{"id":5315,"date":"2014-01-13T14:41:34","date_gmt":"2014-01-13T21:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/?p=5315"},"modified":"2014-01-16T14:12:50","modified_gmt":"2014-01-16T21:12:50","slug":"elianae-reviews-dvds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/01\/13\/elianae-reviews-dvds\/","title":{"rendered":"Grace and Sass!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"floatright\">  <span class=\"aligncenter\"><br \/>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/productreviewgraphics\/13\/dvdcollage1.jpg\" width=\"255\" height=\"380\" alt=\"3 videos!\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XYuCr7wc3Yc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>            <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_7b_8SJlWUQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>            <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n3a3kRjPdNQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n            <\/span>\n          <\/div>\n<h2> &quot;The Veil with Hilary Thacker&quot;, <br \/>\n  &quot;Arabic Jazz Fusion with Galit Mersand&quot;, and <br \/>\n  &quot;Ballet for Bellydancers with Brianna&quot;<\/h2>\n<h3>DVD review by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/aboutuspages\/Elianae.html\"><strong>Elianae Stone<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"footnotes\">posted January 12, 2014<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>  This grouping of DVDs  was enjoyable to review, as it dealt with many things that I personally enjoy  and find graceful and useful, such as veil work, and Western dance technique,  such as Ballet and Jazz.  <\/p>\n<div class=\"floatleft\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/productreviewgraphics\/12\/HillaryVeil2.jpg\" alt=\"The Veil with Hilary Thacker\" width=\"109\" height=\"150\" align=\"left\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\">The Veil With Hilary  Thacker<\/p>\n<p>  I was pleasantly  surprised by this offering by<span class=\"artist\"> Hilary Thacker<\/span>, The Veil. Having seen several of  her other Instructional and performance videos, I was expecting a more homespun  production quality. <\/p>\n<p class=\"highlight\">This DVD surpassed my expectations.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0It started out with a visually appealing main  menu, with neat live video boxes to click on each skill of study. There was no  warm-up. The entire video was shot outside on a rooftop in Turkey and the sunny  atmosphere, combined with Hilary&rsquo;s traditional Cabaret costuming and props such  as an Oriental rug, oud, and derbake made for a friendly, Oriental flavor. It  was obvious to me that a lot of care had gone into the production, though it  was a bit disconcerting how Hilary overdubbed her voice over the lessons, while  her mouth was moving in the frames as well, and didn&rsquo;t always match up. This  being said, however, I could see how much effort was taken to make sure the  sound quality was better than in previous videos.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p> The music was  traditional Egyptian Bellydance music, which I found soothing, and the skills  taught had creative names, such as &ldquo;Bullfights&rdquo;, the &ldquo;Magic Sandwich&rdquo; and the &ldquo;Egyptian  Postbox&rdquo;. In the end, she performs in front of a traditional Turkish building,  and even has footage of her students\u00a0 in  Edinburough performing. Although I would not consider this dvd challenging for  an advanced student, I think it captures the feel of traditional Cabaret  Bellydance and could introduce students to some creative veil work and a  beautiful culture. I liked it. <\/p>\n<h4 class=\"aligncenter\"> Rating: 4 Zills<br \/>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/productreviewgraphics\/4zils.gif\" width=\"150\" height=\"36\" alt=\"4 zil rating\" \/><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"floatleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/productreviewgraphics\/11\/GalitJazzFusionTN.jpg\" width=\"113\" height=\"159\" alt=\"Galit does Jazz Fusion\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\">Arabic Jazz Fusion-  Technique and Choreography with Galit Mersand<\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"artist\">Galit Mersand<\/span>&rsquo;s DVD was  very well put-together, and accessible. There was a Main Menu, with technique  and drilling divided into separate sections. Dancers were introduced to basic  jazz technique, such as step-ball-change and kick-ball change, as well as pivot  turns, and Jazzy arm stylizations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"highlight\">The Jazz technique was simple to follow, yet  when combined with bellydance combos made for a fun, definite stylization. One  bonus that I thought was very nice about this dvd was that it came with notes  to refer to about the choreography.