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DVD : Kathy Smith - Flex Appeal - A Belly Dance Workout |
- Not worth the time it takes to watchKathy Smith does not know enough about belly dancing to teach it. The most helpful part of the DVD is the tutorial that explains what you should be doing with your body when doing some moves. This part of the DVD is not taught by Kathy, but by an experience dancer. If the whole DVD were that detailed it would be 5 stars. I also feel that there was no enough attention give to keeping proper posture while dancing in order to prevent back injury.
Rating:
- good for an introductionThis was the first DVD I tried on bellydancing. You get to learn the basic moves and they are broke down in easy to follow and learn steps. It is fun and you don't have to stand around while she is teaching the moves...it keeps moving along while you're learning. The first segment is a 20 minute slow routine that teaches you the basic moves. There is a 3 minute slow dance, then it is followed by a 20 minute fast routine that uses a lot of what you just learned. However, even though Kathy Smith is a good instuctor she is not a bellydancer, so if you are watching her, you're not going to learn how to move like a dancer. Watch the dancers in the background, especially Ansuya, otherwise it's hard to see just how the moves are really supposed to look.
Rating:
- An introduction, which should inspire people to graduate to real bellydance lessonsI like to add new workouts to my routine to hold my interest, and I wanted to try bellydancing. I was a little intimidated by the descriptions of more formal teaching DVDs, not being as in-shape as I would like to be before undertaking the real deal. I read the reviews of Kathy Smith's Flex Appeal Belly Dance Workout and decided it might be a good place for a complete (and somewhat klutzy) novice to start.
As others have noted, Kathy is not the expert here. It is evident right away which of the dancers is Ansuya, by her classic movements as much as her classic figure. I would have liked to see Ansuya at the front, even co-leading with Kathy if Ms. Smith didn't wish to give up the spotlight. I don't think it's so much that Kathy doesn't *know* the movements; the unfortunate fact is, her body is just not *built* for bellydancing. Oh, she gives it the old college try and puts the newbies in the home audience at ease. But her figure does not lend itself to the deliberate and sensual movements that a small waist and curvy hips can bring to the dance. By no means is this Kathy's fault. Let's remember that she is an athlete and worked hard to get her body into the shape its in! It's just not the shape for classic bellydancing. She looks tense and blocky when attempting the movements; she really has no hips to sway and can't move her knees fast enough to shimmy. But even so, she looks as happy to be dancing as any of us should while working out with her.
Having said that, the DVD is shot nicely, with great colors and costumes and sexy lighting. It's a fun workout! I'm not a bellydancer, but I can see how anyone with even a smidge of experience might find this DVD tedious and dull - but it's not a course, it's a workout. What it did for me was (a) give me enough confidence to shake and shimmy in the privacy of my own home and (b) pique my interest in the art form...so much so that I snapped up one of Ansuya's DVDs on ebay.
Kathy Smith, while perhaps not an expert, brings bellydancing to more homes by way of this DVD. If you've never bellydanced, consider Flex Appeal even as a rental. And when you've gotten some basic moves down (look at the ladies in the back more often to see proper form) move on to something more challenging and authentic. Get inspired! I will happily delve into this classic and beautiful artform in the future with expert bellydancers like Ansuya and others.
Rating:
- Enjoyable, useful, and merits far outweigh quibblesMany reviewers comment on K. Smith's lack of total expertise in belly dance. Against this admittedly true and valid point, why not consider the following:
- Smith cues very well, is very personable, and her enthusiasm is charming
- Ansuya is never far from view, and she is the belly dancer to beat all, in my opinion; the other ladies also contribute well to an understanding of how the moves are done
- the various belly dance moves are fun and interesting
- the pace is good, with just the right amount of instruction
- the set is well designed and very tasteful
- the program is well organized and appealingly shot, with good production values
- all the ladies look lovely. It is perhaps slightly unfortunate that Smith's midsection is on the masculine side, with rather little curve in it, but that has almost no effect on how she demonstrates the moves. And if, for example, she is not quite doing front-back-back on the hip drop, the other dancers are, and it's clear what should be done even if Smith has some difficulty with it (shoulder shimmies seem to give her a lot of trouble, but I happen to find them easy)
- the music is excellent, enhancing the atmosphere in a general way but also providing perfect accompaniment for the dancing
- there is an upmarket feel about the program: just the right degree of exoticism but no louche overtones
- Smith gives much air time and credit to Ansuya, who also provides demonstration dances and a tutorial
In sum, well worth the money. I go back to it often, and I'm glad that Kathy Smith made this adventurous foray into a rewarding endeavor.
Rating:
- Kathy Never Lets Me DownI have been excercising with Kathy Smith's workouts since the early days and especially enjoyed her pregnancy workout. Quality of production, workouts, sets, teaching technique and background dancers are always top notch and this video does not dissappoint. By the end of the first workout, I felt comfortable with the dance elements and loved the different feel of the belly dance workout than anything else I've ever done. I think this wll be enjoyed by those who like their workouts to feel more dancey than boot campy. If you like jazzercise and aerobic dance, this is so much fun to add to your rotation. It is a moderate workout but can be toned down depending on your level. Probably not for someonw used to burning 1,000 calories per workout though. A good intro to belly dancing, but also probably not for someone looking to learn advanced techniques. For me it was the perfect combo of dance and workout that I was looking for. Thanks Kathy, you never let me down!
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