Hi, everyone. I've been following this thread, but I'd like a little more specific advice. I'm hoping to find a video that's geared for fitness, but still sort of dancy. I tried a couple of Neena & Veena tapes, but I didn't really enjoy the pacing and choreography of their routines. They didn't vary the moves often enough to make it feel like real dancing. I studied belly dance for a while many years ago, so I don't need a beginner instructional tape, I just want something that'll be a good workout with a real bellydance feel to it. I've thought about getting the WomanPower tape, but I get the impression there might be a lot of goddessy-New Agey type stuff in it. (Not knocking someone else's beliefs, it's just not my thing.) I'm not particular about tribal vs. cabaret or anything like that. Any recommendations?

The Woman Power Workout isn't all that "New Agey". It starts out with Karen Andes doing a warm up-it is sort of like African dancing, and some warm up stuff with a veil. Then it moves on to strength training. (You can use hand weights, or a weighted body bar in this section.)
Then it moves on to Carolena (Fat Chance Belly Dance director) teaching basic American Tribal Style belly dance for the cardio segment.
The video ends with a cool down that is not so much New Age-but it has movements taken from Classical Indian Dance and yoga. As you are doing some of the moves she explains where they are taken from (Shiva, etc.)
The Americal Tribal Style segment is a handful of the basic tribal moves (Tribal choo choo, tribal Arabic, Tribal 3/4 shimmy, etc.) but they go back and forth between them.
Hope that helps.

How long did you study belly dance? How long have you been out of classes? Did you study cabaret, tribal, or both? This will help me give you some video recommendations.

Hi, Aphil, thanks for the reply. It was about 20 years ago that I was really into belly dance. Much of what I knew was self-taught, because I usually lived in areas where there was no instruction available. I used to have quite a collection of belly dance books. I was fortunate at one point to be able to get several weeks' worth of private instruction from an excellent teacher, but then I had to move again and was limited to my books and the occasional seminar. Back then, there was no talk of tribal style, it was all cabaret (which is what I studied) or folk dancing. At this point, what I want is a good workout with great music (hopefully) and a really dancy feel. Is there such a tape?

Since you actual instruction with a teacher was only for a few weeks-I would recommend starting at a beginner level tape. Yeah-it may be boring and repetitive-but even with an instructor we have to practice the basic isolations over and over to get them right. They have to become so "second nature" to you that you can do them without thinking-so that as you advance you can layer other moves on top of them.

The Woman Power Workout is great if you would be interested in Tribal Style, or like earthy sort of drum music.

Rania's videos are really "dancy" and the workouts move along quicker than Veena and Neena's do-but there isn't as much instruction on proper form, and the music is sort of generic IMO.

Umm...The Goddess Workout is a good beginner level with nice music-but probably too New Age/Goddess for your preferences.

It is really hard for me to recommend a beginner video with a real "dancy" feel and flow-because for me, it is important to learn technique/posture/isolations first, and put them together into a dance piece after. This is usually how belly dance is taught-and most professional videos are separated into those two categories-you learn isolations and moves in one kind of video, and then you learn choreography in other videos. (They assume you know basic dance technique.)

Out of the Veena and Neena series-have you tried Mystic Dance? It teaches some veil moves, and instead of using their soundtracks made for their videos (like all their others) it uses earthy music by Solace instead-so there is much better music on that one.

"BellyDance Slow Moves!" and "Bellydance Fast Moves!" by Atea are shorter-feature a few performances in them, and have a short "isolations teaching" of 10-15 minutes, followed by using those moves you learned in a mini choroegraphy (one move right after another in a song) at the end of it. If you can get past the 80's hair and costume styles-you may like those because of the little dance at the end of the teaching segment.

You may like the Jillina series-because they also have a choreography at the end of the videos. Start with level 1 definitely though-because these are a little more advanced than the Twins and Rania series.

Aphil,

A long time ago, you were encouraging me to take a bellydancing class, which I have secretly wanted to do for a long time. Well, 70 pounds later, I'm seriously considering it and have told my husband I may want that to be my gift for my birthday at the end of March.

