{"id":2105,"date":"2010-11-16T11:27:14","date_gmt":"2010-11-16T18:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/?p=2105"},"modified":"2010-11-16T11:27:14","modified_gmt":"2010-11-16T18:27:14","slug":"surreyya-reviews-neon-dvd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2010\/11\/16\/surreyya-reviews-neon-dvd\/","title":{"rendered":"Strong  and Sweet: Neon Serves Up a Dance Fitness Video"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/productreviewgraphics\/10\/hardcandydvd4.jpg\" alt=\"DVD cover\" width=\"300\" height=\"430\" align=\"right\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Hard  Candy, The Bellydance Workout by World Dance New York<\/h2>\n<h3>DVD Review by <a href=\"#\">Surreyya<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"footnotes\">posted November 15, 2010\t\t <\/span><\/h3>\n<p>There  are not enough words to describe how much I love Neon&#8217;s videos!\u00a0 I still access <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/articles27\/marareviewneondvdcurves.htm\">Neon&#8217;s <strong>&quot;Curves&quot;<\/strong> video<\/a> when looking for a great practice companion and early morning coffee  warm-up.\u00a0 As a dancer, teacher, Pilates  instructor, and fitness professional, I was uniquely curious how Neon would  incorporate the aspect of fitness into her newest release<strong> &quot;Hard  Candy&#8211;A Belly Dance Workout.&quot;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Behind  the scenes in the fitness industry, there are all kinds of interesting  challenges we instructors face, keeping our classes challenged, entertained,  interested and maintaining integrity and safety as well as adhering to our own  moral compasses.\u00a0 Fitness managers also  fill our heads with all kinds of contradictory statements such as, &quot;Wow!  That&#8217;s a great class! Can you make it more like Zumba?&quot;\u00a0 or &quot;The ladies think your class is  great, but they are intimidated by your need to review technique.&quot; or  &quot;&#8230;too much cardio; they want more Zen and relaxation&quot;\u00a0 or even my favorite &quot;They don&#8217;t want to  show up and have to think!&quot;<\/p>\n<p class=\"highlight\">\nRegardless  of your particular fitness poison, I am not surprised that Neon has managed to  challenge the viewer and integrate useful and challenging movements that are  actually helpful to your skill as a dancer.<\/p>\n<table width=\"120\" border=\"0\" align=\"left\" cellpadding=\"5\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tr>\n<td>\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/rcm.amazon.com\/e\/cm?t=thegildedserpent&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=B002L6SL8O&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=000000&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr\" style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" scrolling=\"No\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>While there is a place for Zumba, belly pop, cardio shimmy, and any  number of the latest dance-craze classes, this video actually replaces the fist  pumps, dangerous deep grinding movements and awkward high stepping and replaces  them with useful arm movements and level changes that we dancers could actually  stand to see more of in our performances.\u00a0\u00a0  What&#8217;s more: Neon and her team have constructed combinations that are  challenging and fun, not only for your dance vocabulary, but for creating  muscle recruitment patterns that you can call upon to improve your overall  movement, strength, and technique.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"sectiontitle\">What  you get in this DVD:<\/span><br \/>\n*55  minute Basic Tutorial&#8211;a very detailed demo of the movements used in the program,<br \/>\n*45  minute Beginner&#8217;s Practice&#8211;a continuous practice to utilize once you  understand the movements in the prior program,<br \/>\n*  Breakdowns of every step and movement used in the video,<br \/>\n*  Detailed instruction of every swirl, step, and shimmy including postural  adjustments to correct common mistakes,<br \/>\n* The  option to practice with or without music and cues,<br \/>\n* A  challenging but highly do-able workout including a healthy vocabulary of solid  movements to add to your repertoire.<\/p>\n<p>This  video is not marketed as strictly a &quot;beginner\u2019s&quot; DVD.\u00a0 I believe that the mixture of routines makes  it appropriate for a few different levels.\u00a0  It is ambitious for a complete beginner but still quite beneficial for  someone who is intermediate\/advanced.\u00a0  The costuming is appropriate and fun, and makes it easy to see the  instruction and detailed movements clearly.\u00a0  Neon, as always, is well spoken, and gives clear and detailed  instruction and description of technique.\u00a0  Her cues are spot-on, and I could listen to her lovely positive tone for  hours!\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/aboutuspages\/elisheva.htm\" class=\"artist\">Elisheva<\/a> and <span class=\"artist\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/aboutuspages\/sarahskinner.htm\">Sarah Skinner<\/a><\/span> also  take turns instructing and follow Neon&#8217;s fine example of cueing.<\/p>\n<p>At  under $20 at the WDNY website, this DVD is a value considering the wealth of  dance instruction contained within, let alone the fitness aspect.\u00a0 I certainly broke a sweat and was challenged!<\/p>\n<table width=\"446\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"5\" cellspacing=\"0\">\n<tr>\n<td>\n<object width=\"436\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/KB7Tv6u4KVA?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01\" \/><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><embed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/KB7Tv6u4KVA?