1 pretty good...
This is a pretty good DVD that is very helpfull for learning new combinations and choreography. It was very helpfull to see both sides of a move at the same time and there were quite a few moves that i did not know, being a new belly dancer.
However, I do agree with some of the reviewers that it is not a BEGINNER DVD, as it does seem to go over the steps rather quickly for a brand new belly dancer (like me!).
I also think that jillina was a little bland and stiff and sometimes choppy- you can tell she has had extensive dance training in the past, but she dosen't seem to come across as enjoying what she is doing.
Another problem I have with this DVD is her method of shimmying that she displays in the performance sequence- even I, a new belly dancer of 4 months, can shimmy and walk at the same time better than she does!!
(o.k. class: it does not COME from the knees, in an up-and-down movement, but from the REAR and LOWER BACK- in an almost twist sort of motion. WATCH her knees move like she is Tahitian/hula dancing!- because her knees are the basis for the move, not her REAR, it is very hard for her to move her shimmy around. Now when your shimmy originates from your REAR, you can do a grapevine, box step, reverse camel and anything else you can think of while shimmying. Thank you- class dismised.)
So over all, I will keep this DVD for learning and going over combinations and for exercise, but I was not all THAT impressed with Jillinas' over all style to by more of her tapes.
2 The Best- Unlike Any other Bellydance Video
I was hesitant about buying this DVD, or any others, because of the reputation a lot of bellydancing videos have: the choreography isn't explained well, the leg-work isn't shown, the zooming in on the stomach, and many dances are not organized to blend together so well. My sister bought this and I watched it and was blown away! The next day I ordered the Level 2 and 3 DVDs. Reasons why it's great:
1. Jillina is talented and knows what she's doing.
2. The quality and tone of her voice. You can clearly understand what she's saying and she does a good job explaining the moves.
3. The dance moves shown can help give you a routine.
4. It's enjoyable to watch whether you'll be actively participating in learning the dances or not.
5. It's not vulgar. It's not embarassing to own, like some of the old bellydancing videos from overseas. She's classy and elegant. There are no boobs coming out everywhere so you're not distracted from the lessons. She wears tight pants to help u see the legwork.
6. She does a spectacular 3-part performance in the end (wears a beautiful costume) which brings a lot of what she shows you together and gives you an idea of what u can do by yourself once u've mastered it, which is inspiring enough to continue to learn.
7. I love Warda so I'm glad she chose to incorporate her music in one of the combinations. She uses great, energetic, and upbeat music. Some of it is found on the "Bellydance Superstars" CD, which I sampled on Amazon and it's great.
8. It's modern. It shows how bellydancing has evolved. The costumes are better, the choreography is better organized, and it shows that u don't have to have outrageous curves to be a bellydancer. You can be skinny, average, or curvacious. You just need a lot of energy, but don't be discouraged if u feel tired. When I watched this I was a little fatigued and stressed, but it got me up and trying to do the movies. Bellydancing takes practice and dedication. It doesn't matter what your race is Arabian, White, Latina, Black, etc...anyone can learn.
9. If u wanna get down like Shakira, learn some new moves before u go to a "hafla" (party), or u wanna get urself energized & feelin' sexy, then bellydancing is the way to do it.
10. I've been dancing since I was 12 years old so I know that a beginner has to work on the hip work and moving the midsection, stomach, waist, all of that. Once u have that down, this DVD will be a synch. Repitition is the key. AND MAKE SURE YOU DO A PROPER WARMUP, LONGER THAN THE SHORT ONE SHE SHOWS YOU. Running in place for 2 minutes before stretching always works for me b/c it gets the blood going and heart pumping.
**Relax and have fun!
3 Excellent!!!!!!!!
I've got the box set and I love it. A little difficult to follow the instructions. I had to turn down the speed on my dvd. I also sometimes think Jillina uses music that is to fast to really have the time to do the different moves, she even cuts corners here and there herself too.
4 Wonderful Instruction, but Not "Beginner Basic"
I began buying bellydance DVDs online to add some variety/fun to my workouts. As someone who does not have easy access to an instructor, my only opportunity to learn comes through the multitude of DVDs I have bought.