Here's the thing -- I live in New York City, which has a HUGE list of teachers (this list is for Manhattan alone!), but I have no idea what to look for in a class. The two big things I would want are a) a comfortable environment (I am still overweight and would like to find a teacher who is OK with that); and b) I would prefer something that's not gimmicky like a Crunch class... so I don't want it mixed with cardio or anything (I do enough of that on my own!).

I would really appreciate any advice you might have! I plan to do some reading up on different types, etc., so if you have any good links or anything, I'd appreciate that too.

Thanks!

Great!
I PROMISE not to send you to a Crunch gimmick wanna be belly dance class!!!

You have such a great access to wonderful teachers on this list!
Some of the ones I recommend off this list:

~Delilah~
Absolutely 100% recommend her for learning the basics of belly dance!!! If you have access to her basic classes-take them! She is very well known and respected in the dance community.
She is also very body friendly.

~Dalia Carella~
Dalia teaches Turkish Rom style dancing, and dancing with Indian influences-and once you have taken lessons for a while as a beginner/intermediate and are comfortable-I highly recommend her to you to heighten your dance to another level!

~Jajouka~
I have taken intensive workshops with her before-and also recommend learning with her after you learn the basics.

Wow, that was fast!

I am SO excited that you know of some of these people. You see how daunting that list is! I think I am going to sign up for the six-week beginner class with Delilah. No chickening out this time. I can't wait!

Great to see some other dancers here

I have been taking classes on and off for about 3 years and Iam currently in a class that fuses cabaret style with flamenco - sort of a gyspy style- and I am really enjoying it

I am in the middle of making a very full peasant style skirt for an upcoming performance as we use the folds of the skirt as part of the drama of the dance.

Aphil - I would love to see some photo's of your Star Wars cabaret costume when you are done!

I'll have lots o' pics soon! I am actually working on getting a costume and vending website done with a webmistress.

Are you doing the Turkish-Rom/Gypsy Rom style now? With the Karshlima (9/8) rhythms? I have taken a few workshops on it-I love doing the skirtwork. I took a workshop with Dalia Carella, and another one with Amani Ali-both on Turkish Rom/Gypsy. LOVED it.

Ooh...I'd love to see your skirt when it gets finished too!

Yes, that is exactly what we are doing We have a charity performance coming up and 4 of us will be dancing together - it is going to look really neat with the colourful skirts!

I guess I will actually see you at Celebration III - you will have to pop by and see me as I will be working but I am going to try to get the time off to see the costume contest.

Yes-let me know when you are working and where! I'll have to buy you a drink or something.

I will hold you to that I will pm you with the info before the con

You could also hold me to my early morning workouts before the con starts each day! I chose a hotel with a gym for that purpose alone-can't go 4 days without working out. I figured if I hit the gym a couple times while I am there-plus all the walking during the con-I should be okay.

I am all set for my first class with Delilah (thanks for the recommendation) on April 14. Anything I should know before going to my first class? I'm still kind of embarrassed about my body, particularly my arms, which are still flabby, but I'm trying not to worry about it. What should I wear to the first class?

One other question - what's your favorite bellydancing music? I have some Farkuk Talikbek and Hossam Ramzy, but I'd love to get a couple more CDs to get me in the mood!

Thanks again for the encouragement & recommendations!

If you would like to hear something a little traditional sounding-try Light Rain. They have 3 or 4 cds I think-and they are all VERY good.

First class....hmm. Some stretchy pants like you would wear for exercise or yoga are just fine. Some of them have a boot cut leg which is flattering. You would probably do just fine in a sports bra, or a form fitting exercise tank top. The fringe scarves that were recently popular to wear with jeans (triangle shaped with fringe) would be appropriate to wear around your hips if you have one.

I wouldn't worry about your arms so much. The classes I am in have all shapes, sizes, and ages. You are SO lucky to be taking class with Delilah by the way. I am so very envious.