Search - Sizzlin Hips - Belly Dance Instruction DVD Video on DVD

Finally -- an explanation about isolations!

K. Taylor | Gainesville, FL | 06/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I really appreciated Ava's explanations of skeletal- and muscular-driven movements. Even though I've studied Middle Eastern dance for more than six years, I didn't fully understand why certain moves looked so different when performed by different dancers. For example, when some dancers do umis the move looks strong and bold. When other dancers do umis, they look more fluid and soft. I was always envious of dancers who could create the softer, sinuous movements within their torsos. Thanks to Ava, I now know that those dancers must be using muscular-driven movements.

My only complaint with the video (and the reason I rated it 4 stars and not 5) is that I would've liked to learn a final choreography that used both skeletal- and muscular-driven movements. I think this would have helped bring things full circle. Ava does some brief combinations at the end of chapter 8 but doesn't explain how she's driving each movement. She also does a final performance in costume that is mesmerizing, but again, doesn't explain the movements.

This video is ideal for beginners who have a basic Middle Eastern dance vocabulary and would like to understand more about how each move breaks down, especially if they've been struggling with one in particular (Ava covers mayas, figure eights, hip twists, and umis). It's also good for more experienced dancers who want to add greater nuance and style within their performances."

A must for bellydancers and teachers!

Laja Ar | Central America | 05/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is not a workout dvd
This is not a drill, drill dvd

This is a very serious dvd that contains a very important information about the different ways we can move our body in order to improve our dancing.

Este dvd contiene informacion muy valiosa para estudiantes de danza arabe y profesores que deseen entender de una manera mas profunda las diferentes vias que podemos utilizar para realizar determinados movimientos, obteniendo diferentes resultados.
"

The best breakdown I have seen.

R. Hudson | 03/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I borrowed this videos from my bellydance teacher and have now added it to my own wish list with the highest priority. I own several basic bellydance instruction videos and enjoy them very much but for truly understanding exactly what you can do in every nuance her sizzlin videos simply cannot be beat.

Each video begins with a section on posture. How to avoid hurting yourself and where your weight should be. She does an excellent job of showing you both good and bad posture and exactly how it appears from all sides.

The main instruction on the videos begins with a break down of exactly what muscles you will be using. That is followed by the difference between muscle and skeletal based movement and the difference between creating space and creating movement. From there you learn the beginning to advanced versions of moves and the differences between them. She also covers variations on each move based on what muscles drive them and the differences in how they appear when executed from all angles. Trying them out for myself I found that they not only looked different but felt different as well leading to the option of multiple interpretations of the same move depending on my music.

Instructions are followed by drills you can use to imprint them on your muscle memory.

I have yet to actually finish the video since I am a beginner to intermediate level and this video has something for all levels. Eventually I hit a point I was out of my league but I am looking forward to improving enough to be able to follow along.

The only flaw in the entire video I could find was that the drills didn't have their own chaptering so you could go back and review without going through the lesson again, or at least manually searching it. Even with that I still give it a full 5 stars because it is just that good.

It may be a little more expensive then other instructional videos but if you are a serious student, and not just learning to bellydance for fun or as a social activity, it is worth every penny and then some."