Product Review

Turkish Oriental belly dance is fast, furious and full of spunk. It is defined by strong movements, bold hair tosses, kicks, spins and sassy isolations. With deep roots in Turkish Romani dance, Turkish Oriental stage dancing carries an energetic and raw quality. In contrast with the more ballet-infused Egyptian stage dancing, movements are big, bold and energetically outward.

Totally Turkish begins with a flow warm up, then moves into technique sections on steps, turns and saucy isolations. From there we begin breaking down the choreography into bite-sizes sections and drills. We then sequence the combinations into a full choreography to a fast and fun version of a traditional piece of Turkish music called Benefese.

In this DVD, a basic knowledge of belly dance and finger cymbals is assumed. However, the choreography is broken down into small pieces that can easily be drilled and learned with or without finger cymbals.

This choreography is full of fast steps, quick turns, kicks, and sass! For seasoned dancers the choreography is fast, challenging and fun. But don t worry if you are just getting started in belly dance the sections are broken down slowly and drilled extensively for enhanced learning.

Extras include a finger cymbal choreography, a Romani dance tutorial, and a costumed performance. The Romani tutorial includes a breakdown of the Romani (or Gypsy) 9/8 rhythm with examples of posturing, steps, and gestures.