Bellydance - The Next Level: Transitions, Turns & Layers

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Starring: Jenna
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: World Dance New York
Studio: StratoStream - World Dance New York
Release Date: 2008-01-29
Running Time: 105 minutes
Bellydance - The Next Level is Jenna's latest DVD for World Dance New York. It offers complete dances to perform, and much more: By learning detailed sequences your body will become accustomed to the transitions used in bellydance, enabling you to shift smoothly from one move to the next. As these become second nature, you will find yourself bringing new movements and increased confidence to your dance improvisation as well.

Jenna's program begins with a warm-up, and continues with the Hipwork and Upper Body Layering sections, each of which flows through variations of isolations and undulations, adding layers like shimmies and level changes to increase your control and range of motion.

Next, Jenna breaks down dynamic and complex turns in an easy-to-follow manner. The turns are then arranged so that, with practice, you will feel completely comfortable adding them to your repertoire.

Jenna's two original choreographies allow you to put together many of the layers, turns, and transitions into beautiful dances you can make your own. Add your personal style, express yourself, and have fun!

The first choreography, set to an upbeat saiidi-style piece with a short drum solo section, features percussive accents and shimmy layering. The second choreography is a solo oriental piece rich in musicality and filled with delicious details. Jenna performs each dance for you, then breaks down each combination step-by-step with periodic repetitions, finally demonstrating the entire choreography facing the mirror so you can follow along as if you are right there in the studio!

Excellent instructional DVD
If you are middle to advanced bellydancer, you can, and should have this DVD. It has step by step instructions on turns and transitions, and includes two complete choreography. Excellent DVD, and Jenna is an amazing, beautiful dancer. Congratulations.

An entire belly dance syllabus -- again!
The Next Level: Transitions, Turns and Layers takes up beautifully where Basics and Beyond leaves off. Unlike with many videos, there's no doubt that this is a clear step up from beginner to intermediate (for want of better terms).

You begin with a challenging warm up. I've seen so many warm ups on so many belly dance videos. I'll tell you straight off that this one is different. It's not that there are new movements, but there are complex moves that change after just two or three repetitions. You begin with some head rolls following a figure-8 trajectory. You go on to some shoulder rolls. And that's where easy ends. From then on you go straight to undulations, double undulations with level changes, hip twists with a layer of upper body undulations and more and more moves. Some may find this quick-changes warm up difficult, in which case watching it a few times first is recommended.

Continuing in the style of the warm up, Jenna takes you through a series of hip moves using the flow rather than the repetition method. You will not find yourself doing the same move 20 or 30 times. Rather, you'll go from one move to the other like a long, long combination in this hip layering drill. The "drill" aspect will have to come from doing this whole sequence many times. The moves include mayas with twists, twists with reverse undulations, one-hip horizontal circles layered on a traveling step... ah, there're too many to list!

The upper body layering drill has rib cage circles, shoulder pushes and shimmies in different patterns, shoulder shimmies layered on chest slides, torso rotations, squares, hip circles, and on folkloric steps. This is a short, short intense drill. There's no breakdown and explanation of moves here. Remember.. this is the next level. If you need breakdowns you'll need to go back to Basics and Beyond. Both these drills are also a lesson in transitions as you move smoothly and quickly from one move to the other.

Explanations begin in the turns section as Jenna breaks down each turn. She explains each in detail with all associated body movements, footwork, arm work, weight change, etc. She goes through several turns before moving into the actual drills segment. This begins with showing you how to spot. And then, systematically, you begin working on the turns, first with the main elements and adding on more as you go along. Many of these are used in the choreographies later on the DVD. Beautiful, graceful turns.

The only thing that comes as a bit of a shock is that this too is a super short section. It's over before you know it. Thankfully, the choreographies will use what is in the drills and you'll get practice, but I have to admit I'd have liked much, much longer drill and turns sections, specially since that's the name of the video. However, I'm not taking a point off because the sheer amount of content, so well explained, is more than one could have ever hoped for.

Celebration of Rhythm
I have thoroughly enjoyed learning this choreography. I worked with Jenna as systematically as she has worked to teach the 9 combinaitons that make up this choreography, set to Celebration of Rhythm from Jehan's GoddessDance CD. It's a saidi-like piece with the second half being quite drum solo like. Jenna first demonstrates the whole choreography. Not in costume. And then we go through each combination, one at a time, with two rounds of practice with music each. Each combination has only its own practice sessions, not the previous ones in a building block format. I'm fine with focusing on one combination at a time. The teaching is at a lovely pace. Not too fast at all, and not painfully slow. And it's completely detailed.

Raks Bedeya
If you add the previous 9 combinaitons to the 27 in the second choreography, you have a staggering 36 combinations on one DVD. And remember that's not the only thing on the video. When I compare this with a lot of other videos, specially some from IAMED, I'm amazed at the amount of content one gets for less than half the money. You can't get more generous with combinations, really. Two whole performable incredibly-taught choreographies.

I haven't learnt this second choreo yet but plan on getting to it pretty soon. After Jillina's Egyptian Pop. It's a long, long tough one. Lots of turns, nuances, detail. It's a very pleasant choreography and one from which you'd be able to take away so much. All the transitions and turns are packed into this choreography. Get through it and it would affect the rest of your dancing, for certain.

Raks Bedeya is from Wash Ya Wash 2 and is a lovely piece with lots of variation built into it. Changes of pace and all. This choreography moves a fraction faster and does have chunks practiced together rather than only one combo at a time, going all the way through 27.

There's a cooldown of gentle stretches.

Jenna performs both choreographies in costume. She looks cute and if you work witht his video, I'd really recommend looking at the full choreography on each practice session. You'll take in the nuances that kick in only during a stage performance.

What would I give it on a 5-point scale? 9.

Like it a lot
After getting Jenna beginner belly dance dvd I was a bit put off, but after reviewing this one I am on deck again. I love the drill sections they are truly the only reason I get any dvd and I love them.As an intermediate I felt challenged with the drills and was happy when I got better at them.

There are two intermediate-advanced choreographies. The content menu is broken down into warm-up,hip layering drill, upper body layering drill,
turns,and turns drill. Most of the time I only get dvd's for the drills and leave a bit dissappointed, but these drills were wonderful and fluid.

The choreographies both consist of 27 combinations followed by a cooldown.
The choreographies looknice put together and her performance is fun and upbeat.

wow - i'm really impressed w/this Jenna!
i just got this and so far played it 3 times. but after seeing the trailer here i decided to get it. WOW - this is really challenging, and i'm now using this for my daily drills, i love it that much! jenna is great, clearly explains everything as she does them, and really challenges you to go just a little bit more than you're current skill level while gently encouraging you and keeps you going. i'm definitely going to look for some more bellydance DVDs by Jenna :D

Exceptional supplemental Lesson Tool
To any amateur dancer who is looking to improve her own choreography and increase overall dancing abilities, I would highly recommend this DVD as the perfect supplemental tool.

This DVD delivers in every aspect. The Drill sections offer opportunity to practice basic hip and upper body movements, while incorporating layers and transitions. I will say that the pace of the drills is pretty rapid, so you will need to utilize the pause button quite a bit.

After mastering the drills and the turns section, Jenna has two choreographies that are both elegant and technically challenging. Each choreography is broken down step by step so that you can attempt the entire routine on your own.

I use this DVD as a practice utensil and as a supplement to my in class lessons. Its right at my level (intermediate-Advanced). However, If you have taken or are taking belly dance lessons, this DVD will be very useful. I would not recommend this to a beginner or someone who hasn't taken lessons because the DVD is geared towards Intermediate to Advanced dancers.