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DVDs I consider beginner level (regardless of the title)

I know this is a short list. I'm watching my current collection and will add any additional titles as I find them.

If I had to pick a favorite out of this category I would be hard pressed. I would recommend the Basic Workout by Princess Farhana and the DVDs by the Neena and Veena as the most useful for beginner level students.

– in spite of its name, this is not a workout DVD. It is however a very good instructional DVD. Princess Farhana breaks down several beginner level moves and drills them. The sections beginners might have difficulty with are the arm movements layered with hip lift shimmies, the hip drop kick and the horizontal and vertical figure 8s (I introduce all of these concepts in intermediate). Her undulations section is actually sagital hip and rib cage circles, though she does add stepping with them. She calls these moves camel and then rib cage camel. I had not heard the hip circle referred to as the camel by itself, usually the camel is the combined ribcage and hip movement. Purchase at Amazon

Belly Dance Fitness for Beginners: Arms, Abs, Hips, Buns & Thighs – two basic workouts from the Bellytwins, each about a half hour. Purchase at Amazon

Belly Dance Fitness for Beginners: Basic Moves and Fat Burning – two basic workouts with the Bellytwins, each about a half hour. Purchase at Amazon

Belly Dance Fitness for Beginners: Slim Down – a basic half hour workout with the Bellytwins. Purchase at Amazon

Discover Belly Dance: Basic Dance – beginning belly dance technique includes a basic choreography. Purchase at Amazon

Discover Belly Dance: Beyond Basic Dance – (Neena and Veena)  beginning and intermediate belly dance technique, including a short intermediate choreography. Purchase at Amazon

Bellydance Fitness for Weight Loss: Cardio Shimmy (Rania) – bonus features are a 10 minute “waist cincher” workout (rib and hip slides, horizontal and vertical hip figure 8, up to down undulations and vertical rib cage circles) and two costumed performances. The workout uses Egyptian shimmy, shoulder shimmy, choochoo shimmy. Most of the moves are taught in my beginner level classes, the exceptions being the Egyptian shimmy and the gush (King Tut walk). Also, Rania does not name her hip shimmy, so beginner level students might not realize it is different from the hip lift shimmy taught in class. Beginner level students could use this video if they substituted the hip lift shimmy for the Egyptian shimmy. Like all of her DVDs, this one was recorded from the front with Rania and four other dancers. It makes right and left a bit confusing since you have to mirror the dancers or use the opposite side. Purchase at Amazon

Bellydance Fitness for Weight Loss: Hip Drop Hip Hop (Rania) – bonus features are a 10 minute arms, chest and back workout and two costumed performances. The 30 minute workout is mostly based on what I consider beginner level moves. Unweighted hip lifts, unweighted hip drops, horizontal hip circles, chest drops, hip bumps and basic Egyptian. Combinations four and five start getting into intermediate level territory, but they are easy enough I think beginners, especially if they have a session or two under their hip scarves, could figure them out. Combination four uses a move I hadn’t seen before, that I would describe as a reverse gush, it seemed a bit awkward. Combination five is drop-kicks. There is no mention of proper posture, so make sure you are checking your own. Some of the moves could hurt your back if your pelvis comes un-tucked.  This DVD does not teach proper technique. In some instances it describes the easiest way to create the move, but not necessarily the one I think makes the most sense or would recommend using.  Like all of her DVDs, this one was recorded from the front with Rania and four other dancers. It makes right and left a bit confusing since you have to mirror the dancers or use the opposite side. Purchase at Amazon

E-mail Huraiva at huraiva@huraivaalimah.com