Modern Tribal Bellydance
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Movie Reviews of Modern Tribal Bellydance
Movie Review: A worthwhile purchase, even if you're not into tribal fusion
Summary: 4 Stars
This video is very long, and I haven't yet worked with the entire thing. However, I thought I'd post this up to give people considering purchasing it some info... I may come back and edit this later.
I need to say to begin with that I'm really not fond of the dancing on this video. I'm not that crazy about tribal fusion anyway, but I've definitely seen tribal fusion I've liked a lot more than this.
So, weirdly, as much as I don't like the dancing here, I think the video itself is pretty well done, and can actually foresee myself using it. The main reason for this is that its "Warmup & Conditioning" section is actually a 45 minute exercise and stretching video for dancers, and it's pretty much the answer to my dreams. Seriously, I've imagined what I'd like in a program (often because of exercises I've had in live classes), and this is it.
This section alone could stand alone as a full-priced DVD, and would be worth the money. It's a combination of movements from three groups: yoga, ballet (i.e., the kind of stretches you have at the start of a ballet/ballet- inspired class), and Suhaila-type seated abdominal and chest work. Nothing terribly new, but having them all together in one place is incredibly cool. There's deep plie work, thorough leg stretches in every possible direction, the shoulders and neck are not ignored, and neither is the back. Asharah also gives frequent knee placement reminders, so although the practice is challenging, it won't kill your back or knees.
The next section is a Technique & Isolations section of 55 minutes. In this section, Asharah goes over pretty basic movements in bd/tribal fusion vocabulary, but explains them in detail with the appropriate muscle contractions. She's very Suhaila-based (and, in fact, thanks Suhaila in the credits). Here she covers:
- Shoulders and arms
- Chest squares
- Chest circles
- Glute contactions
- Glute contactions - up
- Glute contactions - down
- Vertical hip 8s down-to-up
- Vertical hip 8s up-to-down
- 3/4 shimmy up
- 3/4 shimmy down
- interior hip squares
- interior hip circles
These are pretty basic moves (I know the last one as an "omi"), but it's good to have the breakdown and practice, especially for those of us who are far from being experts anyway.
Next comes the "Modern Tribal Movement" section (30 min), in which Asharah teaches how to break down a single movement into three or four smaller segments, so as to achieve a strobing or robotic effect. She does this with: shoulders & arms, chest slides, chest locks, undulations, and vertical hip 8s up-to-down. I haven't watched this section all the way through, and like I said, I don't really like how the result looks in dance, but it did strike me that some of the exercises were similar in concept to those on Aziza's Practice Companion. So, weirdly, although I don't want to dance like Asharah, I can imagine using this section as a drill and exercise tool.
Finally, there is Combination instruction of 30 min, which you can also play with practice music. And an 8 min yoga-based cool-down. And performances.
I suppose it figures that if you put three freakin' hours of material onto one DVD (runtime is 180 minutes, no joke), you're going to please a lot of people. Asharah is relaxed and straightforward on the video, and there is really just so much material to work with, at such different levels, that it's an incredible value. I think people who are actually *into* tribal fusion will probably adore this video, although they might find the isolations section a little basic. However, even people who are not can use this DVD as a dance training video, rather than a dance instruction video. The actual dance section makes up 30 minutes out of 3 hours -- the rest is really a conditioning program for dancers.
Movie Review: Kicked My Butt All Over The Place
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me start with a preface statement: I have watched a LOT of Tribal Fusion DVDs, instructional and performance, in the last 3 years, and most have been unimpressive. In fact, most of the TF genre bores me to death. A bunch of teensy twentysomethings slavishly imitating Rachel Brice tick for tick, ornament for ornament, standing in place doing tiny little versions of breakdancing moves from the 1980's, posing oh-so-dramatically, and calling themselves "revolutionary"... give me a break. One more pretentious twit in pigtails and I'm gonna hang up my tassel belt.
However, this DVD is head and shoulders above the cowrie-clone crowd. Though the instructor is as Brice-like in performance as the rest of the TF girls, this gal has CHOPS. I was attracted to this DVD because of its length and because of the extremely thorough coverage of technique. Two-plus hours of drills and movement breakdown. Even if you're not into TF dance, this is a really, really good workout for any bellydancer. She does things with her hips that I can't do after 10 years of Cabaret classes, and that impressed me. I found it to be challenging, which inspired me to keep doing it. Though, not all at once. You do this DVD full-out and you're going to be VERY sore.
