Gilded Serpent presents...
How to Bellydance with
Dondi
DVD Review by Megan Marietti

Shimmies, undulations, amis, oh my! If you're looking to learn belly dance basics in the privacy of your own home, then "How to Belly Dance with Dondi" is the video that will lead you safely down the yellow brick road.

Dondi is a beautiful, voluptuous woman, who's pleasing voice direction matches her visual cues in perfect sync.

She breaks down several moves in order to give a beginner a basic understanding of Middle Eastern Dance. These basics include hip bumps, ami's, figure eights, shimmies and undulations. She also introduces commonly used vocabulary and appropriate attire for belly dance.

While this video is an excellent choice for a virgin belly dancer; anyone who has been to one or more belly classes might find this DVD a bit slow or repetitive.

She is a good teacher, and speaks slowly and clearly to ensure comprehension of oral directions. She also repeats the moves on each side of the body to reinforce balance and articulation.

While Dondi is a gorgeous woman and a very clear instructor, I feel there are one too many close ups of her during the course of the 55 minute video. During these, she appears to be more of a Texas Beauty Queen than the mysterious, sensual woman that she is.

Dondi sporadically interrupts the series of lessons to show a clip of her dancing freestyle. It makes up for the close-ups, and the beautiful dancing serves to motivate whoever is watching the video.

I was also happy to find that at the end of the video she included the steps to a choreographed routine. If one wanted to learn a complete dance, they could easily rewind the DVD and practice the set over and over.

Again, I do recommend Dondi to the dancer who desires a solid foundation before beginning class. However, if you already know the moves I previously mentioned; save your money for the real thing, a teacher you can learn from in person.

This DVD is available for purchase here

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