Search - Bellydance Superstars: Tribal Drum Solo Choreography with Zoe & Issam on DVD

Fantastic approach to the drum solo

Christina L. Shadburn | Los Angeles, CA | 03/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first drum solo DVD I've purchased since I tend towards fusion/tribal and haven't seen a lot from that style. I have taken workshops with Zoe and really enjoy her dynamic dance style. That said, I love this DVD! Zoe and Issam both let their personalities shine through, which made it really fun and a lot like taking a workshop in your home.

The warm-up is conducted more through dance movements and building the foundation for the rest of the DVD. The warm-up alone is a welcome addition to my DVD collection. I absolutely love doing yoga to warm up but it's nice to have a change of pace as a warm up to get my dance practice started. I also love that, even while Zoe takes time to explain what she's doing, there isn't really a lot of stopping and starting, which really makes the warm up more effective.

The drum solo choreography is broken down by the different rhythms used. Each rhythm is then broken down by Issam, the movements broken down by Zoe, and then that section executed by Zoe with Issam.

The combination of Issam and Zoe explaining the rhythms is awesome. Issam is an amazing drummer, as we all know, and was very clear in explaining the different sounds produced, the fundamental rhythm, and how he will make a variation on it for the choreography. One of the [many] things I want to learn as a dancer is recognizing the fundamental pattern being played by a live band, and having the rhythms covered like this really helps. Then Zoe goes over what a dancer will want to emphasize within the rhythms and then gives an example in her signature style.

I don't really watch choreography sections of DVDs to learn something to perform. I watch them to get ideas for my own performances and I found this very valuable. I've danced to live drums and there's easily a tendency to just kind of want to go nuts and hit every single beat and emphasis. But just like bellydancing to any other kind of music, there needs to be a contrast between strong hits/locks and fluid movement. Zoe goes over this brilliantly (I am biased because I absolutely love her style of dancing). Also important, is that Zoe makes it clear that there should be communication between the dancer and the drummer and subtle things that can be done to make a drum solo look really good.

Most of the DVD is conducted with Zoe facing the camera. The end of the sections, where Zoe dances to Issam's drumming are done with Zoe facing the mirror and the camera off to the left and behind her. The warm-up is done in voice-over with the rest of the instructional done with sound and video at the same time. It works really well and the voice-over-matching-video problems that were in Tribal Fusion Fundamentals aren't in this DVD (thankfully!).

The sections are never strung together and run through in this manner. Instead, it's done like a performance, with Zoe in costume facing the camera. There is an improvisational section that isn't covered in the choreography part of the DVD but I think most dancers using this DVD could follow along from the performance or insert something themselves. The DVD clocks in with a runtime of 82 minutes, and there is a *lot* of information in it, so I'm certainly not going to complain about not having a run-through from a particular angle or having an improv section broken down. The performance is done twice, once with just a full shot of Zoe and Issam, and the other with the crazy cuts BDSS loves to use (they aren't *that* bad here - then again, maybe I'll watch it again after being more familiar with the choreography and go, "Wow! Zoe's really beautiful but do I really need a close up of her face while she's doing all this other stuff down below?")

The instructional is clearly not meant for true beginners. There is no time taken to explain the fundamental moves of bellydance and Zoe even puts in things like flutters to the choreography; she does provide alternatives to moves dancers might not be comfortable with though. It's more a tool for the dancer who is interested in expanding his/her repertoire to include the drum solo but is looking for ideas on how best to interpret Middle Eastern rhythms."

Not an instructional dvd

bellydancer | delaware,usa | 05/10/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Be very aware that this is not an instructional dvd. Zoe does breakdown some moves but you would have to be very advanced in tribal fusion and physically fit to perform her moves. Forget learning any basic drumming skills.
I love to watch Zoe dance and I enjoy Isamm charming personally. They are both incredibly talented to say the least. So if you just want to watch a performance that you may have missed during their latest tour this is the dvd you would enjoy. I saw them both in March '09 and Zoe did the best solo performance. She was spectacular!!!!"

New stuff to use

Ms. 2Step | Georgia | 04/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a new approach to a drum solo. it is not a basic moves dvd nor a drills and memory dvd. This is not a lot of steps combined to equal one dance routine. It is intented to give you some new ideas from the traditional way to doing a drum solo. it is several individual combinations done to different drum beats. She decribe the beats to help you understand what to listen for. It requires you to be a good listener and a good observationist because the way she explains the moves you don't get a chance to practice them a little at a time. She does not repeat the moves a lot either you will have to replay each part over if you did not get it. If you are looking for something different this will give you that. You would use this when you have learned the bascis and ready to start developing your own style and just practicing how to combine the moves to make a beautiful and unigue performance. I decided to keep it to learn some good travel and layering moves. Tribual of course is different."

Exactly What I've Been Looking For

Cheryl Kornegay | Raleigh, NC | 05/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a veteran belly dancer and instructor, it can be difficult to find instructional videos that teach me anything new or challenge me. Most videos, even from the most well-known high caliber dancers, tend to be geared toward beginners and mid level students with very little aimed at professional dancers or advanced students. Zoe Jakes' video is exactly what I have been waiting for.

A dislaimer should be made that this video is not an introductory video nor is it for aspring dancers who don't prescribe to the philosophy that progression in dance of any type is and should be WORK (or, at the very least, a work OUT). I think that even most seasoned dancers will find this video delightfully challenging. As others have mentioned, Zoe does not break down the moves with very much detailed explaination - but this should not be TOO much of a big deal for dancers who are ready for Zoe Jakes' style. For those who are not able to identify most of the belly dance movement vocabulary by sight, I'd recomend starting with more basic (and explainatory) videos and (ESPECIALLY) classes and gaining a decent ammount of familarity with the vocabulary of movement before moving on to Jakes.

As far as her warm up, if you've been dancing for a while, do yoga-based warm ups before your practice, or have been using other Tribal Fusion or Yoga for Belly dancers videos to practice and drill, then her warm ups will be appropriate for your level. If, however, you are not used to more intense yoga-based warm ups or are only used to basic stretching, then the warm up itself will be something you will likely need to work up to. I think, however, that with modification someone who wasn't used to it could still use it.

All in all, I am extremely satisfied with this video - more so than I have been with any other purchase that I have made the past few years. I highly recommend it."