<\/p>\n<p> The choreography was then performed to a  sassy song by <span class=\"company\">Balkan Beat Box<\/span>. Throughout, the song, instruction, and  production quality were consistant. It was interesting that Galit chose to  perform the choreography in costume in the middle of the DVD menu, after  teaching technique and before teaching the choreography, instead of at the end  like many DVDs do.\u00a0 However, when  watching from start to finish, it makes sense to inspire the dancer with the  finished product before they start learning it. The drills are supplemented by  fun, funky fusion music, as well.\u00a0 This  is a great DVD for the beginner\/intermediate dancer who wants to add fun  stylizations to their repertoire or dabble in Jazz dance without being  intimidated. It has a Jazz flair while still being accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"aligncenter\"> Rating: 3 Zills<br \/>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/productreviewgraphics\/3zils.gif\" width=\"110\" height=\"36\" alt=\"3 zil rating\" \/><\/h4>\n<div class=\"floatleft\">\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/productreviewgraphics\/13\/Ballet-Brianna.jpg\" width=\"112\" height=\"150\" alt=\"Ballet for BDR by Brianna\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"floatright\">\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"sectiontitle\">Ballet  For Bellydancers with Brianna<\/p>\n<p>  Ballet for Bellydancers  with <span class=\"artist\">Brianna<\/span> is a <span class=\"company\">Cheeky Girls Productions<\/span> DVD, and like many DVDs from that  company I have reviewed and viewed, it has a very high production quality. The  DVD opens with a standard menu, and a viewer can jump to different skills. <\/p>\n<p class=\"highlight\">The  technique is ballet modified to be more suited to Oriental Dance, and Brianna  is a patient, graceful Instructor. <\/p>\n<p> I found the warmup a bit  slow-moving, as I did the opening plie and releve segments. However, I have  studied ballet in the past and perhaps had a better grasp of posture and  beginning technique. As the DVD progressed, however, through chasses, pas de  bouree, arabesques, and combinations, I found it more challenging. My favorite  part of the DVD was how once a combination was learned, there was a separate  drilling section for constant repetition. By the end, a lot of useful technique  and traveling moves for the Oriental dancer were available. Brianna used great  form to demonstrate how the movements should look, and spent a lot of time on  port de bras, or graceful arms, which are a must to the Oriental dancer&rsquo;s  technique. I would recommend this DVD highly to a dancer who is new to ballet,  or a more experienced dancer wishing to brush up on technique. Both will find  something to work on, and be inspired by the lovely studio Brianna teaches in,  and the costumed performance at the end. <\/p>\n<h4 class=\"aligncenter\"> Rating: 4 Zills<br \/>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/productreviewgraphics\/4zils.gif\" width=\"150\" height=\"36\" alt=\"4 zil rating\" \/><\/h4>\n<p>Veil technique has long  been considered part of the classical belly dancer&#8217;s repertoire, and in recent  years many cabaret dancers have found taking classes in other dance  disciplines, such as jazz or ballet, to be invaluable in improving technique  and offering variety in the dance. DVDs like the ones above help give a dancer  interesting combinations and technique in the disciplines they&#8217;re designed for.  It is great that so many valuable study and practice DVDs are available to the modern  dancer.<\/p>\n<table width=\"432\" border=\"0\" align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"10\">\n<tr>\n<td width=\"120\"><iframe src=\"http:\/\/rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/cm?t=thegildedserpent&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=B0071BY1RO&#038;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=F9F281&#038;f=ifr\" style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"124\">\n<h5 class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.galitmersand.com\/DVD3.html\" target=\"_blank\">Arabic Jazz Fusion<br \/>\nTechnique and Choreography<\/a><br \/>\n with Galit Mersand,<br \/>\n \u00a39.99 + P&#038;P<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"120\"><iframe src=\"http:\/\/rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/cm?t=thegildedserpent&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=B001XW6PIU&#038;ref=qf_sp_asin_til&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=F9F281&#038;f=ifr\" style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5>Resources:<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h6><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/aboutuspages\/Elianae.html\">Author&#8217;s