Suhaila Salimpour
This is a bellydance performance DVD.
I'm reviewing this (as I did Golden
Apple) since we have many dancers
here, some of whom may use
performance DVDs and videos to
improve their dance, as choreo ideas, or
to try to do do-longs for practice or a
workout.
If you want a bellydance performance
video for whatever reason, this is a very
well produced DVD- for the most part,
the lighting os good, the angles clear,
the volume good and the dancers
distinct. Occassionally there are some
close up face or body shots, which
seems to be required in a bellydance
tape. Despite these shots, this is very
clear to see, so if you are using it for
some aspect of improving your dancing,
it is easy to see what the dancers are
doing.
This DVD includes solo performances,
and large and small group numbers.
The dancers are all very good and I like
the music quite a bit. Suhaila's
daughter performs, and she is adorable.
The numbers are predominantly a
nightclub style, with some interesting
elements, including a number with quite
a gymnastic flair.
There were two things that really
surprised me about this performances.
1- the troop is the most cookie cutter
dance troop I've ever seen. All the girls
look very similar to each other and wear
the same outfits. It is not uncommon to
see dance troops wear different outfits.
What amazed me though was that they
all had very similar body types, very
similar hair styles (even down to the
color). It was a little odd, since
bellydance typically celebrates
individuality over conformity.
2- The costumes at times were a bit
overly revealing. Its not like you see
anything, but I had a hard time imaging
doing floorwork in the skirts (which
were just two panels of fabric) they
wore. Some of Suhaila's outfits were
strips of fabric attached to a waistband.
Given some of the moves they were
doing, I guess I expected something
with more coverage and more modest.
If you like nightclub style dance, this
should be very helpful for you. If you're
about ethnic, tribal or folkloric dancing,
this probably won't be your bag. If you
like bellydancing that features a wide
array of body types and different styles,
again, this is not it- the women are all
curvy yet thin, and they reflect very
similar styles in their dance and dress.
I personally enjoyed the dances very
much. Given that bellydance
performance videos tend to be hard to
find and are often quite pricy, this is one
of the Natural Journeys dvds that is
more reasonably priced and easier to
find.
Instructor comments:
A wonderful dancer. She is incredibly
musical and absolutely present in the
moment when she dances.
linda
