The Goddess Workout with Dolphina - Bellydance FItness 4 DVD Box Set

Rating:
Summary: Great DVD's!
Review: I'm a beginner bellydancer, and these dvd's have been really great! They have different and challenging levels, and I've had nothing but fun learning the moves! Every time I watch them I have a really positive workout and it always leaves me feeling energized the rest of the day. I highly recommend these to anyone that wants to learn bellydance!

Rating:
Summary: Great DVD's with personality!
Review: I've been dancing for a few years and had never tried bellydance before. These DVD's made it easy to learn the art and beauty of bellydance. I would recommend the Goddess workout to anyone with the desire to learn more about bellydance. Dolphina is beautiful and her instruction is very well done. The one thing I would have like more of would be detail in the footwork that goes along with some of the basic moves.

Rating:
Summary: Great DVD's with personality!
Review: I've been dancing for a few years and had never tried bellydance before. These DVD's made it easy to learn the art and beauty of bellydance. I would recommend the Goddess workout to anyone with the desire to learn more about bellydance. Dolphina is beautiful and her instruction is very well done. The one thing I would have like more of would be detail in the footwork that goes along with some of the basic moves.

Rating:
Summary: My Opinion
Review: I've grown up with a variety of Belly Dancers in person and a wide variety of home instructional Videos. (The areas that I've spent the majority of my life are rural areas that frown upon things like Belly Dancing.) I recently bought the first two DVD's in the set after renting the second video (The Warrior Goddess workout). She teaches in a style that is different than most. She explains exactly where your hip[or insert moving body part name here] is going and breaks each move down into sections. Granted there are costume changes & lavish scenery, but compared to some of the older videosby other performers, its a great improvement!! And at about $10 a DVD or video, your not really spending a fortune on the products. (some sets of 4 VHS are $140 or more!) Also, everyone needs to remember that there are several styles of belly dance out there & everyone has their own interpretation of what the dance should or should not be. All in all, if your looking for a basic practice video/DVD to workout with after your belly dance class (with a real live instructor) - this will work for you, especially if you work & have children - its short, sweet & to the point.

Rating:
Summary: don't do it
Review: It was not at all like any other belly dancing videoes I have. she runs through quickly, is annoying and goes w/less tradtional moves to give it a "modern" feel. If you want to learn the true dance try Venna and Neena. They walk you through everything and are great preformers, you start to feel after a few times you know what you are doing, and my husband appeciated the results after their videos. But this one is only good for a workout not learning tradtional belly dancing.

Rating:
Summary: Great style, unhelpful camera work
Review: My daughter and I really enjoy Dolphina's style, enthusiasm, spirituality, encouragement and humor. However, the camera work is not good much of the time. As others have said, while she's demonstrating complex lower body moves, the camera is on her upper body and you have absolutely no idea what she's doing down below. She's wonderful, but she needs to find a new cameraperson.

Rating:
Summary: "Shoyle boyle" is Turkish for "Not So Great"
Review: Really this DVD set is mediocre at best- particularly the beginners video. The biggest gripe I have is the Camera work. An exercise video should concentrate on the exercises being shown but half the time the camera is only looking at her face. They did a wonderful job as far as scenery and costumes, but its all worthless if you can't see what or how you are suppose to be doing the moves. Also, its more of an annoyance than anything, but she's really into the whole Chakra thing, I'm sure many people like to hear this stuff but personally I find it pretty Hippie Dippy, but what did I expect from someone named "Dolphina". Aside from her granola personality, she seems to be a good instructor, if only she could adjust the camera person/director's chakras into making a practical bellydance video.

Rating:
Summary: "Shoyle boyle" is Turkish for "Not So Great"
Review: Really this DVD set is mediocre at best- particularly the beginners video. The biggest gripe I have is the Camera work. An exercise video should concentrate on the exercises being shown but half the time the camera is only looking at her face. They did a wonderful job as far as scenery and costumes, but its all worthless if you can't see what or how you are suppose to be doing the moves. Also, its more of an annoyance than anything, but she's really into the whole Chakra thing, I'm sure many people like to hear this stuff but personally I find it pretty Hippie Dippy, but what did I expect from someone named "Dolphina". Aside from her granola personality, she seems to be a good instructor, if only she could adjust the camera person/director's chakras into making a practical bellydance video.

Rating:
Summary: Dolphina is a GREAT teacher!
Review: So far, I have the beginner video, Warrior Goddess video and the Veils video. She is an excellent teacher and these videos are motivational! The first one is an excellent choice for these reasons - she is motivational, interesting, gently encouraging and you will feel sexy by the end of the workout! I started this because I haven't been able to lose exra weight from having a baby over a year ago. I have not felt sexy, just MOMMY! Well, I was feeling so good after using this video, that I got the others and also signed up for a class in my town. I go every week now and do the Goddess workouts in between.

I have the same complaint that many others have mentioned regarding the first video, though. The camera work really is bad in parts of the video, but not throughout the whole video. Mainly, it was during the "Camel" exercises and "undulations" at the end that they didn't really show what she was doing. I consider these more advanced moves anyway, now that I am taking a class. I think Dolphina didn't get into it much because of that reason. She goes into it much more in the Warrior workout.

Her costumes in the first video kept my interest and intrigued me. And to the person who said that they are not real belly dancing costumes - why would you say that? They very much are! I have done a ton of research since starting these workouts and real-life classes, so I know that there are all kinds of belly dancing styles out there - from the tribal style of Fat Chance Belly Dance to the caberet style to others.

As far as the Veena and Neena videos ... I was given one right after I had my baby and I found it a good workout, but boring! They don't talk in the video and their outfits are boring! In addition, I injured myself doing their workout, so I haven't really gone back. Their personalities do NOT come through. They might be good for their technical explanations - maybe? - but get the Goddess series to find the spiritual and beautiful side of the dance.

I also have the Rania workout video where she uses bellydance steps to Salsa and other latino music. It is repetetive and boring, also. It is produced by the same people that do the previously mentioned boring Veena and Neena videos. However, there is a great bonus ab workout on the dvd and also two performances by Rania that are excellent, worth the price of the dvd. She is more athletic than Dolphina, and I think less sensual, but has a ton of energy and is very accomplished. Different styles, both entertaining and beautiful. I just got the Rania video where she does 5 ten minute workouts using belly dancing moves and others to create quick workouts. These are great if you have kids and not large blocks of time.

(I really don't like the way the Rania/Veena and Neena viedeos are produced! - with voice over, and the dancers looking here and there with no focus. It's kind of weird.)

FWIW, you can go the the fatchancebellydance.com site and order their music and tapes. I got their Tribaldance/Tribal drums cd because my teacher uses it for class, and it is great! There is alot of good music out there, but I can recommend this one for sure.

On a website of belly dancers in Southern California, it said that Dolphina was saved by dolphins after a near-fatal boating accident in the West Indies. I am guessing this is where she chose her stage name. it is very common to take on a stage name, and even as a beginner, have chosen one for myself.

Everyone has a different learning style, so if sounds like something you would like, despite others criticisms, I say, "Go for it!" It's probably just right for you, then.

Rating:
Summary: Good but hard to follow
Review: Wow, I did get a great workout from the video. I have to say it was a lot more challenging than I expected, but I totally agree with the other person who said it was difficult to follow. For an intro to bellydance, they focus a lot on her face, not on her whole body; there were times I could not figure out what I was suppose to do (were my knees bent? Was I stepping forward? How was I suppose to step forward? What was she doing with her arms?) A different camera angle is all I need to completely love it, though. I think they are tremendous fun!