Her performance is nothing earth-shattering in the world of TF dance -- isn't everybody copying the Burlesque thing now anyway? -- but she is a good, solid dancer with some animation in her choreography. Level changes and etc. Doesn't just stand there looking like she's taking herself too seriously. And it's the same with her persona during instruction. She is animated, friendly, clear, and concise, and she knows her technique. I didn't get the feeling that I was being talked down to by a twelve-year-old as I have with a number of other TF DVDs.
The only drawback is the production quality. For the most part she is on a blank marley-floor stage, standing in front of a green screen, and the lighting makes her skin look almost fuschia. After awhile it's very distracting. That's a big problem with these World Dance NY videos, so I took away one star. But otherwise, this DVD is WELL worth the money.
If you're like me and choose to "dabble" in TF to get a couple of slinky choreography ideas to use in bellydance class, then you will be pleasantly surprised with the quality workout you get in this DVD. Definitely worth buying, and exploring. If you did this workout every day you'd be in killer condition in no time.
Movie Review: This is a great intro to Tribal DVD...
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great intro to Tribal DVD...If you have the time to put towards it. It runs about 3 hours total. It is very complete, dealing with basic posture, traditional belly dance moves, and transitioning to tribal style and robotics for those serious and hardcore. And I do like her style of dance.
On the down side...it's length, which I already commented on. Also, the instruction and dance is against a green and red back ground, which is very harsh on the eyes after long periods of time. And one other problem that I am not sure is characteristic to my personal dvd player, or a particular batch of dvds made at one time...I have played two of these same dvds on my dvd player, and BOTH have skipped or stalled on my system, even when brand new and out of the package. Because of its length, I am still able to get much out of the dvds, but the skipping and stalling does get in the way.
I give Asharah and her material a 5 star, but give the quality of the dvd from a mechanical point of view a 2.
Movie Review: SERIOUS reservation
Summary: 3 Stars
A friend of mine wanted me to check this video out. I have been dancing for about ten years--I don't do tribal, so I was kinda curious to see what this style was all about.
Asharah, let me say right off the bat, is one SERIOUSLY in shape lady. Your shoulders will be killing you if you even think of doing the whole video in a straight run through. (I do Lebanese--we don't hold our arms forward as much--ouchie!)
However, she doesn't seem to have any real credentials in exercise physiology, and that leads me to say: use this video with reasonable caution, and modify whenever and wherever you need. (She offers no modifications). She makes you do full head circles--when most physical trainers say to avoid the back-half-circle as too compressing to the neck bones. Most dangerous, she actually has you do 'diamond pushups' (I don't recall what she calls them--when you put your hands right under your chest, your fingers forming a diamond). Even the Army has stopped doing these--they are way too hard on the elbows to justify the risk.
She'll lead you on a serious (murderous, I would say) chain of exercise, like a bunch of tribal arm waves (kinda like Snake Arms but not), but then not have you stretch at all between sets--THAT's when I need a neck-roll! And for all the bent-knee, you never stretch your quads.
She teaches a small vocabulary of movements, with basic 'locking' (as in 'pop and lock'), and has a nice useful drill segment on those.
What makes it distracting is that half the time she's off the beat. I thought it was just me, but I watched both of her performances, where I was just on my butt and counting, and, yeah, she missed the downbeat quite frequently--less so on the 'lock' movements, but anytime the music drifted, so did she. I did half of the drills with my eyes closed counting to myself.
It's physically a very demanding video, and you will definitely sweat! If I were a beginner, though, I'd have some serious problems learning the moves from her--her pants are long and cover her feet and the lighting makes it hard to see her knees, and seeing only a front angle made it hard to understand what she meant by some moves--is 'up' straight up or diagonal up on a chest lift?
Unless you're already a good dancer, looking for some super-challenging skill-building drills, I'd avoid this video. If you want to learn basics, look to the gold standard--Delilah's Belly Dance Workshop. If you're budget minded, check out any of Neon's videos. Sure she dresses crazazy, but she can explain the moves better--even the locking. However, if you want to get your dancing butt kicked, and you are at least an intermediate dancer, this video will keep you occupied and really refine your technique.
Movie Review: not very clear to understand
Summary: 3 Stars
I like this dancer.but watching her DVD is really not easy to figure out how to do the belly dance. You have to keep pausing and pausing and pausing. In combination section, there is no time between combinations for you to practice. Does she expect leaners to remember all at once?
Plus when she is talking about right, actually she means your left; vice versa.