shanmonster | Review: The Ultimate Bellydance Fitness Workout

The Ultimate Bellydance Fitness Workout DVD is titled hyperbolically. Although I agree it is not a bad workout, there are better dance workout videos on the market. Better videos have even been produced by the same company.

The video has several problems. First of all, it's described as being appropriate for all levels of fitness/dance. This is not true. Few of the movements are explained, and some of the movements (like the head spins) are downright dangerous if done incorrectly. Since no explanation is given, I wouldn't be surprised if people haven't already wrenched their necks badly. I would never recommend this video for a beginner, but only for someone who already has a strong foundation in Middle Eastern dance.

Secondly, dance jargon is used in the video without benefit of definitions. Ballet terminology is used without explanation, and is meaningless to those without classical dance backgrounds.

The voice-overs are often off-putting. There are times when Jehan counts time with the music, and her rhythm is off. Or she'll describe a move at a different rate to what is being done on screen (eg. she'll be saying hip hip step while the dancer is doing some other combination). This is very confusing. It might be easier to do the video without the sound.

Next, the focus is very New Agey. This may appeal to fans of Dolphina, but for more secular dancers and fitness aficionados, it is a turn off.

Most annoying of all are instances when a movement is described, but not shown. A prime example would be a bouncy folkloric step in which the foot and legwork are not shown. The feet and legs are integral to the movement, but are shown only fleetingly, and partway through the video segment. This is bad camerawork and direction.

The video extras are not of the best quality. One of the biggest problems is the onscreen text. It is very blurry, and sometimes impossible to read. I was going by guesswork on a few things.

The DVD also includes a dance prayer which is more silly than inspiring.

Generally, the costuming choices are good. However, at the very beginning, Jehan is wearing a lovely, flowing skirt which obscures what her legs are doing. Also, several dancers are wearing denim, which I don't think is the most comfortable choice, but at least it doesn't obstruct the view. That's just a matter of taste, I guess. The dancers are all very easy to see against the white background. It's nice to see an uncluttered and distracting set. However, the name of the video is branded down the left side throughout the workout, and that's pretty annoying.

On the plus side, anyone who does this video all the way through will be getting a good cardio workout. The warmup and cooldown are solid (aside from the head flinging), and if you keep practicing with the video, your hipwork should improve. The dancers are competent and have good camera presence. Also, the music is interesting and works well with the workout sections. The video has its flaws, but being boring is not one of them.