Search - Dance Today! Flamenco - Active Lifestyle Makeover on DVD

Incomplete

Sonja Combest | USA | 06/04/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I've been dancing for nearly 20 years. I've taken mostly ballet, but some modern, tap, jazz, swing, and other styles here and there on the side. I took a Flamenco class for a semester in college and really enjoyed the experience. So, clearly, I'm only just a Flamenco novice, but I do know how dance classes of various skill and formality levels are run. I thought I would refresh my memory and sneak in a bit of post-work activity with an instructional DVD. This not only seemed to be the most popular Flamenco instructional DVD on Amazon, but it also had the best reviews. I couldn't wait for it to come.



Unfortunately, I immediately sent it right back to whence it came. While Puela's performances are lovely and her introduction to Flamenco is informative, this DVD seems sorely incomplete. WHERE is the warm up? There is none. There's also no technique section to speak of. I should have taken the description more literally, I guess, when it said "learn two beautiful dances," because that's all that there is on this DVD. There are step-by-step breakdowns of specific routines. The end. While this DVD would be a nice addition for someone who can already do their own Flamenco warm up and technique, it is not at all what I expected from a beginner instructional DVD.



I wouldn't have given it such a bad review if I didn't feel like it was actively misrepresented. The "Active Lifestyle Makeover" label gives the impression of a class-like light activity/work out video. I have several dance instructional videos and nearly all of the beginning level have a "virtual class" sort of set up with a warm up and specific technique exercises prior to choreography sections. I really did want to love it, but it was neither what I feel like it was represented to be nor what I was looking for."

Great choreography, some flaws in presentation

Gypsy Denisea | New Jersey, USA | 07/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was looking for some gypsy dance instructional DVDs & came across 3 names of interest: Dalia Carella, Vashti, & Puela Lunaris. All 3 have something to offer. The "Gypsy Tangos" on this DVD is a great choreography, which I have learned & performed in public. I like that Lunaris has the full version of the dance in both the instructional mode & a performance, and that you can download the music for $1 with either Spanish lyrics or English. The white background is also good in reducing distractions. On the negative side, you only see the choreography from the front (no mirror image or view from the back), and Lunaris' sense of timing is rather fluid. But it is still a good DVD, and a great value for the money."