bio page<\/a><\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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><span class=\"articledate\">11-16-11<\/span> <span class=\"articlelink\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2011\/11\/16\/elianae-dvd-bahaia-galit-combos\/\">Dance Combinations \u2013 Uneven, Misnamed Productions Still Worthwhile, \u201cCool Combos \u2018a La Galit\u201d and \u201cCombin-Ography by Bahaia<\/a><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2011\/11\/16\/elianae-dvd-bahaia-galit-combos\/\">&quot;<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">DVD reviews by Elianae<\/span><br \/>\nThrough the process of comparing and contrasting these two DVDs, I learned that in our technical age, although there are many people out there that have knowledge that can and should be shared, production value really does count for something. <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">5-19-13<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2013\/05\/19\/ramzys-old-and-new\/\"><span class=\"articlelink\">Ramzy&#8217;s Old and New<\/span><\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">A review by Elianae<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t  In conclusion, and personally being a purist with a lot of my Bellydance music, I like Hossam Ramzy\u2019s \u201cBest of  the Best\u201d; in my opinion, it\u2019s hard to improve on that collection. However, I would recommend giving all of these albums a try, as they are all high-quality music. If you are a World-music fan, and love music that jams with a bit of rock thrown in, you\u2019ll like \u201cRock the Tabla\u201d!<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">2-14-13<\/span> <span class=\"articlelink\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2013\/02\/14\/elianae-instructional-dvds-outi-hipsin\/\" target=\"_blank\">2 Instructional DVDs: Unprofessional or Homespun? \u201cThe Basics With Outi\u201d &amp; \u201cStep-By-Step Bellydance\u201d<\/a><\/span><span class=\"articleauthor\"> DVD Review by Elianae<\/span><br \/>\n                      The two DVDs that I received for review and comparison for Gilded Serpent were by a group and individual with whom I was unfamiliar. In fact, I had never heard of either one. Both had their strong points, but  in my opinion, were fraught with significant problems also. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">5-16-12<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2012\/05\/16\/elianae-reviews-romani-gypsy-dance-dvds\/\" class=\"articleauthor\">Gypsy Flair Romani Party! 2 DVDs with Fun and Energy in Mind! Ansuya&#8217;s Istanbul Nights and Liz Strong&#8217;s Turkish Roman Dance<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">DVD Reviews by Elianae <\/span><br \/>\n                      I reviewed two very pleasant, fun DVDs, Istanbul Nights by Ansuya, and Turkish Roman Dance with Elizabeth Strong. Both DVDs have much to offer, and are surprisingly different  from each other in their interpretation of Romani Dance and teaching styles.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">4-4-12<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2012\/04\/04\/elianae-reviews-dvd-ava-kaya\/#axzz1r29QBL9L\" class=\"articlelink\">Fire and Ice, Sugar and Spice! Mystic Moves With Ava Fleming and Hip-Notic Bellydance With Kaya <\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">DVD reviews by Elianae<\/span><br \/>\n                      I have had the pleasure of reviewing two very good DVDs: Mystic Moves with Ava Fleming and Hip-Notic Bellydance with Kaya. Both dancers adhere to different styles of Cabaret or Oriental Bellydance, and I found their approaches both engaging and refreshing!<\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">12-19-11<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2011\/12\/19\/learning-to-belly-dance-the-u-k-way\/\" class=\"articlelink\"> Learning to Dance the U.K. Way, Hillary\u2019s &quot;Beginners\u2019 Egyptian Dance&quot; and Charlotte\u2019s &quot;Learn to Bellydance&quot;<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">DVD Reviews by Sadira\/Sierra<\/span><br \/>\nStrange names for movements used in the U.K. such as \u201csnaky arms\u201d, and the most repeated \u201cwobbly walk\u201d and \u201cwobbly movement\u201d in describing shimmies, as well as \u201cquiver in your bellybutton\u201d are off-putting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">1-13-10<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2010\/01\/13\/marthareviewsgalitshishadvd\/\">Galit Mersand Teaches the Shisha Dance<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">DVD review by Martha Duran<\/span><br \/>\nThis is a unique dvd for the performer who wants to widen her horizons.