Overall Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 5 stars) Identical twins Veena and Neena Bidashi teach elementary belly dance moves and assemble them into a choreography suitable for beginners who have not previously belly danced.

To purchase this video from Amazon:

Item	Amazon.com in U.S.	Amazon.ca in Canada	Amazon.co.uk in United Kingdom
DVD Edition	NTSC All regions	NTSC All regions	NTSC All Regions (from U.S.)
VHS Tape Edition	NTSC	NTSC	Not offered
As part of a 3-DVD set, bundled with Beyond Basic Dance and Mystic Dance	NTSC All Regions	NTSC All Regions	NTSC All Regions (from U.S.)
As part of a 3-VHS tape set, bundled with Beyond Basic Dance and Mystic Dance	NTSC	NTSC	Not offered

(Amazon's claim that the DVD version is Region 1 is wrong. Amazon doesn't offer a way for sellers to indicate that their DVD's support multiple regions, so they're forced to pick just one. I have personally tested this DVD and found it to enable all regions.)

Amazon no longer sells the gift set that came with hip scarf and music CD. However, if you're curious to read the reviews that were posted of it when it was released, click here.

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.

This video teaches elementary belly dance moves at a level suited for someone who has never before had any belly dance instruction. The instructors are identical twins Veena and Neena Bidashi. They begin the video with a demonstration of the choreographed dance that will be taught while voiceover comments provide an introduction.

The instruction section opens with four minutes of simple warm-ups. From there, the instruction in belly dance moves is divided into three major sections: "Upper Body", "Lower Body", and "Steps & Turns". The "Upper Body" section mostly teaches various arm poses and movements, but also includes head slide, shoulder shimmy, and rib slides. The "Lower Body" section consists of various hip circling moves, hip lift and drop, and shimmy. "Steps and Turns" shows some footwork oriented moves.

All instruction is handled by voiceover. While the twins maintain brave smiles, the voiceover explains what to do next. These explanations tend to be well designed and easy to understand. For each move, first the twins demonstrate it at full speed, then it is demonstrated slowly while the voiceover describes how to do it, with some practice time to work on a few repetitions. Once the slow repetitions have been done, it is practiced at full speed. The words used for the explanations are well chosen. For example, one arm movement is appropriately described as being like taking off a T-shirt, and a rib cage undulation is described as being like a Ferris wheel. Most of the time, the voiceover aligns well with the on-screen action, but occasionally it comes too late. Throughout, the twins wear exercise tops and leggings with a hip scarf, making it easy to see the body parts demonstrating what to do next. Altogether, this instruction in moves lasts about 35 minutes.

After teaching the individual moves, the video puts them together into a short 1 1/2 minute choreographed dance. This is the first time that the arm movements taught at the beginning of the video are teamed with the corresponding hip movements or steps. At first, the choreography is demonstrated to slow music, allowing plenty of time to work through each new move. Then it is demonstrated at full speed. For these two demonstrations, one slow and one fast, the twins add chiffon skirts over the top of their leggings to enhance the feeling of dancing rather than just exercise.

I find the style of explaining the choreography to be a bit hard to follow, because the voiceover simply calls out what to do next while the twins demonstrate it. I would have preferred having some on-screen text listing the next 3-4 moves in the sequence, followed by a demonstration of those moves, because I find it easier to remember something I have seen in writing rather than something I have been verbally told. That's just my personal learning style - if you learn best by hearing spoken words, you'll probably be comfortable with the way the choreography is presented.

Following the full-speed demonstration, the twins perform the choreography again, this time wearing full professional belly dance costumes. This provides a satisfying conclusion to the video because it shows that the choreography truly is belly dancing.

The production quality is excellent. The video is well-lit, on a beautiful set, with clear sound. The camera usually shows exactly what it should, offering close-ups of the right body parts and pulling away when needed for a big-picture view.

You Will Probably Like This Video If

• You don't have access to a live belly dance teacher and you want to begin learning from video.
• You have never belly danced before at all.
• You would like a video that teaches a simple choreography to help you put moves together into a dance.
• You like a teaching style that moves slowly and simply with repetition rather than pushing you to expand your limits.

You Probably Won't Care for This Video If

• You have had previous belly dance instruction and already mastered such basics as hip circles and hip drops.
• You want to feel a connection to the on-screen instructor - the use of voiceover for explanation rather than having the instructors talk directly to the camera creates some feeling of detachment from them.

What I Liked

• The moves taught are appropriate for the beginning level of dancer that this video is meant for.
• The choice of words used to describe how to do moves is precise and helps understand how the move is created.
• The choreography offers beginners help in understanding how to put moves together into a finished dance.
• The choreography is taught slowly at first, before being done at full speed.
• The choreography is shown being performed in full professional costume at the end.
• Generally speaking, the production quality is excellent: beautiful set, well lit, clear sound, camera angles usually showing what they should.
• The twins pack enough moves and choreography into this 45-minute to help brand-new dance students feel like they are truly dancing once they have mastered it.

What I Didn't Like

• The use of voiceover instead of having the instructors speaking on-screen creates a sense of feeling detached from the instructor.
• When the choreography is being taught, I find myself wanting to have on-screen written text identifying what to do next as a memory aid.
• The twins demonstrate some moves with their feet very far apart which looks awkward.
• Some moves are demonstrated in a very bouncy fashion, which to me just doesn't feel right for belly dancing.
• Doesn't identify song titles or artists for the music.

• Warm-Ups: 4 moves (raise arms and breathe, tilt neck to one side and roll head across front, stretch to side, bend knees)
• Hip Articulations: 3 moves (hip drop, hip lift, hip shimmy)
• Hip Undulations: 4 moves (hip circle, hip circle moving in own circle, half circle, single-sided hip circle)
• Steps and Turns: 3 moves (forward/back step, step-turn in place, basic step)
• Rib Cage Articulations: 1 move (shoulder shimmy)
• Rib Cage Undulations: 1 move (undulation)
• Head Moves: 1 move (head slide)
• Arms: 8 moves (Aladdin arms, genie arms, L arm, S arm, crossing arms, wrist circles, temple arms, snake arms)

If you'd like to read my reviews of other videos by Veena & Neena, choose from the list below:

• Fitness Workouts
  • Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Basic Moves
  • Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Arms & Abs
  • Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Hips, Buns, & Thighs
  • Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Fat Burning
  • Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Slim Down!
• Belly Dance Instruction
  • Discover Bellydance: Beyond Basic Dance
  • Discover Bellydance: Mystic Dance

To purchase this video from Amazon:

Item	Amazon.com in U.S.	Amazon.ca in Canada	Amazon.co.uk in United Kingdom
DVD Edition	NTSC All regions	NTSC All regions	NTSC All Regions (from U.S.)
VHS Tape Edition	NTSC	NTSC	Not offered
As part of a 3-DVD set, bundled with Beyond Basic Dance and Mystic Dance	NTSC All Regions	NTSC All Regions	NTSC All Regions (from U.S.)
As part of a 3-VHS tape set, bundled with Beyond Basic Dance and Mystic Dance	NTSC	NTSC	Not offered

(Amazon's claim that the DVD version is Region 1 is wrong. Amazon doesn't offer a way for sellers to indicate that their DVD's support multiple regions, so they're forced to pick just one. I have personally tested this DVD and found it to enable all regions.)

Amazon no longer sells the gift set that came with hip scarf and music CD. However, if you're curious to read the reviews that were posted of it when it was released, click here.

Or, contact Veena and Neena as follows:

'Bellytwins'
P.O. Box 2402
Beverly Hills, CA 90213
U.S.A.

Phone: (+1) (310) 285 2255

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 |