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"436\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/graphics\/acommentbox.jpg\" alt=\"use the comment box\" align=\"right\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"ready4more\">\n<p>Have a comment? Use or comment section at the bottom of this page or <a href=\"mailto:editor@gildedserpent.com\">Send us a letter!<\/a> <br \/>\nCheck the &quot;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/let2ed.htm\">Letters to the Editor<\/a>&quot; for other possible viewpoints!<\/p>\n<p>Ready for more?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<!--end ready4more --><\/p>\n<div class=\"articlelist\">\n<ul>\n<li>\n<strong>12-13-09<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2009\/12\/13\/surreyyareviews2zilproducts\/\"> Two\tFinger Cymbal Products reviewed: Belly Dancing Book &amp; Kit Zill Speak, CD and Booklet by Artemis<\/a> Reviewed by Surreyya <\/strong><br \/>\nThe finger cymbals:  The cheapest money can buy, likely made by orphaned children in a third world country, yet an exceptional value for $9 at Borders books. <\/li>\n<li><strong>3-11-08 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art42\/surreyyaserpentessa.htm\">Serpentessa &#8211; Do not try this at home&#8230;. DVD review of &quot;Belly Dance with Snakes:<br \/>\n      Embody Your Inner Serpent&quot;<\/a> Review by Surreyya<br \/>\n<\/strong>There are things in this video I can get behind and things I can&#8217;t.A blessing and a curse of this video is that there is so much information that it is difficult to navigate through it all. <\/li>\n<li><strong>1-10-07 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art39\/SurreyyaReviewAnsuya.htm\">Ansuya&#8217;s San Francisco Performance Reviewed<\/a> by Surreyya <br \/>\n<\/strong>Superstar Ansuya and Belly dancer enthusiast and event producer Gina Grandi provide warm environment to feature up and coming local talent.<\/li>\n<li><strong>11-5-07 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/art41\/beth2turkish.htm\">Two For One, Two very different DVDs on Turkish Dance reviewed<\/a>, DVD review by Surreyya <br \/>\n<\/strong>I Love Turkish Dance by Sarah Skinner &amp; Turkish Style Belly Dance by Elizabeth Artemis Mourat <\/li>\n<li><strong>11-11-10 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2010\/11\/11\/surreyya-floralia-fest-2010-2\/\">Our Desert Roses, Photos from the Floralia Festival 2010<\/a>, Photos, video interview, and text by Surreyya, photos are also by Nyla Crystal and Bob Lindbloom <\/strong><br \/>\nHeld April 29-May 2, 2010 in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Produced by gleaming ray of light Selena Kareena, the Floralia Festival is held annually in TorC, (Truth or Consequences) New Mexico, and features a wide spectrum of dance and dancers from throughout the southwest, South America, and beyond. <\/li>\n<li><strong>11-9-10 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2010\/11\/09\/tammi-yasmine-reviews-2-dvds\/\">Be Amazed &amp; Dedicated in Your Dance! Hands, Arms &amp; Poses by Aziza<br \/>\nand Turn In, Turn Out &amp; Turn Around \u2013 Vol. 1 by Said El Amir<\/a>,  DVD Review by Tammi \u201cYasmine\u201d Fabris<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter watching both of the DVDs in depth, I would describe Aziza &amp; Said El Amir as amazing and dedicated instructors. <\/li>\n<li><strong>11-14-10 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2010\/11\/04\/tracy-benton-reviews-3-cds\/\">In the Land of Big Sound: The Masters of Bellydance Music, Vol 2,The Farha Tour, Sydney 2008, The Essence of Bellydance,<\/a> CD reviews by Tracy Benton<\/strong><br \/>\nAll three of these CDs I am reviewing here are for the fans of big, full, sound, with lots of variation in instrumentation, changes in volume and tempo, and plenty of drama\u2013in short, the music you might want for your big show! When you want to fill the room with music, these CDs are exceptional choices. <\/li>\n<li><strong>10-18-10 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2010\/10\/18\/zumarrad-reviews-2-ranya-dvds\/\">Tough to Choose What\u2019s Best from Ranya! Belly Dance Egyptian Style: the Baladi,Belly Dance Egyptian Style: Modern Oriental<\/a> by Zumarrad<\/strong><br \/>\nA dance friend described it aptly as something you can \u201cgeek out\u201d on. It is jam-packed with information about the music, different styles of baladi, and the movements to use in this improvisational style. <\/li>\n<li><strong>11-15-10<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2010\/11\/15\/naajidah-ashiya-how-to-pro-dancer\/\"> She&#8217;s Got the Look! Establishing Yourself as a Professional, Part 2 <\/a> by Naajidah and Ashiya<\/strong><br \/>\nRight or wrong, the average person hiring dancers has certain expectations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>11-12-10 &quot;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2010\/11\/12\/angie-moe-pregnant-bellydance\/\">That&#8217;s a little risque for you to be doing as a momie!&quot; Belly Dancing and Resistance to Cultural Discourse<\/a> by Angie Moe PhD.<\/strong><br \/>\nThus, while the pregnant woman symbolizes maternal potential, she also becomes aesthetically problematic. She is both an admired subject and a physically unappealing object, according to contemporary standards of beauty. As such, the postpartum torso is to be modestly clothed and\/or masked according to culturally appropriate standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hard Candy, The Bellydance Workout by World Dance New York DVD Review by Surreyya posted November 15, 2010 There are not enough words to describe how much I love Neon&#8217;s videos!\u00a0 I still access Neon&#8217;s &quot;Curves&quot; video when looking for a great practice companion and early morning coffee warm-up.\u00a0 As a dancer, teacher, Pilates instructor, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}