Product Description

Topics Covered:

DANCING TO LIVE MUSIC - Dancers these days just don t seem to have as many opportunities to dance to live music and are out of their comfort zone when performing with a band. In this section we interview both dancers and musicians to get practical advice about preparation, etiquette, and survival techniques.

CREATIVITY AND INSPIRATION - In this section we interview dancers about how they fill their creative wells and continue to stay motivated to create new dances.  Concrete exercises and habits are suggested while potential blockages and bad habits are discussed.    

YOUR PROFESSIONAL IMAGE - Belly dance photographer Michael Baxter gives is advice about how to get great photos.  Professional beauty consultant and belly dancer, Adriana, gives us a make-up lesson.

*BONUS* SURVIVAL ARABIC FOR DANCERS Leyla Lanty gives us a micro Arabic lesson.  You will be able to identify several of the commonly used words in Arabic songs.

FEATURED DANCERS - Nanna Candelaria, Sandra, Amira Ariana, Sabriye Tekbilek, Zari, Shoshanna, Adriana, Bahaia, Luna,

FEATURED MUSICIANS - Kaweh, Tim Bolling, Doug Adamz, Al 'Azifoon, Flowers of the Nile, Mary Ellen Donald

FEATURED EXPERTS - Michael Baxter (photography), Leyla Lanty (Arabic)

ABOUT THE SERIES

"...information that every performer and instructor should have."

What makes a captivating dancer? A captivating dancer knows how to draw in the audience and takes them on an emotional journey with every movement and expression. A captivating dancer shows us a different way of listening to the music without overpowering it and teaches us that there is beauty in even the simplest movements. A captivating dancer knows how to build drama and set up those wow moments.

Unfortunately, most dancers simply focus on the mechanics of their movements and don't train themselves in the art of performing. Many dancers mistakenly think that performance skills cannot be learned and feel frustrated that it does not come naturally.

Having sharp isolations and cute combinations are a result of training your muscles, but incorporating stage presence, emotion and musical awareness into your dance require training of a totally different kind. The exercises in this DVD are uniquely designed to help you become a better performer and to push your dance presentation to the next level.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59542 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-12-15
• Format: NTSC
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 85 minutes

Customer Reviews

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Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2J10CP354OXLB

More of the Best
The goal of The Secrets of the Stage series is to fill in the gap between what you learn in class and the skills you need to be a successful performer, and that's exactly what you get. Volume 3 is my favorite to date.

I'm a big fan of the format as well: interviews with musicians and dancers overlaid over videos of their performances. It's not a play-by-play commentary of the performance you're watching, but it does give some context to what you're hearing, and who is speaking to you.


The section on dancing to live music was very good. It had a nice mix of practical tips (don't feel obligated to hit every note and accent, pay attention to the band members, etc.) and more inspirational ones (let go and accept uncertainty). I especially enjoyed the interviews with the musicians, and was glad that not only were they represented, but that several of them were interviewed.

The section on creativity was interesting and inspirational, but not as practical. I think it's value is to get you thinking about creativity and conscious of the idea that it's something you have to cultivate, rather than to give you a to-do list of things to try. (Although I second Michelle's recommendation for the book The Artist's Way.)

The segment on photo shoots was interesting, but somewhat short. Photographer Michael Baxter gave a series of tips, mostly on how to prepare for your shoot, plus a couple on how to get your photos to turn out well (face the light source, etc.) It's definitely valuable, but I would have liked to see a lot more, ideally including posing tips, etc.

Next, there was a step-by-step demonstration of stage makeup application. This covered a full theatrical face, including a very theatrical contoured eye look that I've always been curious about. I found this very helpful, but, like most makeup artists, the narrator used a little too much jargon. (How deep a color should a midtone be? I understand what "high mica content" means, but how can we tell when we're getting one when we are looking for products to buy?)


The video ends with a bonus section by Leyla Lanty that includes a few Arabic words and phrases that are commonly heard in belly dance music. The goal is to give the dancer an inkling of the meaning of a song. She'd introduce the word, variations on it, and give some background on the kinds of contexts it'd be used in. This section was fascinating and very useful, but a few of the items (like long and short vowel sounds) didn't really contribute towards that goal, so I would have preferred some more relevant content in it's place. I'd like to see this as a recurring segment in future volumes: maybe 3 or 4 more words on each disk?


All in all, the video has a great mix of practical tips and inspiration for any dancer who performs (or wants to perform), whether professionally or just in their living room.

A Must for Every Professional Belly Dancer
I think this whole series is a must for every Professional Belly Dancer, or for students intending to perform on a professional basis. It won't teach you how to belly dance, but gives you insight to how to make yourself a better dancer by revealing interviews with performers critiquing their dance as they present their performances, as well as make-up tips; how to get the best from a professional photo shoot; and a few handy phrases in Arabic to further enhance a song you wish to dance to, by understanding the gist of the song. This DVD is a reference tool only; and not for entertainment or if you are seeking a tutorial on belly dance technique.