Contemporary Bellydance and Yoga Conditioning [DVD] [2007] [NTSC]

Created by Ariellah, star performer and instructor of Tribal Fusion Bellydance, Contemporary Bellydance and Yoga Conditioning combines three vital components of bellydance training: * a physical conditioning regimen to develop flexibility and strength; * two sets of bellydance technique drills - basic and advanced - for improved muscle control and precision in executing bellydance isolations; * a sequence of contemporary bellydance combinations complete with transitions to form an elegant and evocative modern choreography. Whichever form of bellydance you choose, this training system lays a solid foundation. The flexibility and muscle conditioning section of the program consists of 3 yoga sessions that can be used as a warmup/cooldown or as a stand-alone daily yoga practice: * Short yoga warmup (8 min.); * Full yoga warmup (20 min.); * Yoga cool down (8 min.) The Yoga sessions focus on building lower body strength and opening the hips to achieve ease and precision in bellydance hipwork. A number of exercises open the chest and increase back flexibility to enhance torso isolations and make dance movement sinuous and fluid. Bellydance technique drills (75 min.) include hipwork, upper body work, combined hips/upper body isolations and arms/hips coordination. They also include adding level changes to torso isolations and layering hipwork on traveling steps. The style of Ariellah's choreographic work is contemporary Tribal Fusion bellydance. She breaks down 6 combinations, step-by-step, consisting of multiple movements and transitions. The combination sequence forms a choreography, practiced to two different songs, to encourage creative adaptation of steps and transitions set to music. The performance section offers 3 spectacular Tribal Fusion / Gothic bellydance performance pieces. The progam is set to ethereal ambient and club music with a flavor of magic and dark myst

Ariellah is a petite dynamo who in her "Welcome" on this excellent DVD tells how yoga and belly dance can be related, and how yoga helps one to do the isolations, which Ariellah teaches in slow motion and with exact precision in her Technique Drills. She says that yoga also brings strength and energy, and heightened awareness that can be applied to belly dancing. All the yoga and bellydancing is done slowly on this DVD, and gives the impression that it is easier than it actually is, though even if you are a beginner, and you listen to your body and only do as much as you can, you will find the exercises and drills challenging and rewarding. The DVD is well produced and takes place on a bare stage setting that is a good contrast to Ariellah's black leotards, making it easy to see each movement; you have the choice of a Short or Full yoga warm-up (the "Full" isn't necessarily harder, it is just longer and has a different selection of movements) and there is also a wonderful "Yoga Cool Down" at the very end. After the Drills there is Choreography to learn, and then Combination Practice, repeated so you can practice until perfect. Best of all perhaps are the performances, With Ariellah in her unique and fantastic costumes, spellbinding with her incredible agility and technique in 3 aesthetically beautiful numbers. Whether you just want to have a terrific yoga workout, or learn the basics of bellydance isolation taught by a master, or get the best of both worlds, Ariellah's Contemporary Belly Dance and Yoga Conditioning is 150 minutes of a winning combination and a great addition to anyone's dance instruction DVD library. --amazon.com (US)

I'm as impressed as everyone who's reviewed this video before me. Being unable to resist belly dance videos (and having only those for instruction) I've ended up collecting a shocking number of them. Of these, at least 90 percent must be belly dance isolations. So you wouldn't think I needed any more. Well think again. I immediately loved Ariellah's two fantastic drills -adding up to 75 minutes of hard work. I haven't managed 75 at a go yet but am notching up to about 40 minutes so far. That's separate from all the yoga. Ariellah has selected yoga poses and very thoughtfully, there's a short session for those who are not yoga-familiar and a longer one for those who are. There are no distractions during these drills. Nothing comes in the way. Not the music, not too much talking - nothing. It's an intuitively put together set of drills in which she gives tips I haven't found anywhere else in all my videos and reminders on posture and breathing. Her timing with these is impeccable. Just when I find I'm getting tired, she says "Go on for a bit longer" . That comes from being very well tuned into what her dance students must feel. Ariellah is all about control right down to the micromovement. If you've seen her elsewhere, you'll know that the seems to take the music, reroute it right through her body, and by the time it reaches you, you're seeing the music as well as hearing it. Her drills begin to give you the foundation for that control In just a few sessions I've found a visible difference with the sharpness of my hip and rib cage movements. The arms? A long way to go for me but I'm relentlessly sticking to the especially solid arms section. All I can say is that I can finely shimmy one shoulder at a time now. Well, the right one, anyway. The combinations are versatile and for me, make a fantastic collection when combined with similar ones from other tribal fusion videos like East Coast Tribal and Tribal Fusion NYC. Also Bellydance for Beautiful Freaks. I also like a lot of the music on this video, though the lyrics of one or two are nothing to dance about. Something about a plane about to come down. I'm not so sure about that. But the most-used song, Stiga, by the group Lumin, is very sensual and addictive. --amazon.com (US)

This is the best DVD I've seen in a long long long long long time. I was looking for an alternative on Amazon and Ariellah's DVD popped up. I uTubed it and found the uTube of her welcome message (which I totally agree with) and a little preview. I've always admired her dancing - but just because someone is a good dancer, doesn't mean they are a good teacher. This is definitely not the case with Ariellah. I won't repeat the other reviews...I'll just say "thank you" for this great DVD. It is definitely worth the money. --amazon.com (US)