Love Potion

What a lavish production! I truly don't know where to even begin! I will start off by saying that I am not a "bellydancer", but I like to "play" with bellydance workouts for a chance of fitness pace. Bellydance workouts add a bit of a "fun factor" to my routine, but I also want them to provide some sort of cardio or toning benefit as well.

The DVD is expertly chaptered and very easy to navigate. There is a chapter entitled something like "about this workout" which I went to first. Here, Neon explains this is not a cardio workout, but that it will strengthen, stretch, and condition your body for bellydancing. So far, so good. Other chapters available to select from the menu included Tutorial, which I had already learned from Neon in the "about this" section that this is the place for absolute beginners to start. Another chapter is called "Practice Flow" for beginners with knowledge of bellydance terminology, and "Workut" for experienced bellydancers.

The Tutorial included topics such as walking, pointed toes, hip lifts, hip push, isolations, and dance postures. This is a great primer or even a refresher. I love Neon's accent (I love the way she says "push", she really pops her P's and it comes out more like "poosh") The Practice Flow began with footwork - hips, grapevines, rocking step, temple step - then put it all together for a fun combination.

The demonstration for each section was very detailed, maybe too much so for more experienced dancers; but as already mentioned, this section can easily be skipped. You can do the Practice Flow with voice cues and music (which I did) or music only (which I experimented with.) Since this section was done in voiceover, there was none of the weirdness of watching her move her mouth with no sound coming out, like what happens in some DVD's when you select the "music only" option. The next section includes hips, semicircles, full circles, circles with arms, I-hip circles (watching her do these, it's easy to see why her midsection is so toned!), hip pooshes ... er, PUSHES ... then combinations. Next comes pelvic circles, chest circles, then combined pelvic and chest circles; then infinity loops and infinity loops with footwork.

I was making notes while watching her move, but the music was so inspiring that I put my pad away and got up and danced! That's the sign of a good workout, IMO!

Let's see - the next section included chest lifts and pelvic drops (isolations), then combined with what we previously learned (layers); then undulations, undulations with knee bends, undulations with footwork, and reverse undulations. The next section demonstrated hip lifts, hip drops, hips with footwork, hip twists, hips with arms, hip shimmies, and hip slides. Finally we came to a combination pattern - of previously learned steps with bigger arm movements, pivot turns, snake arms, and s-curve poses.

Neon was alone in the Practice Flow, but all three dancers were involved in the Workout and they took turns leading various sections. The workouts were all done on a stage draped with rich red fabric, the outfits were simple red and gold outfits for the practice, with more elaborate costumes for the workout. Great setting, great costumes, great music! I loved the final song, "I am the Desert Rose … find your goddess …. dance with me … forever free!"

This was a fun, low impact toning workout. It would be great practice for anyone wanting to learn some new bellydance moves, or for someone to put together moves they already know in a refreshing new way.