The Magic of Dance [DVD] [2006]

To me, rumba is the most beautiful of the Latin dances and when danced well, it verges on ballet in terms of beauty. On "The Magic of Dance', Ian and Camilla dance the most beautiful rumba I have ever seen. They dance to "The Story of My Life" (Michael Crawford) and their dance tells a story of lingering passion but ultimate loss, and they dance it with such expressiveness. At one point, Ian reaches his hand out to Camilla and over the course of a couple of seconds, she slowly and tentatively places her hand in his: this is the way rumba should be: unhurried; it isn't called "the dance of the indecisive heart" for nothing! At another point, Camilla is moving away from Ian and he reaches out and grabs her around the waist and draws her to him into his embrace: more ballet than rumba but one of the most singularly romantic moments in a dance I have ever seen.

I have seen so many people take a "boots and all" approach to rumba, where something dynamic is happening every second, but I don't think that such an approach honors the spirit of the dance. In rumba, whirlwind fast movements express passion, while slow lingering movements express yearning, and it is from this interplay of passion and yearning that the beauty of the dance emerges. Camilla and Ian are for me the finest example that I have seen of this interplay and how deeply moving it can be.

And this is only one of the gems on this DVD. They do a funky little chacha to a Latin Jazz version of Summertime, Paso Doble to The Phantom of the Opera, and dance American Smooth, Waltz and Foxtrot beautifully. On the other hand, I wasn't keen on their Jive, I think that Camilla's costuming made it hard to appreciate her technique. And the samba barefoot on the beach didn't quite come off, probably because sand doesn't lend itself well to samba steps. The instructional material is aimed at a basic level, but I still found figures in the chacha that I haven't seen before and will certainly include in my dancing.

Overall, this is one of my better DVD purchases and I will continue to watch it over and over to enjoy Ian and Camilla's artistry.

I have waited and waited. I thought my quest to find a dance DVD was fruitless. That was until I found 'The Magic of Dance'. And not only did I find a dance DVD, but, I found a rather good dance DVD at that.

The star dancers Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite traverse the floors with effortless grace. They also adapt seemlessly between fun, bouncy dances and dances will a dark and erotic tone.

What really makes this DVD special, are the simply wonderful locations. Gone are the stuffy ballrooms, replaced by vibrant and magical scenery (a beautiful beach, star lit rooftops of London). These backdrops give the dances a fresh perspective and adds extra vim and verve to the whole performance.

The extras are a real treat too. As well as the usual behind-the-scenes features, Camilla and Ian have added a tuition feature. The two stars guide you through 6 dances and their steps for both men and women. This feature was a total, but welcome suprise, as it seems as though it could have been released as a DVD on its own.

Overall, everything this DVD had aimed to achieve, has been achieved. The production levels are astonishinly high and the direction is perfectly weighted. You always feel apart of the action on screen, the camera never adopts a stifling position that confuses you. When a new dance changes tone and mood, it never feels forced and glides together coherently.

Simply a must for fans of dance or good old fashioned entertainment.

The Magic of dance is probably the best dance DVD on the market now or ever.

Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite are truly the most breathtaking dancers imaginable. The dances are introduced and commented on by both Camilla and Ian and the locations are superb settings for the individual dances setting an amazing atmosphere. The teaching is clear and simple and anyone could be up and dancing simple steps straight away. I have never seen an intructional DVD which is so clear and easy to understand.