Search - Bellydance Fitness for Weight Loss featuring Rania: Bellydance Boogie on DVD

Don't let the title fool you!

01/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know who came up with the title, but it is so dumb it made me apprehensive to buy the product. Anyway, I am glad I bought the dvd because it is really good, an instant favorite. It uses heavy rhythmn & blues music and the moves and combinations are gorgeous. The teacher Rania is easy to understand and follow. There are two performances that are very different from each other and both really excellent. For me the performances are a big help in understanding what learning the basics can evolve into. I am happy with this product and have ordered the other ones by Rania."

I am officially hooked on Bellydancing!

02/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got this dvd as a gift and I love it. I feel more fluid and graceful in my dancing, I never moved my body like this before, having a ballet background which is totally different. Now I am undulating all the time. The only thing I questioned was the head-tossing movement in the bellydance combinations at the end, but I asked my trainer and he said that they are fine as long as you do them in a relaxed, loose way and not stiff or thrashing. The two performances were amazing; Rania is a brilliant dancer. Like I said, I am officially hooked."

Slow and Sensual Routine with Playful Spontaneity

Rebecca Johnson | Washington State | 06/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Your inner goddess may feel a little shy at the start of this specific routine. Not only are the moves quite sexy, they can at times make you feel like you are "strutting your stuff," which may or may not appeal to you depending on whether you enjoy people watching you dance or you like to dance for your own pleasure. The sensuality seems a little more overt and this routine has some sultry moves.

At first the routine relies on traditional favorites, figure eights and snake arms. Then as you feel your arms toning up, you enter fun spins/turns and get to practice the camel. This is an intermediate workout for sure because no steps are explained and the dancers are expected to know how to move on cue at a rapid pace. The cueing on this DVD is perhaps the best I've ever seen and the moves are repeated enough, that by the end you are actually dancing along providing a great confidence boost!

The Bonus dance sections show what can be accomplished over time, although I was more impressed with the compact dancer exercise routine to firm the lower body. If you are feeling a little shy, this will wake up your inner dancer and since you are constantly moving you will be having fun and burning calories too. I actually liked the music on this routine and felt it kept me moving and interested in learning new steps and routines that are way more fun to do than other tummy toning exercises like sit ups that become boring and repetitive. Bellydancing is always entertaining to watch, even when you are learning the routine.

~The Rebecca Review
"

Not the best of both worlds

Lisa Longoria | Burlington, WI USA | 05/04/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am relatively fit but just had a baby and needed a fun workout that would help for the postpregnancy belly fat. It may strengthen the abs but probably won't do much to burn fat. The workout length is 30 minutes (5 minute warm up and cool down and about 20 minutes for the workout). Part of the 20 minutes, not surprising, is pretty low key while she teaches basic moves, so youaren't likely to get your heart rate up until the end of the 20 minutes when she starts combining moves into a dance.

The instruction is quite good, Rania's give very good visual anaologies to help you know if you are doing the body mechanics properly. For a novice bellydancer, it is going to take a while to learn these moves and combine them to keep up with the dance. I think with regular practice I'll get the hang of it.

Rania doesn't patronize the view too much with comments like "You can do it". I only recall one.

Being a TaeBo fan, I would have liked some intense drills of basic isolating moves. Rania is basicly teaching moves and combining them into a dance towards the end, so if that is what you are looking for, this should be okay.

If you are looking for a powerful fatburning workout this isn't it. If you are looking for exercise drills to improve your muscle isolations for aspiring bellydancers this probably isn't it either. It is a moderate to easy workout but will require a lot of practice to master the moves to keep up with the combined moves. Once you accomplish this it might become more of a moderate workout.

One caution for those with knee problems, this "workout" requires is a bit of deep knee bending and lunges, a nightmare for anyone with chondromalasia patella. I am going to adapt my moves to work about this part.

I would have preferred music that is a little more authentic to the art of belly dancing. The music wasn't too bad though I think R&B is an odd choice."