The instruction for each of the techniques is clearly explained and well demonstrated from more than one angle by Jillina. However, unless you have had previous experience with bellydance or are a very quick learner, it will take multiple viewings of the broken down choreography before you can even hope to mimic her graceful dancing.
People who aren't comfortable with improvising in bellydance will learn a complete routine from beginning to end- first by individual technique, then through broken down segments, and finally with the opportunity to perform the entire dance. When you see Jillina's performance at the beginning, you will know it is worth it to keep practicing over and over again.
I highly recommend this DVD, but don't expect it to be easy to follow along after only a few viewings. Fortunately, it is enjoyable enough that most people won't mind watching it and practicing repeatedly.
5 Level 1?
Unlike some other reviewers I have not had two or four years of bellydance instruction. After finally being diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease the medications have me feeling okay again.I wanted to take up an activity that would combine fun and fitness and put some joy and a dash of art back into life. I'm a true beginner and have just started taking lessons and it will take a while to get up to speed with Jillina. If I were learning only from this video I would need a level minus 1. Although the basic moves are easy to master and she demonstrates and explains clearly and succintly the combo's that follow this somewhat short section are very challanging. I wish there had been more basic moves in the beginning leading up to combo's incorporating these at a slower clip. That being said, you may be surprised to hear that I agree with many of the other reviewers. Jillina is great. She is a classy, professional dancer and teacher and it's the best DVD I have for bellydancing except for Shamira's "Pure Technique." Unlike some others, she stays focused and doesn't jump madly from one move to the other. She has a calm clear voice. There is something compelling about her and I'm drawn back to poppig it into the DVD player to try again, even as my cat meows loudly at me. I think this would be ideal for an advanced beginner. I just wish she'd put out a DVD for the real novice. Even if it was a two volume set, I'd be willing to pay more. If anyone else is facing a challange like I am please E-mail (borstlisco@aol.com). Even with an illness Jillina inspires me to learn the dance.
6 AWE-some but not for beginners
I have studied middle eastern dance off and on for the past four years. I also walk 4-5 miles a day. I had a hard time keeping up and I already knew the moves. Great tape. fantastic workout but not for the beginer or faint of heart. If you have mastered Rania's other tapes, (or Neena and Veenas', also wonderful) then give it a shot, Personally I love it but I would not if I had been introduced to it as a novice.
7 Great video!
Like a previous reviewer, I'm giving this video 4 stars out of 5, mainly because I think its a little too fast for a real, honest-to-goodness beginner. I bought it to brush up on basic moves after a 3 years hiatus from belly dancing and it had me lost in a few spots... I can imagine it would outpace someone who has never so much as shimmied!
That being said, it is a great video nonetheless. I really love the way its been filmed, with Jillina situated before a mirror so you get a good view of her entire body and how it moves in relationship to the movements. And Jillina's legs, the most important part of belly dancing, are in full view. I just wish someone would learn that you can't do close-ups in instructional videos! Although close-up shots are minimal, there are a few places where the cinematographer gets a little creative and zooms in on Jillina's beautiful stomach while we're supposed to be seeing what her legs are doing. Highly frustrating, but less of a problem than in other belly dance videos I've seen.
The breakdown of steps and building up of a routine is fantastic. It gives someone starting out a good idea of how to combine the moves and makes you feel as though you have gained something for all your hard work. Other dance videos show you the basics but don't do much in the way of showing you how they go together. Someone could theoretically buy this DVD and have a beautiful routine they could perform at a hafla or restaurant. Of course, they'd have to practice like crazy to get the steps right, but it definitely gives more "bang" for the buck.
In short, I'm glad I purchased this DVD.
8 Wooooow
It's really easy to learn and very fun to do. It's an amazing ab workout and you can't even feel it so you don't get tired. The camel is the hardest for me (full torso belly roll sorta thing) but PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.
I can't wait to get the next two tapes!
9 terrific teacher
Jillina is a wonderful teacher. I've learned bellydance for over a year, and i found Jillina a real talented teacher. She make it so easy to learn how be a good bellydancer. I absolutely love all her three DVDs.
