Back in November I did the entire BellyDance Fitness For Beginner's 4 pack by Veena and Neena Bidasha and I intended to write a review, but what with the holidays, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah, it didn't happen. Well, it's still not happening. BUT, I offer a small consolation prize. This evening I did the Fat Burning tape from the original 4-pack and followed it with the new Slim Down tape.
The original Fat Burning tape is rated by Collage as basic/intermediate intensity, mixed impact and basic choreography and I would agree. It's very repetitious--you spend most of your time doing rocking horse moves with hops thrown in, side to side hops, and bouncing knee bends. It's fairly high impact, especially considering you wear no shoes to cushion the hops. They don't break down the moves but there aren't many and they do them so many times that even the choreo-challenged should be able to catch on. They also don't offer much in the way of form pointers which bothers me, because although the moves are simple, a simple move executed incorrectly can still result in injury. All the bouncing and hopping really works (possibly overworks) your calves and ankles. This is not an instructional tape--you won't really learn how to belly dance, but it might be a nice change of pace or intro for someone who is looking for something besides traditional step or hi/lo.
If you took the Fat Burning tape, put more make-up on the sisters, dressed up the set a little more, threw in some (but not nearly enough) form pointers, and added slightly more traditional belly dance moves (shoulder shimmies, chest locks, hip locks, etc..)interspersed with the step touches (creatively called "genie bounces" here), rocking horses, and mambos, and removed most of the hops, then you'd have Slim Down. It has ONE LONG SONG that runs all the way through it so the music is pretty monotonous.
I did them one after the other and got a moderate cardio workout, and doing just one tape would be good for a beginner or someone who wanted a lighter intensity day.
If you liked Fat Burning, then you'd probably like Slim Down. If you sort of wanted to like Fat Burning but found it too repetitive, Slim Down might work for you. If you hated Fat Burning, then don't bother with Slim Down. The slight upgrades in choreography and production values probably won't be enough.
Renee Drellishak
4/21/01
There are sevral reviews of these videos at collagevideo.com, most of which are overwhelming enthusiastic. I however, have not been thrilled with these videos. I am reviewing them together because basically they are the same video. I found the set quite pleasant and the camera work was fine, even if it did focus a lot on the twins' breasts, stomaches and hips. It did feel a bit porno-ish, but I think maybe since these are marketed as bellydance videos, the camera folks thought they should focus on these key body parts of bellydancing.
I think these videos don't really know what audience they want to appeal to. In Fat Burning, you jump around a gazillion times with your finger on your head. After 30 bounces, I stopped counting. No advanced exerciser will be motivated to try such a boring sequence, and many beginners can't jump around with no break for such an extended period. There's no variety in arm movement or positions. Many of the bounces are followed up with twisting motions that could be torturous on the knees, and THERE IS NO INSTRUCTION. In my impression, there wasn't much bellydancing either. Just a lot of hopping around.
Sim down is slightly better, largely because there is more variety. There is still NO INSTRUCTION and some twisting moves. There is less bouncing, but all moves are put together by reverting to genie bounces (a side to side step). Theres no variety of arm motions again, but there are some hip moves that make this feel more like a belly dance tape. Most distracting, both videos are lead entirely by voice-over, and the twins' have the exact same expressions throughout the whole thing. Overall, I do Slim Down on occassion, and I've given Fat Burning away (along with the other videos that came with it).
While the sisters seem charismatic in their introductions, this doesn't come through in the voice over. Personally, I find that a whole workout in voice-over feels very uninviting, less like a class and more like a lecture.
These videos are too repetitive and basic to be of much interest to an advanced exercisers and too repetitive and intense for a beginner. I'm not sure what group they're best for, but I know I was disappointed in the purchase.
Anonymous
8/26/01
I think, when spending $20.00 on a DVD, You should at least expect the exercises to run at least a half hour. I had to replay the DVD. Just to feel a burn!! And I am a Beginner. Too short, they say 2 full workouts, maybe if you replay it a couple of times.
It was fun and different but really way too short!
Instructor comments:
Decent.
Jodi
JustaTeaseInNy@aol.com
03/20/03
I have been taking Middle Eastern dance and belly dance for 2 years now, and study cabaret and American Tribal Style (which are very different) as well as learning some Middle Eastern folk dancing.
I have read the other reviews, and feel that I have to add some comments to the reviews about this video. There are a lot of reviews out there complaining that the Bellydance Fitness for Beginners videos/dvd's do not teach you to bellydance. The twins have two sets of videos out there-the Fitness for Beginners series-of which this is one, and the Discover Bellydance series. The Fitness series are not designed to teach you to be a belly dancer-they are designed to be a short workout with belly dance moves incorporated into it. If you want more of a belly dance class and learn some basic choreography-then you need to be looking at the Discover Bellydance series of tapes-which teach that, and even some veil work in the last video. The Discover Bellydance series is a class setting however, and you will not be getting the aerobic benefits of the fitness tapes. Basically, it is your choice-do you want to learn to dance, or do you want more of a workout that is a little different than what you are used to?
The Fat Burning workout does have a lot of hopping and jumping-and a lot of people have complained that it isn't "bellydance". What it is, actually, is moves that are used traditionally in Middle Eastern folk dancing, and will actually be seen in a lot of belly dance shows when dancers are using canes and such as props. Bellydancers are associated mostly with slow belly moves and twirling around with a veil...but we do a lot of other things too! (smiles)
This may be a little hard on the ankles and calves until you get used to it...and it is repititious, but this tape is a good cardio workout. I personally like the voiceover in the series, and it is used quite a bit in dance instruction styled videos, simply because when someone is talking you tend to focus on their face, and not on their body. You need to be concentrating on what the feet, knees, hips, arms, and shoulders are doing in dance instruction.
I thought the background was lovely, but the music could have been improved. What was used was the equivalent of Middle Eastern elevator music...
The twins were dressed appropriately and executed the moves nicely. One of the former Veena and Neena reviews actually said the thought the video looked "porno-ish"? What??!!! I do not agree. They do focus on certain body parts at times, but it is the body part you are being instructed on...so what do you expect?
Bellydance was never intended to be considered seductive and performed for men-it was a traditional dance by women performed for other women at family events, during the birthing of a child to promote an easier labor, and during religious events. America has made this something seductive and come hither...I hold firm that it is a beauiful dance designed to bring women together. I have bonded with the fellow women that I dance with in a wonderful way...and like it has been said about the dance troupe Fat Chance Belly Dance, we dance for EACH OTHER first, and the audience second. This dance is a sacred tradition that has surpassed generations, and I am glad to be a part of it, and that Veena and Neena are trying to share that gift with the rest of us.
Amy Phillippe
mom2raiandjas@lycos.com
7/01/2003
