Description

Brianna – Ballet For Belly DancersStudio: Cheeky Girls ProductionsDVD Release Date: April 13, 2009Run Time: 105 minuteshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3a3kRjPdNQBrianna is a professional bellydancer with over twenty-five years of dance training and experience as a performer and instructor. Originally trained in classical Russian ballet, she was captivated by bellydance s emotion and excitement. She is a multi-award winning soloist and choreographer.Product DescriptionThis DVD teaches modified ballet techniques tailored to help bellydancers increase balance, fluidity, strength and grace. The program includes precise ballet-inspired exercises to condition the body for efficient and graceful dancing, with additional postures, steps and combinations that can easily be incorporated into any dance routine. Originally developed in the courts of Louix XIV and refined over centuries, ballet is globally recognized for its beauty and athleticism. As a foundational movement style, cross-training in ballet provides structure and a common vocabulary beneficial to performers of all dance backgrounds. The DVD contains a warm up, technique demonstration and glossary of ballet terminology, drills and combinations. Each ballet step is explained, broken down and translated into a bellydance context. Drills of the ballet-inspired bellydance technique follow each section for extended practice. Longer combinations showcase the technique elements integrated with other bellydance moves. A bellydance version of ballet s traditional reverence, or curtsy, is also included.This instructional contains floor exercises that increase hip flexibility and tones key leg muscles, posture modification tips, ballet arm patterns that can be modified for belly dancers, a section on basic turns and one on arabesques, and loads of interesting floor patterns. ————–The DVD cover itself contains a glossary of ballet terms with proper spelling and pronunciation for French dance terms like pas de bourre, soutenu, and tendu as well as proper terminology for facings and staging. The various floor patterns offered in the video are great for drills and for adding dynamic transitions into your dance, and include level changes, spins and lovely arm movements. This DVD would be great for all levels, and especially beneficial for the intermediate dancer who knows basic belly dance moves and wants to add an element of polish and refinement to his or her presentation. Brianna is very articulate and easy to follow, and the floor patterns work perfectly with the music selection. Well produced, much-needed video for dancers. Three thumbs up!—————-