10 Good DVD but Challenging for Beginner
This dvd provides works to build a nice dance routine at the end. However, it is not easy to follow for a beginner.
The instruction section moves through the movements much too quickly for a novice. Jillina only shows the movements 4-8 times. She doesn't breakdown how to perform some of the motions.
I recommend this dvd to a beginner with some other dance training or someone with some other bellydance experience. A novice to bellydance will probably have to review the instructional section several times before understanding some of the movements.
I have used other bellydance dvds as well as taken classes. In some of the instructional portion, I was struggling to figure out what movement Jillina was using. (Most bellydancers use the different names for the steps. Unlike ballet or such, they don't have uniform names for the moves.)
However, the dvd does build a terrific routine. It breakdowns the different segments. In some cases however, she does run through the multiple movements too fast & without enough cues for a beginner.
I do wish there were a segment with the music so you could do the entire routine through without any prompting. The last time through has the prompting for segment 7.
It is clear Jillina is an experienced dancer and enjoys bellydance. That makes the dvd all the more enjoyable to perform. Her three dance routines at the end are a pleasure to watch.
Overall, I would recommend this dvd. Though I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction for a novice. I might use "Bellydance Fitness for Beginners - Basic Moves" as they go over the movements in greater detail and break them down better. Other than that, this is a terrific dvd.
11 EXcellent!
Jillinas instructional videos are one of the best I own. She is an amazing dancer and a great teacher! I look forward to her putting more out! If you are into belly dance i definitely recommend getting Jillina's! Enjoy and have fun.
12 WOW - best bellydance instructional video I've seen
And I have seen quite a few. I have been bellydancing for two years and have taken classes with a variety of live instructors, seen bellydancing live a number of times, danced in student shows, and done several of the videos on the market (Neena and Veena, Rania, etc). Jillina's instructional video is terrific, although I'm not sure how easy it would be for beginners. For a road-warrior who needs to take her dance practice into a hotel room, it's been great.
Jillina's workout is separated into several parts. There is a technique section, where you really practice individual moves. I found this section almost as good as a classroom teaching environment. Then, you learn combinations. The combinations are drilled in, both without and with the music. The combinations are creative, challenging, and yet repeated enough that even I could learn them.
Finally, the combinations with variations are taught in a complete choreography. Jillina has a great sense of musicality, as the rhythms and trills of the music are perfectly matched by the moves. This really made the choreography sink in and "make sense" to me. I also enjoyed putting together a full dance piece.
Jillina also includes a video of her performing this choreography for a live audience. It was so beautiful, it took my breath away. Yet, as you watch it, you also recognize the very same moves that you learned in her video. It's extremely inspiring.
13 Great beginner dvd
Jillina shows the moves well and allows you to put them together. Very helpful. I started actual classes since I started using the dvd, and from my real life teacher's moves, I can see this dvd is excellent.
14 Very helpful
I just got this dvd in an attempt to try something different. I wanted to do something that was fun in my spare time and learn something new. I have always been interested and dance and thought I'd try bellydancing. I was nervous about whether this dvd would help me to learn or not, but it is very helpful. Those who say it is not good for beginners have not spent the time to learn it. The dvd breaks down the techniques for you to learn. Although I am still trying to get those down, the instruction is very helpful, but practicing it is essential! I wanted a little bit of a challenge when I was looking for a dvd, and this is definitely both helpful and challenging. I am looking forward to learning the fulll choreography. It's a lot of fun and I recomend this dvd to anyone who is up for the challenge to learn and have fun!
15 Jillina is the Best
All I have to say is that ALL of Jillina's DVD's are awesome!
In Reply to "wonderbread bellydance"
Do you know who Jillina is? She is one of the best belly dancers in the U.S! Hello... this is level one, you don't expect her to give you a full blown performance. Try her "Egyptian Choreography" or check out the "Belly Dance Superstars" DVD. I promise you will be impressed.
16 Jillina is the Ultimate instructor!!
I am a huge fan of Jillina so I knew that I would not be dissappointed with my purchase...and I was right. If you are out of shape or not a belly dancer already, I can see how this instruction might be a little tough for you. But with a little self-discipline, practice and dedication, you will be moving and shimmying with no problem. Don't skip over any sections as they are all related to each other and help you to learn the correct techniques. If you are already a belly dancer, you will come away from this instruction with new choreographies, great combos and a clearer understanding of crucial movements and techniques that are sure to enhance your performances!