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">5-9-09<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2009\/05\/09\/tracey3instrdvdsbeg\/\">3 Instructional DVDs for Beginners: Wide Range in Quality: A Course in Belly Dance by Galit Mersand, Aziza&rsquo;s Ultimate Practice Companion, 1-2-3- Belly Dance with Bahaia<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">Reviewed by Tracey Farmer<\/span><br \/>\nI am going to review 3 videos that are mainly for beginners or practice. They are from 3 vastly different dancers who each have unique styles.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">11-1-11<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2011\/11\/01\/sausan-ballet-ification-belly-dance\/\"><span class=\"articlelink\">Ballet-ification of Belly Dance<\/span><\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Sausan<\/span><br \/>\nWhen did Ballet become a requisite for Belly dance, and why is it stated that it should be an essential part of a Belly dancer\u2019s daily regimen? <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">1-9-14 <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2014\/01\/09\/valerick-reviews-bellydance-evolution\/\" class=\"articlelink\">From Evolution to Revolution, A Review of &quot;Dark Side of the Crown&quot;<\/a><span class=\"articleauthor\"> by Valerick<\/span><br \/>\n                    Jillina\u2019s character is mean and abusive which makes us think that she may be the killer!<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articleauthor\">12-11-13<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2013\/12\/11\/diane-adams-reviews-yasmina-ramzy-workshop\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Deep Study of Dance with Culture for 20 Hours! Yasmina Ramzy&#8217;s Crash Course, August 2013<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">by Diana Diane Adams<\/span><br \/>\n                    Check your ego at the door and be prepared to learn true Egyptian technique and correct what you\u2019ve been doing incorrectly for years.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articleauthor\">10-6-13<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2013\/10\/06\/barbara-grant-reviews-mideast-journal-abousaif\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Egypt through a Rear-View Mirror, Middle East Journal: A Woman\u2019s Journey into the Heart of the Arab World by Laila Abou-Saif<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">Book Review by Barbara Grant<\/span><br \/>\n                    It is easy to recommend this book with a four-zill rating and I do. I applaud ground truth data\u2013here, in the form of interviews\u2013diligently gathered by someone qualified to interpret it. <\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articleauthor\">7-18-13<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2013\/07\/17\/stasha-review-jowise-book\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Thoughtful Technique in a Beautiful Package, Jo Wise\u2019s &quot;The JWAAD Book of Belly Dance&quot;<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">Book Review by Stasha<\/span><br \/>\n                    Fortunately, this beautiful book can be opened at any time, to any page, for any length of time you can spare, and it will offer you concise instruction, illustrative photos, inclusive models, creative costuming, witty sayings, insightful technique and imaginative choreographic notes!<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"articledate\">6-27-13<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2013\/06\/27\/sadira-ramzy-cd-review\/\" class=\"articlelink\">Tradition, Passion, and Fusion, \u201cRo-He, Classical Egyptian Dance\u201d 2003, and \u201cEgyptian Rai\u201d 2006 by Hossam Ramzy<\/a> <span class=\"articleauthor\">CD Review by Sadira<\/span><br \/>\n                    In this review I am critiquing two CD\u2019s by Hossam Ramzy.  I write in detail about each CD, it\u2019s interesting parts, or special interests as well as critique.  I then compare the two at the conclusion of this article.  Enjoy\u2026the incredible talents of Hossam Ramzy!                    <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&quot;The Veil with Hilary Thacker&quot;, &quot;Arabic Jazz Fusion with Galit Mersand&quot;, and &quot;Ballet for Bellydancers with Brianna&quot; DVD review by Elianae Stone posted January 12, 2014 This grouping of DVDs was enjoyable to review, as it dealt with many things that I personally enjoy and find graceful and useful, such as veil work, and Western [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[124,47,82,83,1,136],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5315"}],"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=5315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5315\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}