Rating: 
Summary: Short but a good workout
Review: I just finished doing this workout for the sixth time and my face is that beet red color pale skin gets after exercise. That is how I know it was a good workout, not to mention I am hot and tired and feeling that pleasant rush one gets after exercise.
Anyway, this video starts with a warm up that I like because I can tell that even the warm up will tone my muscles. It includes hip circles, snake arms, and hip drops, all moves that I can feel in my muscles after doing them. Normally I hop around a bit as I am getting a workout DVD to the right place and skip the boring warm up but I do this one because it feels beneficial.
The workout consists of a series of short dance combinations that are taught slowly and then quickly. Each one is layered on top of the next until you end up doing 5 different combinations in a row. The moves are easy to learn -not frustrating at all- I learned them the first time I did this video. I can still hear in my head "step together step touch drop drop drop."
This is a workout video and a good one for a beginner, not an instruction video so I have not taken a star off for bouncy non belly dance form or for facial expression. The reason I took a star off is because it was a little shorter and less intense than I wanted. When all five combinations are put together, you only get to do it three times before Rania says it is time for cool down. I have to get my remote and go back a bunch of times to get the workout that matches my energy level.
All in all though I enjoy this as a short workout video
Rating: 
Summary: Weight loss yes, Bellydance NO
Review: As an exercise tape this would be great to break the monotony of leg lifts and running in place. However, we got this for our dance group, thinking it would give us a dance oriented workout to build a bit of cardio/stamina. Whereas, I believe that she is probably a very good dancer in person, the moves are sloppy in this presentation. There is definatly more emphasis on exersise than dance, as (according to the title) there should be. This tape would more likely teach bad habits to people who are looking to pick up dance at as a hobby. If you are looking for a pure dance tape, the Neena and Veena dance videos are better. Even better would be some of the private label productions from many of the fine dancers and dance troupes in the US such as Suhalia Salimpour and Fat Chance Bellydance (Try their Women's workout...owww!). Even better than that, support your local dance school if you have one. It fell behind the couch 3 months ago and I have never bothered getting it back out.
Rating: 
Summary: Agree Totally with Debbie Byrd
Review: Debbie Byrd, I agree with you wholeheartedly with everything you wrote. The only things I can add is that during the whole workout, she stares like a student who just feel asleep, not knowing what to do next, who didn't do her homework & is hoping the teacher doens't call on her. She keeps looking left & right for cues constantly. To even follow, I have to make sure I don't look at her face or be turned to stone like Medusa.I am shy about trying to dance, so my own dance ability is sadly lacking. Where I can keeep up with Bellydance Fitness for Begninners by the twins & their Discover Bellydance, I can't with Raina. I can only a little because I tried the twins first. Though some of the moves are beautiful, and some are complex, the dancers looks too stiff. I want to be inspired by a dancer's grace, ease & enjoyment while doing it, but they are too rigid for me. The twins, though forced to constantly smile like everyone is by every director/cameraman, they do look like they are at least enjoying teaching & executing the moves. I like doing dance workouts because I get a great workout AND I learn to loosen up, be more aware of my body, and more fluid in my movements in a fun way. Gyms are too boring for me, I feel like a mouse waiting for cheese on treadmills. This tape was too fustrating for me.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Fun
Review: Debbie Byrd, I agree with you wholeheartedly with everything you wrote. The only things I can add is that during the whole workout, she stares vacantly like she doens't know what she's doing, looking left & right for cues constantly.
The dancers looks too stiff. I want to be inspired by a dancer's grace, ease & enjoyment while doing it, but they are too rigid for me. The twins, though forced to constantly smile like everyone is by every director/cameraman, they do look like they are at least enjoying teaching & executing the moves.
I like doing dance workouts because I get a great workout AND I learn to loosen up, be more aware of my body, and more fluid in my movements in a fun way. This video kept me too stiff.
Rating: 
Summary: It's not hip hop and it's not belly dance.
Review: Don't get me wrong, Rania is gorgeous and has a killer body, but this workout is misbilled as "belly dance" or "hip hop." The music is more New Age-[...] than Middle Eastern, and it sure isn't hip hop. The "workout" is boring, and there are almost no instructions, so if you don't already know how to execute the moves, you won't learn.
