Reviews for Drills! Drills! Drills!

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By Natalie Kohler
Once again I am so impressed with Michelle's down to earth attitude and her amazing teaching ability. This dvd can be used for many purposes I believe. From a beginner who cant take classes or an advanced dancer who needs a challenge and wants to improve form. This is not a dvd for those who simply want to learn choreography and use choreography to improve their skills. This is exactly what I've wanted since I began dancing, I do not believe learning choreography and imitating other dancers will help anyone learn good form. This is such a great way to practice dancing because you are training your body and strengthening your muscles. Something so many dancers skip over is form and drills. I hope Michelle continues to produce more DVD's because she has become a favorite of mine.

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By Sparrow
The one thought that kept popping into my mind as I was watching it was "Wow, that's really intelligent!" Michelle obviously put a lot of thought into this both from the perspective of an instructor and of her students.
The instruction overall had some aspects that I find very helpful. Michelle does a great job of explaining exactly which muscles are involved in the movements. That helped give me a better understanding of why I was having problems with a certain movement I've always struggled with. She was also good about pointing out pitfalls to watch out for. Much of the dvd was filmed with her back to the camera in front of a mirror, too, so you don't have to mentally translate when she mentions left and right.
Before she even gets to the movement drills, Michelle takes you through a bunch of well thought out strengthening exercises. Despite having taken classes and many workshops over the past several years, a lot of the strengthening exercises were new to me. I especially liked the body roll one which should help a lot with the control of my undulations. The drills themselves progress from slow to fast and basic to layered, to layered with zils, followed by a choreography using the drills. Again, I thought it was great that Michelle pointed out that you can train your mind to learn choreography more easily. So, part of the dvd is a drill for your brain, as well.
I can easily see it being one of those dvds that I come back to time and time again. I will definitely be recommending it to everyone in my troupe.

Reviews for Secrets of the Stage 2

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By J. Davis
Wow, what can I say about this dvd that the first reviewer did not? If you are a Belly Dancer who is thinking about entering the world of restaurant/private party performing, this is the dvd series to get. Packed with great information, from some of the best professional, multi award winning dancers in the US, about the do's and don'ts of what it means to be a Professional Dancer, this dvd will help you through it. Michelle also has a Master's in Counseling, and draws on that knowledge to incorporate techniques to help dancers improve stage presence.

Reviews for Secrets of the Stage 1

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By Cameltribe
Wow, finally all the secrets are out. This DVD tells you how to relate to the audience, how to project yourself as a dancer, how music is the key to performing, practical exercises to do when you get nervous - and lots more! Well presented format with bellydancing footage to watch while you think about the topic being demonstrated. Waiting for volume 2!

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Rachel M. Allen
This is an amazing DVD for all bellydancers in any stage of their learning and dancing ability. Highly motivation, adds common sense to stressful situations that a dancer will come across at one time of another, and it makes a nice reassurance that the show will go on with a smile and a shimmy and not to sweat it. Thank you! And I look forward to Volume 2 :o)

Reviews for Body By Bellydance

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By J. Schick
Michelle Joyce is an amazing teacher. She is warm and friendly, but not overly perky and she is not plastic and stiff like some instructers out there. She breaks the moves down into easy to understand segments and I love the way she gives little safety and/or performance tips along the way. There are different sessions depending on your fitness level, which is great! As a beginner, I like that when I have mastered session 1, I can move on and not be bored doing the same thing all the time. As someone looking to stretch my dollar, I appreciate getting multiple workouts in one package!

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By Maya F
I have bought all of Michelle's DVD and I have never been disappointed. Her persona on camera is excellent and she is an encouraging and educated teacher.
In the past I have been disappointed with "belly dance workout" DVDs because the actual workout is so mild and the instructors usually aren't that skilled in the dance. Michelle is a personal trainer, so she knows what a workout it. I really like that she does some belly dance instruction, but then the takes the moves and changes it up so that you aren't doing classic belly dance. She does all sorts of different variations of the moves that is designed to get the muscles burning. And there is a very good cardio section also (that really is cardio).
If you want to learn classic belly dance, maybe one of her other DVDs would be better designed for that (though you do get a breakdown of technique here too). If you are an exerciser wanting a new workout, this is for you! If you are a belly dancer (like me) and you want to practice the basics while getting in shape, this is for you also!

Reviews for Vashti's Gypsy Passion

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By D.J. "Dava Jay"
Vashti has a very lovely style. She says in the trailer that it is a fusion of belly dance, gypsy and spanish style dance. That is a very good description. Some of the other reviewers said they didn't think it was "gypsy enough" and that it had too much spainish style, but wasn't Spain on the Gypsy Trail? The gypsy dance style evolved with spanish influence so I thought the DVD was perfectly within the style.
About the product, the dance is to a beautiful piece of music and the choreography is elegant and challenging. Vashti breaks down each move then teaches the choreography in pieces both facing us and then facing away. This all takes about 2 hours. The chaptering of the DVD is like other Cheeky Girls DVDs, it is easy to navigate and the menu is a strong tool. She uses her skirt as a prop and teaches specific moves involving flipping the skirt and wrapping it around yourself. This was very fun, but I will need to buy a fuller skirt. You should be warned that you will also need a full skirt to do this piece. But it says "with skirt" on the DVD cover so it isn't as if they don't say so.
The production quality was good. The red costumes stand out against the background which makes the dancers' movements very easy to see. There were a few different dancers used to demonstrate and they represented a range of body types which I liked because moves can look different on different bodies. There were close ups sometimes on something being talked about but it was mostly a head to toe shot of the dancers. There was a complaint about the camera work in another review but I only counted 2 minor moments where it was even something I noticed. The DVD is full of good information for a reasonable price and the instruction is easy to understand and follow.
This would be good for someone looking for another style or prop to use in their dance. It would not be good for someone wanting beginner belly dancing technique.

