Sensual Bellydance, with Blanca: Sensual dancing technique how-to, Beginner-intermediate belly dancing classes, Belly dance instruction

When I first heard of this dvd I was a little put-off by the name "Sensual Bellydance", but the reeviews on Amazon persuaded me to order it. I was not disapointed! I've only had my copy for a few days and have not managed to use the entire dvd yet. So this review contains my initial impressions.Blanca moves very fluidly and dances beautifully. Her performances are excellent and demonstrate what she teaches on tis dvd. I found her technique breakdowns to be very clear and detailed--including visualizations and details such as the orientation of the head. The flow section is very effective at helping the user practice the feeling and techniques of this sensual style.Best of all, this dvd really does provide a "missing link" as another reviewer mentioned. I love that Blanka's style is fluid and uses the entire body rather than an assortment of "isolations". Most beginner/intermediate level instruction that I"ve seen really focuses a little too much on isolations, which are great to practice to build body control but can lead to segmented and stiff dancing when overdone. I am impressed that she manages to teach basic/intermediate technique in a more holistic way and that expresses the sensuality of this dance form. Dancers who use this dvd would develop performance skills along with technique and an enjoyable dance experience.My only problem with this dvd so far is that I find it too inspiring so I never finish the entire dvd session. At some point, I feel an urge to put on some music I love and just dance!Who may not be interested in this dvd:*Those who want an intense workout may find it a little too relaxing, though portions could be incorporated on light days or as a warm-up/cool down. This dvd is dance focussed rather than exercise focussed and much of the dancing is slow in tempo.*Dancers focussed on a specific ethnic style of Oriental Dance (bellydance)... Dancers focussed on Turkish, Egyptian or other styles may find some of Blanka's technique conflicts with their own. However, I think some dancers of this style may still enjoy it for developing fluidity and the ability to "feel" the dance and express sensuality through dance.*Absolute beginners may prefer a different dvd to start. It is hard for me to say as I didn't use dvds as beginner, but I think it could be great for beginners who have established good basic technique.Who would enjoy this dvd:*Advanced beginners-Intermediate dancers who would like to move from practicing technique to fluid and sensual dancing! For that matter, this would also be good for advanced dancers who are more technique driven and want to soften their focus a bit.*Those who admire Blanka's dance style and want to incorporate it into their own.*Dancers who are intrigued by "Goddess" imagery may love this! I am not one of those dancers, but Blanka does it in a way that doesn't bother me. She is a great example for those who like to incorporate fantasy elements into their dance in a way that is both powerful and natural.

I just got this the other day, bought it more or less on a whim, but what a great deal. Quick FYI: The info said it was 60 minutes, but it's actually 2 hours of dance/instruction.Blanca is very pretty, very serene, with a soft accent, which sounds very soothing. She's not perky with a huge grin splitting her face in two and she's not all bouncy and bubbly, none of that instant best friend vibe, just pleasant and serene.It's a sensual dance instruction and she wears her part very well. The settings are very nice, not distracting, and she wears great costumes for teaching (you can see her legs when she does the moves). You can also see her perform the dances in full costume and she's very lovely to watch.My husband really liked the music and the dance style for its sensuality and slow, languid movements. I watched one of the dances first and thought, 'wow, I'd like to move like her.' She moves like liquid, like silk, whatever elegant, graceful, flowing metaphor you want.Instructionwise, she breaks everything down very well, from snake arms, using a lot of descriptive terms (like your arms are moving through honey, is one example), hip circles, figure 8's, and so on. Then she builds on these initial, isolated movements, and you learn more layers, combinations, steps, and build on and on. She even explains alignment, how to align your head, for example, to look more graceful. It's a bit like the Jillina dance instruction dvds, in how she gives you the basics and you build on and on until you are doing a choreographed dance. And of course you can skip and just do the basics or dance along with her, or just watch Blanca, which is what I want to do in addition to learning to dance like her.The music is very nice too and the dances are slow and languid, nothing super fast, but your muscles will feel it nonetheless. It would be fine for beginner dancers or for intermediates. She doesn't spend a huge amount of time on each move, so you do get a lot for 2 hours, but you can always rewind 15 or 30 seconds and review.I've got 20 to 30 bellydance dvds and vhs tapes at home and while I've seen and worked out to a lot: Mara, Jillina, Bellytwins, Kathy Smith (just that one), Bellyqueen, Bellydance Superstars, Suhaila, East Coast Tribal, American Tribal and more, I still am very happy with the dvd. It's shot a good angles (not distracting or only focused on the abs), the production is very good, and it's a nice focus on flowing dance. It's not something you pop in to learn a couple moves for the club, but a lovely sensual routine to stretch and dance to. Venus is the right name because it is very sensual and elegant and beautiful.

This DVD is horrible - sorry - I'm sure the girl is sweet and all but the DVD is horrible - period.

I do happen to really like this video. Blanca is a beautiful dancer. Actually I have to say my favorite. She is the epitome of sensual. She choreographs a very beautiful dance. Her arm movements are truly exquisite. Even her warm up you feel like you are dancing a sensual dance. It really does take alot of practice though to achieve to her level. Believe me, I videoed myself after practicing her choreography and had to laugh. My video reminded me I'm still very much a beginner. All the more reason to practice.I do have to mention that I wasn't impressed very much with the practice sessions. She does a full costumed demo, then she goes thru it with voice cues. Its a little fast. Then she does a practice with your lower half of your body, and then one with your upper half of your body. I didnt find these to be very helpful. A little more practice sessions on the whole dance with your whole body, would have been better. Neon has a Sensual Goddess for beginners out, that is actually structured alot better. Neon is a great teacher, and she really breaks it down better than Blanca. That doesnt mean you shouldnt buy this dvd. You can't learn to dance sensually anywhere else better than watching Blanca.I wouldn't recommend this to absolute beginners. You would get overwhelmed. It is not easy to dance like her, but If youve been taking lessons for a little while at least, Blanca can help you to get the grace you need and have alot of fun doing it.