At least two of the backup dancers are much better belly dancers than the star is, and her plastered-on smile started to get on my nerves. It would have been better to have her actually talk to the camera rather than use a voice over, because there's no connection between her and the viewer. The flying camera was annoying too. How am I supposed to follow what the dancers are doing when the camera angle keeps changing? It seemed like they paid for this fancy expensive camera and wanted to get their money's worth, regardless of whether it added to or detracted from the presentation.
The performance at the end was okay, but not great. It didn't involve much real belly dancing, and the violent head snap she did repeatedly looked dangerous. (And pretty silly, after the umpteenth time she did it.) You could seriously injure your neck trying to do that move. It bothered me that a "fitness" video featured a potentially damaging movement.
This is not the first "belly dance" video I've seen that came out of this production company, and unfortunately, the flaws in this video seem to be part of the whole series. They hire beautiful women who are good dancers but aren't the best *belly dancers*, and try to pass them off as superstars. I get the feeling that the people who put out these videos don't know anything about belly dancing, and don't care. They're just trying to cash in on the lastest craze.
Rating: 
Summary: my perspective
Review: I bought this set before I read the reviews here. I am a personal trainer/fitness instructor, and I thought these workouts were well written, well-produced, and well executed. One of the most difficult things to do as an instructor is break down a new dance style without stopping the workout. Rania did an amazing job of starting techniques slowly, repeating them, layering them, then speeding them up to tempo. After watching the performances at the end, I realised why she left the more strenuous or potentially dangerous moves out of the fitness programs. I was really impressed with the whole set. When I read through the reviews I noticed that most of the negative reviews came from people proclaiming to be belly dancers. I was a jazz dancer before becoming a fitness professional. There is a big difference between teaching dance for fitness than for teaching dance as an art form. When teaching for fitness, you have to use only the moves that are effective in terms of fitness, safe, and ones that target a range of muscles groups for a well-rounded workout. If you are expecting to learn to really dance, buy a dance instruction tape. If you want to work out safely and effectively using bellydance moves, this set is first class. Congratulations to Rania.
Rating:
Summary: Useful and fun
Review: I do belly dance and found this video a fun workout and easy to follow. Easy to remember combinations. Good for a beginner. Rania is stiff and has a fake/glazed mannequin smile. She also fails to isolate for belly dance and tends to shake it for club dancing but I knew better than to follow. It was helpful and I really will buy other things from her because of that but I suggest to someone learning belly dance that they take a class first then start with Neena and Veena. Jillina is too advanced for a beginner and this one is just not proper technique. More for a fun workout. I will use it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Fun
Review: I get tired of the same old exercise videos, so this is a great break. Having never tried bellydancing, even if the video is not reflective of bellydance--who cares when the purpose of the video is to exercise! Although they could show more of the actual leg movements and quit focusing on Rania's pasted on smile, the routine is easy to learn and a great break from everday workout videos. And most importantly, the 30 minutes goes extremely fast!
Rating:
Summary: My Top Pick
Review: I have over 20 belly dance and belly dance workout videos, and this one is my top pick. It is well produced, great dancers, clear instruction, danceable music that is palatable to the Western ear (not that whiny, Middle Eastern wannabee stuff), and two stunning performances (like really stunning). Most of all, it was actually fun. I had fun and enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: Bellydance, no - Bellydance WORKOUT? Absolutely.
Review: I have quite a collection of bellydance videos, owning all of Rania's workouts, all but one of Veena and Neena's, and two of Dolphina's (Intro to Bellydance and Warrior Goddess). I must say, as much as I practice each one of them, this one never seems to get old; I could do it everyday. Granted it's not traditional, flowing, bellydance, it's fun 100%. Besides, to any of those complaining about this workout being too rigid, consider this - you bought a Bellydance FITNESS DVD, not a Learn to Bellydance video.
And fitness you cetainly get: great warmup, awesome routine that leaves room for your own attitude to come through, and soothing cooldown. If nothing else, buy it for Rania's performance at the end - very powerful!
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