Drills! Drills! Drills! A complete workout with finger cymbals for belly dancers of all levels

Wow! I did this video for the first time last night and I couldn't finish it! And I'm sore today! I've been dancing since 2002 but I've had to go on hiatus since July of 2009. I can't practice with my troupe but 1 day of the week due to my schedule and that day is only for learning and practicing choreography. SO....I decided to get this video to get back into my groove and also get into better shape.Michelle is a demanding taskmaster, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her. Some of these drills are HARD (like the core strengthening) and the video is long. But through my years of dancing and practicing I've found out that we really don't hit our stride until 45 min or so into the practice session. Some of the moves I have trouble with (especially layering stuff over a grapevine, I'm not used to doing that), but I know if I keep doing them, one day the proverbial light bulb will switch on and I will do it correctly!I really like how Michelle talks about the importance of drilling. It is true that when a lot of dancers get past the beginning stage, they forget about the basics or think they aren't important, which is totally not true. Going back to the basics and drilling those core moves will ALWAYS make you a better dancer, no matter what level you're at. Also, her talk about posture and drilling the moves on both sides is good advice.Now for the cons:-I notice the audio cues sometimes don't come soon enough. When she tells you to do hip bumps for example, it comes right on top of when she starts doing the hip bumps.-The counts on the moves are not always even. Especially during the isolation drills where one foot changes positions. She'll do 4 of one, 6 of the next one, 5 of the next one, then 8, etc. Some people might not even notice this but I did, so I just tried my best to even out the counts of each move.-There isn't really a warm up. I chalked it up to this video being for intermediate/advanced dancers who should already know the importance of warming up, but it would still be nice to have one.I also ordered the Pop, Lock and Shimmy video so I will try that one tonight. Thanks Michelle for making these videos, I want them all!

I've used this DVD on a weekly basis for months now. It offers sharp, clear instruction. My gripe with this DVD (this is a pet-peeve so please disregard if you don't care about cinematography) has to be the different outfits, the change in lighting and the camera angles. I prefer videos that give me the vibe that I'm working with the instructor, and the change in outfits between sections hinders the experience for me. It's apparent the video got filmed on different days. Her workout costume, not my favorite. You can't see her feet very well, and she has to pull up her pants every now and then. Also, I'd prefer to see the entire body instead of switching back and forth between belly shots and full frontal.Okay, I don't want to end on a gripe. The DVD has wonderful layering drills that workout your brain and your body. If you're learning zills, you will be pleased to follow along and then add the instruments to other drills. I think the best part about using a drill video such as this one is that you're perfecting your basic belly dancing skills without even realizing it. And you can use the concepts behind this video to structure your own lessons at home.

This DVD is exactly I was looking for to refine my home practice, on top of taking regular classes. Being a former ballet/contemporary dancer, I know the importance of keeping up with basic exercises to keep the body well conditioned for dance. I discovered belly dance about 7 years ago, and completely fell in love with the art form and decided to study it extensively. But I always wished there was a method I could learn that is similar to the exercises I used to do in my ballet classes, in order to strengthen and tone the appropriate muscles and improve my quality and technique dance.Michelle's DVD has given me exactly what I had been craving in my belly dance practice. It is very challenging, fun, and well produced! She has certainly given me a lot to work on now. Michelle has a very sweet and super friendly personality, so it's very motivating for me to put the DVD on and spend a little time practicing with her! She uses both encouragment and positive reinforcment to keep me working hard, especially through some of the more challenging drills.All in all, this is an exceptional DVD for belly dancers who wish to refine their technique. Additionally it's a useful tool for teachers who are looking for new drills to help their students strenghten the the muscles used in belly dance.

Michelle Joyce is a very good teacher. Her explanations are clear and helpful. One minor criticism is that the drills are often not "on" the music, By that I mean that she does not always start on 1 or 5 and the moves then don't happen on the beat, but I don't think this will bother most people. This could be a result of the looping process and post dubbing as her performances do not share that glitch.The menu setup is very helpful and extensive with broad sections leading to more detailed choices. You can just go to the exact segments that you want to work on without the need to fast forward endlessly (which is a common problem) or choose to go from start to finish. And the added finger cymbal drills on their own and layered onto other drills bring a new dimension that you can take advantage of or not to fit your own needs.Another excellent addition to Ms. Joyce's series of instructional videos.