Reviews for Pop Lock and Shimmy

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Elaine Phillips "Elaine"
I recently ordered this DVD, Pop, Lock & Shimmy & I just LOVE it. The moves, the drills and the music are FANTASTIC and ENERGIZING. The DVD is broken down into segments of the dance and then combos of the dance. Michelle patiently explains the short combo of moves first a couple of times and then performs the same short combo of moves to the drum solo music and then performs the same combo of moves faster to the drum solo music (if you prefer). There are PLENTY of REPETITION DRILLS for each move in the segments so you have plenty of practice. There is also a bonus presentation of Michelle in custom performing this drum solo.I am an intermediate belly dancer and perform a couple of times a month @ various restaurants and the pop and lock combos along with different shimmies and layering moves Michelle teaches in this DVD are GREAT and a GOOD WORKOUT. The DVD is set up so that intermediate and advanced belly dancers are challenged and it is also INEXPENSIVE.This DVD is a MUST have for all belly dancers because many of the detailed pop & lock movements she teaches are needed in performances and are a big part of belly dance that are NOT often taught in class. They are also fun to perform as a dancer and MESMERIZING for audiences. I DEFINITELY would add this DVD to my belly dance collection as one that you will use regularly.

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By Farah
I can never say enough good things about Michelle Joyce! She produces fabulous, reasonably priced dvds that are LOADED with fantastic instruction and belong in EVERY belly dance students dvd collection.
Since it would be absolutely impossible to do a better or more complete review than the one by Amanda, I will keep my comments brief and say: "Pop, Lock and Shimmy" is an absolutely MUST HAVE dvd! Michelle's extensive and WONDERFUL drills will tone and prepare your muscles for the rigors of the drum solo. Also, the drills are fantastic as stand alone workouts and will definitely burn off any unwanted "winter weight" that may have accumulated over the past few months. The instruction sections on pops and locks are the among the best I've ever seen and Michelle's friendly, conversational teaching manner makes learning these difficult moves fun. So,in short, if you want get in shape and learn how to perform a knock 'em dead drum solo GET THIS DVD!! Bravo Michelle - keep up the great work!!

Reviews for Perfect Hips

See our review in the New York Times!

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Mary Elizabeth Sullivan
This is one of the best bellydance DVDs I've tried. The drills are enjoyable, the camera angles are clear, and the music is good. It is also probably as close as anyone is going to get to an "all-in-one" instruction and workout combined. Michelle breaks down the moves clearly so that even a total beginner can follow along, yet it is still athetically challenging enough for a more experienced dancer. I would definitely reccomend this DVD to anyone interested in bellydance or fitness.

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By Stacey Marker
I have a black belt in Okinowan Kempo. I run five miles a day. This workout actually made me sore in spots. The music makes you want to move even before you know what you should be doing, the instructions are clear and precise, making it easy to comply. I enjoy it one month after arrival. Fun, challenging and instructive.

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By Maya F "maya100"
It is true that there is some overlap between this one and the Belly Dance Basics one, but I think that earlier reviewers have made too much of it. The overlap in material and footage is minimal and there is tons of fresh material on each DVD. Both are exceptionally well done and very helpful for the beginner dancer. Great quality, great instruction, highly recommended.

Reviews for By Dancers For Dancers Vol 1

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By Farah
This is one of the best performance dvds I've ever seen. The dancers controlled the editing so the angles are perfect, making it possible to see the choreographies from the feet up! Thankfully there are none of those goofy MTV style cuts and wacky camera angles that are so prevalent in other dvds. Great dancers, beautiful costumes and wonderful performances. Bravo!!!!!

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By Dorothy A. Arida (WI,USA)
BDSS has nothing on you! I wish I had ordered this instead. The dancers are very real and not so made up that you forget what your looking at. I love the classical spin on everything that was done and the fact that not everyone is a size 6. If this group ever toured the U.S. I think you'd give BDSS a run for their money. Wonderful and I hope to see more soon!!!

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By Shannon B Davis "Nepenthe" (Arlington, MA United States)
This is a great video for dancers! All the dancers have beautiful costumes and look professional, and the sets are nice without interfering with the enjoyment of the dance. Some of my favorite dancers are on this DVD: Zaheea and Sandra! I also learned about some new dancers that are now on my list to watch. The music was well-selected and there wasn't a single performance that made me cringe (cannot say the same for some other recent releases). Because the videography was geared towards making the dance easy to watch, it was very easy to take in the whole performance. The camera did not linger on the face or just one part of the body, but instead showed the whole body. At the same time, perspectives did change to make it interesting.

In depth reviews can be seen on the Gilded Serpent website

Reviews for By Dancers For Dancers Vol 2

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By Ryan Manley "R. Manley" (San Francisco, CA)
I have been a connoisseur of belly dancing for many years and I can say that these women absolutely know belly dancing. From their technical skill to their artistic interpretation, this is truly a balanced and professional DVD throughout. That fact that the DVD was produced by a dancer was also quite evident as the true art form was highlighted which has not been the case with other belly dancing DVDs I've purchased. By Dancers for Dancers is a beautiful representation of one of my favorite art forms.

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By Cari L. Campbell
This is a very solid performance dvd, and I think it's a great value for the money. All of the dancers are polished, graceful, and professional. As with Vol. 1, there were no crazy camera angles that were a distraction- the whole dancer was in view the entire time.
I enjoyed watching the different ways each dancer interpreted the music, and they all had beautiful costumes and were beautiful to watch! All of the dancers chose routines that focused on their dancing (not their props) and I found them all to be very fluid dancers.
This DVD is full of good performances. I don't think you'll be disappointed!