Luscious - The Bellydance Workout for Beginners

Prior to buying this DVD, I had been working out with Rania's Weight Loss for Beginners:Hip Hop, Hip Drop. Her DVD is a workout that includes belly dance moves that are more basic.
When I first tried Lucsious: Bellydancing for beginners, it was hard for me to follow some of the moves. The instructor went over each move but seemed to rush the teaching of each move a little bit. Then after each move learned there is a practice session a " mini-workout".
I would recommend both Rania's DVD and Luscious with the caveat that you need to build up your stamina first with an easier DVD like Rania's.
Luscious is for people that already might have some knowledge of basic moves and would like to move on to more challenging moves.
Luscious is produced by World Dance Studios in New York and the dancers are professionals in full costume. It is a dance instructional workout.
Whichever one you choose, realize that it takes time to build up the strength and physical skills to bellydance. Persevere, and you will learn how to bellydance.

I loved this dvd, I did not feel pressured to have everything right all the time.I was having fun and looking good while doing it.
The producers got together some of the more sensual dancers for this dvd
and that is exactly what this dvd is about Sensuality. Right from the beginning the dancers look like seasoned vets but it does not diminish your want to try it out.
Another good thing it you are reminded to check your posture, a true bellydance statement if I have ever heard one.
It provided a good workout, without you knowing.Honestly bellydancers can get this dvd as an instructinal depending on your level of dance and use it to ppractice. It does not seem like a workout but a practice dvd which I loved.It was not a very drill-y workout to me either meaning they put some moves together did it a couple of times and moved on, no standing there doing the same thing 20 minutes later. They also built upon moves put together hip cirles with chest circles with figure 8, you really got a well rounded practice of dance with this. Not to mention you might want to still a combo here and there for an actualy performance "cough" "I won't tell if you don't."
It unconsciously helps you better get into you muscle memory moves because you just feel as if you are having a good time.I can truly saiy if my bellydance instructor had put this dvd on and skipped class I would not have been mad because you really feel as if you are heling you dance skills with this dvd.
All of the moves were not super easy to do and none of the moves were super hard. It was not between the extremes like some dvd's are, it is doable the whole dvd through.The have a tutorial at the end that breaks down the majority of the moves and all of the moves were 100% bellydance as promised.

Overall I think this was a very nice workout dvd as well as practice .
This dvd is not for a beginner more like beginner intermediate because you have to have some knowledge of the moves. That is why this dvd gets 4 stars instead of one because there were some things shown and not covered in the tuturial section like when they shimmied on one leg.The proper way to execute that move should have been shown.
Other than that this is one of the most well rounded piece of bellydance practice and fitness that I have seen.

One of the things that attracted me to this workout is that it advertises itself as being for beginners. This isn't quite true. If you've never done bellydance before, then this is not a DVD for you. It's lovely and lush, and each of the instructors are talented in their own right, but a rank beginner will find the moves hard to follow.

The DVD does include a tutorial section, which is a bonus. I wish, however, that they had filmed it differently. The tutorial appears to be filmed on the same stage on which the workout is performed, when a studio with mirrors to show more angles of Neon (who is the only instructor performing the tutorials) might be more advantageous. Neon is also dressed in a performance costume, which is a bit distracting and which makes it hard to follow sometimes, particularly in traveling moves and the movements of her knees. The tutorial for each move also seems a bit short at times, with more time being devoted to an accompanying clip demonstrating the move's use in the workout.

The workout itself is more satisfying. The vocal prompts are in general quite good, and I particularly like that there is an indication on-screen as to which move or combination is being performed. The workout is balanced and well-paced, building moves from each previous section as it progresses, and the musical accompaniment is appropriate. The angle changes are occasionally odd and distracting, but don't detract too much from the quality of the workout itself.

Although it purports to be for beginners, I would not recommend this as one's first bellydance DVD purchase, unless they've already had some instruction. For those without access to an instructor, it might be better to start with another DVD that better breaks down the basics, such as Bellydance Basics and Beyond: Technique for a Solid Foundation (another World Dance New York title). If you've mastered the basics, though, then this will be a fun, relaxed workout, well worth the money.

