Natasha Senkovich
I've had this for a while and noticed it
has not generated much buzz. This is
definitely not the best intro to
bellydance I've seen, but for $9, its not
bad. You learn 10 dance moves then
put them into a short dance segment.
There are no warm ups or cool downs
but the pace is so mellow and there are
no strenuous exercises, either for your
muscles or your heart. Its definitely
more an active rest program than a
workout, unless you have a very low
aerobic capacity, and then it would a
nice little workout if you also have an
interest in bellydance, but you would
need to cool down and stretch on your
own afterwards.
Sometimes, Natasha's tone of voice or
expressions are just weird, but typically
she explains things clearly, and I do like
the way she praises her students. She
also seems to have an accent, so I
wondered if some her odder
expressions weren't due to translation
or second language issues.
There is a performance as well. If you'ce
seen other Natural Journeys bellydance
performances, don't expect Rania, The
Twins or Suhaila, she's not as good a
dancer as they are. She's as good or
better as the dancers I've seen in many a
troup or recital performance, which I
found somewhat reassuring. Some
teachers are so good, I wonder if I could
ever do things as well as they do, but
with Natasha, I think her level of skill is
attainable, whereas I would never think
that of Suhaila, the Twins or rania- they
just seem impossibly good! I also like
the playfull style in natasha's dancing.
Some of the more available performance
DVDs emphasize a sexy, seductive style
so its nice to see a different feel to the
performance.
If you've studied any bellydance, even a
little, this will probably bore you. There
are only 10 steps and they are pretty
basic. If you've never taken a lesson,
this is a nice little intro to bellydance to
give you an idea if you like this type of
dance. If you are a beginner and like
tapes to structure your practice, this is
one of several choices you have.
Overall, this isn't a great dance lesson,
but it isn't bad either. Not for advanced
dancers, but if you've never bellydanced
before, this could make an active rest
dance session.
Instructor comments:
I like the way Natasha praises her
students. She's very encouraging. She
does use some odd expressions and
sometimes her tone of voice is a little
flakey though. But overall I liked her.
linda