Modern Belly Dance From Lebanon (Desert Jewel) - Emad Sayyah

Advantages: Good to go over moves if you already know them
Disadvantages: No so good if you have never done it before

...Introduction ---------------- I am currently learning the 'art' of belly dancing, I have been attending classes at my old junior school since last September. As classes are only once a week and not on at all over the summer holidays I have bought a couple of dvds with which I can practice at home. This dvd is suitable for those that are just starting to learn belly dancing, those who have been doing it for a little longer may find some of the moves a bit basic. After learning for a year, I find this dvd covers things we've gone over and over in class already so to me I want a dvd that's a bit more advanced. I use this dvd to practise moves I already know. The DVD ------------ The dvd starts off with a short introduction to belly dancing focusing mainly on it's history. You will learn that belly dancing is not a sleazy dance like... Read review

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Advantages: Peaceful and Spiritual Experience in an otherwordly Landscape
Disadvantages: None, unless you suffer from altitude Sickness

...The Desert of Atacama, in the extreme north of Chile, is the driest desert in the world. Make sure you always carry a good supply of water with you, you will not need big amounts of food; the scenery will feed your spirit to such an extent that your body will not require the extra energy. You will lose weight and be uplifted, what more can you ask of a place? All right, I might be exaggerating slightly, but there is a lot of truth to it as well. ************************************** The borders of the Atacama Desert are not very precisely outlined; they are1000 to 1100 kilometres long (600 to 700 miles), snaking all the way from Chile's northern border with Peru (in Region I - Chile is divided into 12 regions), down to Antofagasta in Region II (still in the north of Chile really, but further down!). It is bordered by... Read review

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Advantages: Cute! Nicely packaged - would make a great wee gift!!
Disadvantages: The zills (finger cymbals) included are really not up to much!!

...This is a really fun little thing! It's a very small lidded box, containing an even smaller book demonstrating some of the more basic bellydancing moves, an adhesive navel decoration, and 2 pairs of zills (finger cymbals).<p> This would be a nice gift for anyone interested in trying belly-dance, or with a small amount of experience. It's not really suitable for more advanced dancers as it's a bit basic. It's doubtful that anyone could learn the dance from a few fairly basic drawings in a book, but it would be a good aid for those already taking classes. It contains a small section of costuming/make-up and some limited on-line resource links.<p> The zils are really pretty awful and are not up to professional dance standards (they sound awful!) but are ideal for practising at home.<p> This is a nice wee thing to have... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful