Hahbi 'Ru "Level Two"

Have you actually watched this video yourself? If so, offer your own opinion in the poll below! Otherwise, click the "View Results" button to see what worldwide users of shira.net think of it.

The above poll includes responses submitted since August 1, 2003.

Rita Alderucci, co-director of Hahbi 'Ru, teaches a five-minute choreographed dance to modern Egyptian orchestral music. The video opens with a 16 ½ minute warm-up led by Rita which uses a series of ballistic stretches. Four of her students, Amanda Baer, Kristen Schiro, Barbara Towner, and Peter White do the warm-up with her.

Once the warm-up is complete, Rita moves into teaching the choreography. Two people, Jill Bottomley and Peter White, help her demonstrate throughout. Male belly dance students or teachers who have male students may find it useful to see how Rita's moves look on Peter.

Rita assumes that the viewer has previously worked with the video Hahbi 'Ru Basics "Level One". Many of the combinations used in this choreography are explained in detail on that earlier video. Consequently, when introducing a combination that was taught on Level One, Rita doesn't repeat the detailed explanation. Instead, she offers a brief review of how to do it. Intermediate-level viewers may find it challenging to keep up with this if they haven't first mastered the earlier video, while advanced-level viewers would probably find the review sufficient.

Rita's methodology for teaching the choreography is one of the better approaches I have seen used on an instructional video. Her structure makes it easy to learn it. She has divided the overall dance into three sections which are numbered Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3. For each section, she first teaches 2-3 moves in a row, then leads a run-through of putting them together. Next come another 2-3 moves, which Rita then puts together. This continues until she reaches the end of the section, at which point she leads a run-through of the entire section to music, calling out which move to do next each step along the way. She proceeds to teach the second section in the same way, then the third. At this stage, she talks about how one of the moves can be modified when done by a group, and leads a run-through to music that puts all three sections together with the group modification. Finally, she appends repeats of two of the sections to the end of what has been learned so far and shows how to transition into it. The only room for improvement is that it might have been helpful to have on-screen text identifying which move comes next in addition to having Rita call it out.

The video label offers a list of the combinations in each section, which can help with memorizing choreography. It isn't as specific as I would prefer. For example, it says simply "Turns" rather than "Side to side turn with lunge finish". But for those who like notes with more detail, it's enough to help jog the memory when making your own detailed notes.

Throughout the video, Rita and her assistants face directly toward the camera, so it is necessary to adjust for this when learning the moves.

There is no costumed performance segment, only demos of the choreography in classroom clothing.
The production quality is very good. The video is well lit, and it's always easy to hear what Rita is saying, even when there is music in the background. The camera always shows exactly what I want to see, usually showing a full-length view of Rita's entire body.

You Will Probably Like This Video If

• You would like to learn some fresh step combinations.
• You would like to learn a 5-minute choreography you can perform, either as a soloist or as a troupe.
• You would find it informative to see a male dancer assisting Rita in demonstrating the moves.

You Probably Won't Care for This Video If

• You have been studying belly dance less than a year.
• You don't care for Egyptian orchestral music.
• You're not interested in choreography with an American "accent".

What I Liked

• Rita has two assistants with body types different from her own helping her illustrate the moves.
• The production quality is very good. It is well lit, and always easy to hear what Rita is saying, even when she has turned on the music in the background.
• The camera always shows what it should.
• The format for teaching the choreography is structured well to make it easy to learn.

What I Didn't Like

• The video doesn't identify music used for the choreography.
• There is no costumed performance segment to show what Rita looks like as a performer or to show how the choreography looks in full costume.

If you'd like to read my reviews of other Hahbi Ru videos, choose from the list below:

• Hahbi 'Ru Basics "Level One"
• Hahbi 'Ru Level 3 - The Cymbal Dance
• Hahbi 'Ru Live!

Contact Hahbi 'Ru as follows:

Hahbi 'Ru
220 Esmeralda Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94110
U.S.A.

Phone: (+1) (415) 641-4510
E-Mail: hahbiru@earthlink.net
Web Site: www.hahbiru.com

General: | Home | Shira's Classes | E-Mail Shira | About Shira | Shira's Photo Gallery | Shira's Performances | Troupe |

Belly Dancing Information & How-To's: | About Belly Dancing | How-To's | Middle Eastern Culture | Belly Dancing Fun & Frolic | Belly Dancing Poetry & Art | Reviews: Books, Music, Videos | Find Belly Dancing Teachers/Performers | Tech Talk | Links |

Using This Site: | Table Of Contents (Site Map) | Search This Site | Survey | Behind The Screens |