17 Excellent, and a bargain too....
I'm so glad I didn't let the couple of bad reviews here put me off, as I would have missed out on three excellent DVDs, which teach great choreographies in a very clever way - using a mirror to show both views. Jillina is professional, she obviously knows her stuff, and her instructions, though brief, are to the point and use imagery that helped me finally "get" a couple of moves I never did before. She doesn't wear a long flowing skirt that obscures her legs to teach, which is a great help.
Last but not least, Jillina has a lovely figure, with well defined hips - not that a woman with a straight up and down body couldn't belly dance, of course - but hips do help. I personally have wide hips - but her well proportioned body didn't upset me (grin) as I don't buy bellydance videos to give me affirmation....... how sad for those who do.....
Amazon needs to do some policing of reviews. The amount of bitchy reviews I read on this site are something else. They do seem to home in on the bellydance videos - so I suppose it could be some kind of reverse marketing. We have all read the stories about authors reviewing their own books, and roping in friends to add more reviews. The opposite is obviously also happening. What people who write racist and virulent reviews don't realise is that the majority of people who frequent this site are intelligent - otherwise they wouldn't be able to get their brains round the net! Intelligent people recognise personalised attacks for what they are. I take note of reviews that advise of bad production values and so on, but anything that criticises a dancer because she is the wrong race to bellydance would actually push me to buy it. The one video I have by someone who I suppose would be the "right" race is incomprehensible. So much for that! Beth from South Berwick puts it right when she says to keep racist comments to oneself.
So, my dear one star viewers from CA and Ithaca, you should know that your reviews had the opposite effect in my case! Hope that made your day.....
18 Excellent buy
I've loved Jillina's style since I first saw her so I was very excited when this affordable set of DVDs came out. When I started belly dancing just four years ago, all that was available from reputable dancers were VHS tapes at 3-4X the price! In this video, Jillina teaches a fun choreography to a shortened version of a classic Egyptian song. This is not a routine for a completely inexperienced dancer. Some of the transitions are a bit rapid for a total novice. It is a good challenge for someone who has already taken some belly dance lessons. My only complaint is that the camera man often zooms in on Jillina's upper body and midsection during the practice session when I would like to see what her feet are doing! Overall, it's certainly worth the price!
19 A good video at a good price
This DVD is great for dancers who don't need to be guided through every little step. If you know basic moves, this will work for you. She teaches the moves quickly, but well! No need to repeat a move a million times. Just learn it and move on. If you don't need a DVD to hold your hand through practicing moves yourself, you'll like how quickly she progresses. The real meat of this DVD is the combinations and choreography. I loved the choreography, and the combos are very useful to have at hand. Lastly, she demonstrated the choreography, although altered and with more dancing added, in front of a small audience in a lovely costume. The camera angles are appropriate. The set is good, as well as the sound. The price is very reasonable. Jillina is smiling and happy, classy, and professional as always.
Lastly, comments made by other reviewers insinuating that Jillina is "fake" and a bad dancer because she isn't middle eastern are just plain uncalled for. Jillina's style may not be Dina's, but she does her style and she does it well. I may not always like her style myself, but I can recognize talent. She is obviously a talented dancer, and if you can't see past her ethnicity to see that, then you shouldn't be writing reviews. Keep your racist comments to yourself.
20 wonderbread bellydance
I am so disappointed in this dvd. This woman has no personality in her dance or her instruction.
I would have gladly endured this if she had been a competent instructor, but she seems to feel that if she shows something once with a botox smile, it is enough.
This is not what bellydance is about. It is about what little isolation exercises are about. She has the body of a "western dancer", so all of the affirmation I hoped to get from a little "curve" was also ditched. I am quite surprised that so many people recommended this dvd. That is the only reason I bought it. People seemed to think that this was at least well taught. I wish it had been. I'm just glad I only bought one dvd rather than the set of three.
