Product Description

Veena & Neena Bidasha have practiced bellydance since childhood and traveled throughout the Middle East and India to perform and develop their techniques. They teach popular classes for a wide variety of folk dances from around the world and have performed in film, television, theater, music videos and even during the Academy Awards. Their amazing talent and delightful style will keep you captivated and totally motivated.

Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Slim Down is a full-body workout that slims and tones your body through cardiovascular and strength dance moves. Fast bellydancing burns calories, while building cardiovascular endurance. Muscle isolation exercises tone your hips, buns, thighs and abdominals. All these moves interweave bellydance basics. So you are beautifying your body while practicing bellydancing's charms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7387 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-01-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 33 minutes

Customer Reviews

So fun!
Ok, so I was skeptical as to whether or not I would like this workout DVD. I was pleasantly suprised. It was so different from my usual work outs that I found myself having fun (mostly laughing at myself). The steps are simple, though for the coordination-deficients out there (me), you may have to pause the video once in a while to practice the move before continuing.

Sometimes the camera does closeups at inopportune moments -- this causes you to see only the hip movements, but not the foot placement, for example. That can get annoying.

I was a little dissapointed that the "trailers" did not have videos from Neena and Veena's series. Instead it was for some other woman. Also, they weren't really trailers but segments from those workouts. This was sort of nice because it gives you an idea what the "flavor" of the workout will be, I assume.

In short, after trying this video, I definately intend on buying other Neena and Veena workouts to spice up my usual work out home routine!

By the way... I don't mean to be crass, but I suggest wearing a heavy duty sports bra for the well endowed. The workout requires a lot of bouncing.

I AM THIN AND BELLY BEAUTIFUL!
I HIGHLY recomend Veena and Neena's "slim down". When I started this program it was in December of 2002. I was 60 pounds overweight and becoming deeply depressed because of it. I actually picked up Veena and Neena's "fat burning" VHS tape and having enjoyed the tape so much I bought "slim down" soon after. As soon as I started "slim down" I enjoyed it even more than "fat burning" and stuck with it. At first I started out small and did the tape once or twice a week. Febuary I started doing it at least three times a week. I lost 15 pounds before April. Starting in May I switched to a Low carb diet, cut out sugar drinks and drank LOTS of water. I kept up my workout ritual with the belly-twins and did the video four to five times a week. Between April and August I've lost about 35 pounds. A total of 50 lbs! I've gained beautiful muscle, I'm toned and I've only got a short way to go till I reach my goal weight! Veena and Neena's program has inspired me to take bellydancing classes. This DVD is a work out video (not a dance instruction video) and it will take a little time to learn the moves. Learning the moves doesn't take away from the intensity of the workout though. As soon as you familiarize yourself with the moves I promise you'll love it! If you want to learn the dance itself I suggest Veena and Neena's other DVD's and tapes "Mystic Dance" "basic dance" and "beyond basic dance". The workout videos do however use bellydance moves for the workout. I own all their programs and out of all of them "slim down" has helped me the most.

Shake Your Hips to Slim Down Your Waist
Workout Description: about 20 minutes of cardio / light toning w/ 5 minute warm-up, 3 minute cool-down, and 3 minute stretch for a total of 30 minutes
Workout Level: mid-beginner to low-intermediate. You can modify the moves for low or mid-level impact by adding or taking away jumps and bounces. The choreography is fairly basic.
Instructor: Veena and Neena Badisha (known as the "Bellydance Twins") via voice over to announce the exercises and offer encouragement
Class: Veena & Neena only
Music / Set: The non-vocal music is Middle Eastern-inspired. The set is brightly lit, with carpet, rich-colored curtains, and pillows scattered around the back. You'll recognize the set from other Natural Journeys videos.
Equipment Needed: none
Caveats: There are few pointers for form. I don't have the introductory volume of this series, so I don't know if that's where technique is discussed. I feel, however, that this should include form tips regardless.
Additional Comments: You don't need a lot of space for this workout. You should be able to take one step forward and back and two steps to each size.
This isn't a true belly dance routine. You will learn a few belly dance moves, but most are derived or just inspired by various Egyptian or Middle Eastern dances.
Some cardio parts of his workout are almost a little too rigorous for true beginners, but more intermediate exercisers will probably find the repetitive movements too dull. This workout is best for those who want more variety among their beginner dance videos (bellydance, hula, Latin, or whatever).
While a lot of people will enjoy this non-intimidating approach to fitness, this workout just isn't for me. I like dancing, but I much prefer ballet or even jazz to more hip-shaking forms of dance. This workout's a little too slow for me and doesn't have enough focus on form. I've found that it leaves me sore and aching-and not in a good way.
The DVD allows you to select your chapter and to choose to workout without the narration. There are photos of Neena and Veena from their other bellydance videos, trailers for Natural Journey's other bellydance videos, a performance clip by a bellydancer named Marina, and a segment called "Flexibility Training" by Rania (I believe), who doesn't have very good form.