Art of Bellydance: Live From Shanghai

Uhmn.....
I was hesitant about watching this dvd, because I have not been enthused with the instructional dvd's that BDSS has produced.

The beginning performance was extremely boring. There was nothing with this piece that set the BDSS apart from any other dance company. A lot of twirls and whirls, but no real depth to the movement and again boring choreography.

The Second performance brought out Issam (Amazing drummer).Who came and interacted with the crowd, then did a piece with Sonia. If you watch his doumbek closely it lights up. Super cute.There were some parts of her performance I liked some I didn't but overall this piece was decent. She played zils :).It looked as if some of her performance was choreograph and some was improvisational,on some parts she was just off.

The third performance was tribal.The dancer with the black hair and red flower's dancing looked off.It looked as if they put the best dancers in the front. Overall the performance was...

Lacks a WOW factor
This is the first performance DVD I've seen from Bellydance Superstars, and I found it to be a pleasant show. I expected to prefer the traditional Egyptian and AmCab performances, however, I think the tribal numbers were the highlight. The presence of Issam Houshan was delightful, as always.

Three performances did fall flat for me. The polynesian number was unexciting, slow and static, completely lacking the dynamic energy that should have infused it. The bellydance-ballet number suffered from awkward moments, or, possible missteps, I honestly couldn't say after one viewing. Then there was "Ya Raitone." Think Bellydance meets Reggaeton. I don't consider myself a purist, but this didn't work on any level for me and I'm disappointed it made it into the show. It felt like a rookie error, something that should have been revamped or removed during "previews."

Those three numbers aside, overall I liked the show. However, the editing and cinematography had an...

Style over substance..........
Very pretty to look at, but, boring to watch. The choreography lacked variety and was repetitive. There was little diversity in the ages of the dancers or of body type. Even the tribal bellydancers, who are usually very distinct, blended into the general melee.

I only recommend it if you can catch it on PBS for free.

Click to Editorial Reviews