21 Very good
I was very surprised at how pleased I was with this DVD. Unlike some others that I have tried (Dolphina for example), the moves were very easy to see because the excellent use of mirrors on the set. Her clothing was appropriate for the instructional sections (i.e., she wasn't wearing full skirts while teaching legwork), and the music is motivating. I also like the fact that she explains the right way to move, as well as illustrating what not to do.
A couple of the combinations were a little difficult at first, but I liked the way the choreography was put together. I would have to say that my only real gripe with this DVD is that there is very minimal warm-up/cool-down. Even so, if you're looking for good instruction AND learning a real dance (instead of just a few combinations for a workout), this is an excellent choice.
22 So much fun, I had to buy Level 2 and 3 immediatly!
I absolutely love this DVD! It was exactly what I was looking for! A few years back, I was lucky enough to find a Belly Dance and fell in love with the dance form. Unfortunately, live got in the way, and I was no longer able to attend the class. Since then, I have been trying desperately to find instructional videos that came close to the classroom setting and didn't simply repeat a hip drop on to infinity or try to make the dance more of a "fitness routine", and this is it!
This DVD is broken down into 5 segments:
1. Stretching-a brief stretch of a few major muscle groups. Jillina does recommend a good warm-up of at least 20 minutes prior to stretching and dancing.
2. Technique-an introduction into each of the individual moves with an excellent breakdown of each movement. Each move is only repeated a few times, so you may want to rewind and repeat if you feel you need more time to absorb the movement.
3. Combinations-This section along with the next section is what really makes the DVD work it's weight in gold! Jillina take the individual movements from the Technique section and combines them into short sequences. She walks you through each step and breaks it down without music. After each breakdown section, she includes a segment with music in which you can repeat the combination a number of times (of course, with her vocal instructions included!). The music here is a little bit more pop Arabic music (Hakim, Warda, etc.) rather than more traditional belly dance music, but it is upbeat and fun to dance to.
4. Choreography-This section takes each of the combinations, with a few variations, and combines them into a choreographed dance! Each combination is reviewed with the additional variations. After each review, you have a chance to perform the choreographed dance with Jillina. The choreographed dance starts from the beginning after each reviewed combination so that you are able really learn the dance from beginning to end! This is exactly how you would learn a new dance in a classroom setting!
5. Performance-And finally, you can see Jillina perform the full choreographed dance in costume in front of a live audience. She also performs two additional short numbers (one similar to the dance that you will learn, and another to a drum solo).
The only qualm I have about the DVD is that I wish it would have more tracks broken out in the Technique and Combinations section so that you can easily skip back to repeat a section without having to rewind.
In short:
1. Excellent instruction and breakdown of movements.
2. Fun combinations that you can really learn to dance, rather that repeat the same movement on to infinity.
3. You learn a fully choreographed dance.
4. As another review said, the camera angle is wonderful (Jillina faces a mirror with her back to the camera so that you can see both front and back. Also, you don't have to think about which direction you really need to move!).
5. Fun music!
This DVD was so much fun that I had to go out and by Level 2 and 3 right away! I can't wait to try them!
23 Great, easy to follow instruction
As an Asian decent with no Arab blood in my veins, I admit I cannot tell what's traditional from what's not. Plus, I'm a complete beginner to bellydance, and I don't know if Jillina's dance is authentic or not. But still I think I can give a fair (?) review of this DVD.
This is a very well structured, easy-to-follow guide for the beginners. Jillina first shows a choreography that she's going to teach in this lesson, and starts from streching, moves on to "techniques" demonstartions, where you'll learn each and every technique used in the choreography. Jillina explains into details of the movement, one by one.
Then, "breakdown" of the choreography comes next. I do like the way Jillina does this part, because the camera follows her move from her back (with a mirror image in the backdrop), making it possible for the viewers to follow her instinctively. Do you see what I mean? If you are a person like me who have difficulty in translating "her foot to the left on my TV" to "my right foot", this "view from the back" is extremely helpful in reducing this kind of confusion and stress.
Then, after the breakdown, she puts them all into a choreographed dance with music, again with the camera shooting from her back.
I recommend this DVD to anybody who wants to have a real "step-by-step" instruction to this exotic art.
