Product Review
Created by Ariellah, star performer and instructor of tribal fusion-style bellydance, the Contemporary Belly Dance and Yoga Conditioning DVD 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 belly dance 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.
Belly dance 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 Ariellah brings to choreographic work is contemporary Tribal Fusion bellydance. She breaks down six 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 program is set to ethereal ambient and club music with a flavor of magic and dark mystery, including tracks by Assemblage 23, Die Form, Knossos, Lumin, Soil and Eclipse, Solace, and Stellamara.
