Instructional Bellydance With Jillina: Level 3

1 Very nicely done, clear photography & instructions
I've been really enjoying this DVD for quite a while now. My family enjoys watching the performances, and I've been working with the instructional portion. The photography is very nice, Jillina gives clear directions about each movement, and the menu is segmented so that you can easily find what you want to work on. I really liked the fact that the movement combinations were numbered 1,2,3,etc., because that makes it easy to find where you left off last time so you can go directly to what you want to work on. This is also one of the least expensive DVDs in my collection---most bellydance DVDs of this quality cost a lot more. Kudos to Jillina on doing a great job! I own the other 2 DVDs in the set, they're equally wonderful.

2 Powerful, Excellent Skill
I have Instructional Bellydance- Level 1, 2 & 3.
Jillina is an exceptional artist. Her teachings are easy to follow. Her form and technique are great! I've learned a lot from Jillina. She is one of the best. This collection is a must have for anyone who is studying the Art of BellyDance

3 Quality instruction and a great deal.
Jillina has put together some very nice combinations which you can use with almost any upbeat music. She is a very good teacher and she repeats the combinations enough times for you to really learn them by heart. Advanced dancers might not learn any new moves (I am an intermediate dancer and I knew them all except one) but if you are looking for some great, bouncy combinations it is well worth the money.

4 Highly recommended
I highly recommend this DVD to all. The entire choreography is broken down. Her progressive method of teaching allows for most people to catch on to the choreography by the end of the video. Also, the moves are cute and can add a little variety into anyone's dance routine. Infact, I really enjoyed all 3 of her videos. The only problem that I had was with some of the editing during her performance. It was a little difficult to tell what her legs were doing because the camera person would key in on just her belly or upper body. Granted she is a beautiful woman....but I just wanted the choreography!!!!! Regardless, the DVD is great!!!

5 A wonderful choreography video for int-to-advanced dancers
This is a great choreography DVD for intermediate to advanced dancers. The combinations are dynamic and she does a great job of breaking everything down. The song used is "Men Adak Di", which is available on the Bellydance Superstars CD Volume 2, which is available on Amazon (ASIN B0001DMXX8).

FORMAT:
- Jillina starts with some stretching exercises, although she cautions you to do a full warm-up first
- Next, she teaches some of the less common and more difficult movements used in the choreography. (NOTE: there is no standard bellydance vocabulary, so you might not be familiar with some of the names Jillina uses for the movements. She might teach them in levels 1 and 2; I haven't seen them, so I don't know.)
- In the third section, Jillina teaches the combinations (9 or 10 of them) to be used in the choreography.
- Next, she puts variations of these combinations together into a choreographed dance. This section is really well done. For each combination, Jillina walks you through that segment, then performs the entire piece up to that point. This gives you LOTS of repetition. Plus, the editing is great; when the run-through reaches the current combination, it seamlessly cuts to a take in which she talks you through the moves while you dance.
- The last section is a performance in costume, including this choreography (slightly varied).

The back of the DVD says that the total run time is 71 minutes.

This is a well-thought-out program with wonderful production values. The teaching segments are done in a small carpeted studio. The camera is placed behind Jillina, and she faces a mirror, so you can see her from both angles. She wears a black choli top and pants. The studio is darkish, so I would have preferred more contrast between her outfit and the background, but I could still see what she was doing clearly.

This is also a GREAT deal. Since belly dance videos of substance tend to be self-produced or produced by belly dance organizations, and the market is limited, they often cost $40-50. I would not have been disappointed with this DVD even at that price.