Learning to shimmy at middle-age.

I never contemplated learning belly dancing as a fitness workout. I am your classic couch potato, sweating is just not my idea of fun. Yet, I am aware at my age that fitness and flexibility are important. Muscular women standing at the front of a class yelling out the tired old motivation phrases in a gym doesn't do it for me. I was cruising around here on Amazon and I found belly dancing for fitness. The reviews helped me make up my mind and I bought Amiras DVD. While Amira is gorgeous, young and a body to die for. You soon forget all those details as she takes you through the routines. Perhaps its the cultural background she gives, belly dancing is by women for women. Size or your present fitness levels should not restrict you from at least trying belly dancing. Amira shows warm up and warm down exercises that naturally flow with the dance routines. Slow, methodical and easy, and yet she tested body parts I didn't even know I could move. Rewind to your hearts content until you get it right. Amira has a nice soothing, inspirational voice. Great camera angles to show you how to do certain steps. Practise your shimmys while you do the dishes.

Only one gripe, the DVD format is being sold as all regions. It's not. It's probably US & Canada. Luckily my daughter has a laptop, and I use that for viewing.

Rating:


Toning The Older Belly

I've often thought that if having a belly is a criterion for belly dancing, I was certainly well-qualified; further, if I'm going to cart this belly around, I might as well tone and slim it down. Since I am a woman "of a certain age", there are muscle groups I haven't used since grade school, so I was anxious that I not rupture anything. Amira's Belly Dance 101 provides simple, straight-forward, easy to understand directions (including what NOT to do) for each movement. At first, my brain sent signals to large muscle groups that were ignored, as though the muscles were on a coffee break and couldn't be bothered to respond, but by persistently sending the signals over time I could see things like lateral chest movement, alternating shoulder thrusts, and smooth hip slides. I used Amira's warm up, isolating exercises, and cool down like a regular exercise tape and disregarded combinations until I had every one of the individual isolating movements down pat. Then I moved on to Ansuya's Lavish Layers in much the same way I approached Amira's 101, and now I do both tapes. Ansuya's tape is also excellent, but for jumping into belly dancing as a rank beginner, Amira's Belly 101 is far and away the clearest route. In addition to toning up my mid-section, I've increased my spine and neck flexibility, and mobility of movement overall. Want to know the best part? IT'S FUN!

Rating:


Perfect for New Dancer

Amira breaks down each step so the absolute beginner can actually learn to bellydance.At the end she puts some of the moves together (the combination) and it is very easy to learn.I have purchased four other videos before Amira's and could not actually get the hang of it.Amira's Bellydance 101 is the very best instructional video for the absolute beginner and I beleive Amira can teach anyone to bellydance.My husband was amazed when I went through the combination dance for him. I just can't wait for Amira's Bellydance 102 to come out!( Hope there will be one)

Rating: