts out interesting enough (if I ignored the faux sultan and seraglio in the background), it soon becomes bizarre, when she gallivants around the room in stirrup pants with some sort of[...]-enhancing metal jewellery. Yikes!

Kaya's performance to "Al Heyla" borders on pornographic with her over-the-top pouting, moues, and silent gasps of pleasure. If she spends half the effort on her isolations as she does her facial gyrations, I bet she'll be a fantastic dancer.

That being said, not everything is bad. Adam Basma's dance company, although not the best I've ever seen, look like they're having a great time, and the feeling is contagious. I'll betcha they're terrific to watch live.

Sohaila's khaleegy dance is cute, and I really love the serenity of her facial expressions. She never looks like she's faking her smiles.

I also really enjoy Sadie's dance. She dances with effortless grace, and although her backbends are extreme, they don't leave me cringing in sympathetic pain. They look very natural for her. She really looks like she knows what she's doing, and she gives us the standout performance on the DVD. I want to find more performances by her, now."

Oh Dear

Shantell Powell | Kitchener, ON, Canada | 11/28/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Oh dear. Where do I begin?

First of all, I'm glad I didn't pay money for this. I saw it at the dance studio where I teach, and since I had some time to kill, I put it in the DVD player.

I suppose I should have guessed from the "Exotic" in the title that this video would pander to all the stereotypes. The video is an Orientalist's wet dream. Let's see what stereotypes are to be found:

Reclining pasha? Check.
Veiled mysterious women leaning up on said pasha? Check.
Hookah pipes and Turkish rugs and King Tut busts? Check, check, and check.
Dancers using those hokey walk-like-an-Egyptian arms? Check.
Dancers making porn faces at the camera while they dance seductively? Check.
Belly dancers as strippers? Nope.

So they missed one. Maybe their next DVD will cover that one.

Some of the performances had me staring with my jaw agape. Although Meleah's floorwork routine starts out interesting enough (if I ignored the faux sultan and seraglio in the background), it soon becomes bizarre, when she gallivants around the room in stirrup pants with some sort of[...]-enhancing metal jewellery. Yikes!

Kaya's performance to "Al Heyla" borders on pornographic with her over-the-top pouting, moues, and silent gasps of pleasure. If she spends half the effort on her isolations as she does her facial gyrations, I bet she'll be a fantastic dancer.

That being said, not everything is bad. Adam Basma's dance company, although not the best I've ever seen, look like they're having a great time, and the feeling is contagious. I'll betcha they're terrific to watch live.

Sohaila's khaleegy dance is cute, and I really love the serenity of her facial expressions. She never looks like she's faking her smiles.

I also really enjoy Sadie's dance. She dances with effortless grace, and although her backbends are extreme, they don't leave me cringing in sympathetic pain. They look very natural for her. She really looks like she knows what she's doing, and she gives us the standout performance on the DVD. I want to find more performances by her, now."

This is good

Amanda Norr | Northern, UT | 07/01/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this video from a local teacher and vendor, because she is in it. Jamileh. She is great and I loved taking her workshop, there is also a soundtrack. A couple of the dances are down right weird, but I would say that this is a good dvd to add to yours and mine growing collection of all things bellydance. You will like it."