Too exquisite to be called a workout, this seven-part "danceout" as I like to call it, is beauty in motion. The three absolute goddesses who draw you warmly, elegantly, charmingly into the beautiful world of bellydancing, look every bit luscious. Dressed in equally luscious costumes, they create an atmosphere that totally fills your mind even as you watch on your screen.

While Neon, Blanca and Sarah may look as if they're dancing the most impossibly beautiful moves, the bellydance beginner can join in. Conceptualized and choreographed by Neon, who has produced numerous instructional videos that have spread bellydancing to many places in the world, this video is targeted at beginners. And it includes the "simpler" moves. If you've recently begun bellydancing and have a video or two focusing on basic technique or better still, if you're taking classes, Luscious will be a lovely way to practice them in a connected, smooth, flowing way. I won't describe each section because other reviewers have done so and the video clip does a great job of telling you what to expect. But I will say, that for the absolute beginner, there's a natural sort of break up in each segment which makes it easier to work with the video a little bit at a time. Another really useful touch is that in the tutorial section, led by Neon, each set of isolations ends with an extract from the danceout. You can use that to practice putting the moves into action.

The tutorial section is very thorough and the moves are explained very thoroughly at a pace which a beginner will have no trouble with. For anyone not familiar with Neon, she's particularly experienced with clear, precise and ever-so-gentle explanations and demonstrations of dance movements. She happens to be the one who started me off on belly dancing as a video-only learner and several years later I'm amazed to have reached a happy level with no injury.

For more experienced dancers, this is a wonderful video to deepen, intensify and beautify the basic moves without the usual almost-military drills we do. Use it to focus fully on engaging the abs and back while doing a full 45 minutes to strengthen the moves you'll use most often. There are combinations and arm moves sprinkled through the sessions - so it feels like a long, long leisurely dance. It's a very pleasurable way to go through all your moves, for all body zones. It reminds me a little, conceptually, of Jehan's Ultimate Fitness, which of course is a fast-paced advanced workout with complex movements and layering.

Two things need a special mention and that's the absolutely gorgeous costumes and the music. The costumes contribute significantly to how this whole video looks and the aura that it creates. They're lush and totally mouth watering. The music. Ah. There are 17 (if I counted correctly) tracks used here. They're beautifully selected and add so much richness to the dance. The most-featured artists are DJ Mosavo and Solace. I've got myself an entire Luscious playlist because the music is so very pretty.

Luscious
Neon, Blanca, and Sarah, star performers from World Dance New York are here to bring you into a new concept to weight loss,by loving yourself and gently flowing into deep core belly dance basic elements that are sensual and feminine yet sneak right in and tone, strengthen the spine, build fluidity and grace. The concept here is that continuous movements with ease will accomplish more than hard impact work outs that are short-lived.
This program runs approximately two hours. It is a work out implementing belly dance moves with clear concise instruction from each dancer.
A tutorial section including undulations, infinity loops, circles, hip accents, body line, shimmy; carefully dissected with details that comprise each section. For example, in the body line section, Neon breaks down the arabesque, the back bend, or arch and three step turn.
The workout is divided into sections:
Circles, Infinity loops, Hip work, Undulations, Shimmy, Body Line. In conclusion, a beautiful dance bringing together all the combinations used in the program.
The work out is complete with voice cues, or music only. The music is an added bonus, simply because it is beautiful! There is plenty of repetition and each section is easy to learn.
This program is complete and versatile enough for the beginner or the seasoned dancer who wants a great warm up, cool down with a gentle and effective practice while developing deep core strength and most importantly, fluid movement.
I enjoyed every aspect of this work out and look forward to it as a personal work out; gentle but effective therefore building stamina and stamina burns calories. The instruction is easy to follow, each dancer is knowledgeable, and clear to point. Their costumes are colorful and beautifully detailed as to coordinate with each other. The setting is simple and not distracting, the lighting enhances the dancer their movement, topped off by the music.
Overall, aside from delightful, the choreographies added at the end of each section will "engrain into muscle memory" all the basic moves that can take any level dancer into a daily dance ritual to embrace their feminine goddess. Make this your personal workout, and who knows, someone may comment, that you do look luscious!