| | |  | | Home » American Bellydancer | | | | | | | Description: | | Documentary about the world of belly dance in the U.S.A., focusing on the creation and rise of the acclaimed Bellydance Superstars and The Desert Roses. Film covers the historical perspectives on the art of belly dance along with interviews and performances from Indonesia and the U.S. Lollapalooza tour. Officeial Documentary selection in 3 US Film Festivals (Tiberon, San Fernando Valley and Santa Cruz). | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Morocco, Jillina, Miles Copeland, Amar Gamal, Ansuya | | Director:
| Jonathan Brandeis | | Format:
| Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Ark 21 | | Run Time:
| 88 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| August 02, 2005 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 8 reviews |
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| $4.99 | Used
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 False AdvertisementAug 07, 2009
It was an interesting insight to the "behind the scenes" of the Bellydance Superstars company.-(A major professional bellydance production that tours and teaches around the world.) A look into the women who dance in the show. But mainly it's about getting to know the mastermind behind it, Miles Copeland. You get to learn about his love of music and his history of carriers in production in the entertainment business. And how he came to produce Bellydance Superstars. And his interactions with the women in the show. All the while wetting the appetite of wanting to know about and see more bellydancing. It's a decent documentary for what it is.
Had this documentary been advertised properly, I would have gone into watching this, expecting the material that was presented. IF that was the case, I would not have felt duped and short changed after having devoted a chunk of my day to see it. Because I don't usually waste time watching tv. It was definetely not advertised as "watch the Bellydance Superstars' brainchild, Miles Copeland, and his adventures in dealing with the dancers and managing them. OH and a slight fluffy history of bellydancing as well." Since Jillina, a main star of Miles's, is showcased on the cover of the documentary, I should have known it was a Bellydance Superstars production... about that dance team only, not a healthy overview of the culture or bellydancers around the nation/globe. The description about the documentary, when on tv, said nothing about being about the Bellydance Superstars. I was disgruntled because I was expecting something different. NOT my fault for expecting a good history lesson on the dance culture that deserves recognition and definition, as well about the evolution and growing popularity.
Bellydancing is a very mis-understood art and is constantly being portrayed poorly by those not in the bellydance community. I am not saying that Bellydance Superstars portrays bellydancing wrong. I commend them for introducing the dance to people all over the world. And for giving us bellydancers an opportunity to see our favorite bellydancers live, and to be able to take workshops/classes from them.
OH and, I thought it was in extremely poor taste that one of the featured dancers insinuated, I guess in a remark that was supposed to be coy or funny, that a woman needs big boobs to be a great bellydancer. I had to majorly groan at her comment and be pissed off at her, lost any respect I had for her, all because in bellydance.. it DOES NOT MATTER WHAT BODY TYPE YOU HAVE to dance this dance!!! There are majorly obese women to skinny, flat chested women and everything in between WELCOMED and comfortable in this dance. And it's constantly stated within the community to embrace whatever size you are and let go and have fun. And with this superstar bellydancer touting the exact opposite in her little remark I thought was counter productive and sickening and she is grossly mistaken and is such a jerk, to put it frankly.
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 I love BellydanceJun 26, 2006
I thought that this was a nice film about bellydancers and how they prepare for shows and what it takes to become a bellydancer. This film did inspire me to continue my bellydance classes and master the dance.
17 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 A Good BeginningApr 12, 2006
The subject of this documentary is close to my heart and really strikes a nerve. I live in a part of the country where, due to misinformation and ignorance, bellydance is equated with stripping. My co-workers were appalled when I told them that I had started dancing and invited them to class. The typical responses I get from women my age and even some younger ones range from "I'm too fat to be 'shaking it' around" to looks of disgust. I find it very sad that we apparently have made no progress toward positive body image and acceptance of our feminity and sexuality. Society has been aware of the damage that media has done for the past twenty years, yet sometimes I think we'll never get there because not much has changed.
I love this DVD because the issue is as passionate for me as it is for the dancers in the movie. In founding the Bellydance Superstars professional touring troupe, producer Miles Copeland had the right idea in presenting bellydance as a respectable art form and show equivalent to "Riverdance," but he also had a lot of wrong ideas. Mainly, Miles was more focused on youth and beauty than the skill of the dancer - his primary goal was to make money. Suhaila Salimpour helps to straighten him out in a strong and hilarious manner, and Jillina makes her point more subtly but just as strongly. Both dancers work toward convincing Copeland that bellydance is open to women of all ages and sizes and that the dance is an art form that should not place looks above talent and skill.
And Miles Copeland listens, but only to an extent. Jillina alludes to the fact that as choreographer, she still didn't have a say in choosing all of the dancers in the Desert Roses. It is implied that Miles got his way in choosing some of the dancers for their looks. Some didn't have a strong dance background and this made Jillina's job more difficult in addition to the challenges of blending the talents of the strong soloists to work together successfully.
In the end, the documentary successfully communicates the fact that bellydance is as much an art as any of the performing arts and deserves recognition and respect. This is put across through interviews with the dancers, instructors and dance historians such as Morocco. The different styles of bellydance are presented and we get occasional glimpses into the personalities of the dancers, a treat for those of us they inspire. The reality of touring is also presented - we see that it is hard work and often not at all glamorous. The dancers try to cope with this with humor - I enjoyed Rachel Brice's impromptu rap song about their "dressing room." The only criticism I would offer is that I would have liked to see at least one whole dance performance instead of the medley of clips shown throughout the film. The clips that are shown do highlight the beauty of the dance very well. The footage consists mainly of Miles and others in the industry discussing and planning the troupe, interviews with the dancers, auditions and tour footage.
When the movie's over, grab your zills for the percussion lesson included in the bonus features. Mary Ellen Donald was diagnosed with macular degeneration at age 8 and was almost totally blind by the time she was in her twenties. She not only learned to bellydance but also learned to drum. She's fascinating and she offers some helpful tips on playing your finger cymbals. Other bonus features include additional interviews and deleted scenes.
I ended up actually liking Miles Copeland. I think he does "get" it and his heart may even be in the right place. He took very good care of the dancers, as evidenced in his advocating for and protecting them in Bali. He is, after all, a businessman and the fact that he happens to be male makes him more villainous to some. The disturbing reality is that part of the non-bellydancing public wants youth, beauty and "T & A." This part of the audience is really missing out. I know many "goddess sized" dancers who are incredibly beautiful dancers. If the project is going to continue, it needs to make money and sometimes compromises have to be made, at least in the beginning. Perhaps once the show is on more solid ground older and less physically flawless dancers can be introduced.
We still have a long way to go in educating the public. The Bellydance Superstars shows are still not producing enough revenue to support the level of show that Copeland and the Superstars would like to produce, but bellydance is gaining in popularity. The film is an excellent advocate for the art form of bellydance and is a good beginning. The bonus music CD features great music from the film and is worth the price of the DVD.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
All about the SuperstarsOct 10, 2005
I rented this DVD from our local library and have considered buying it. Overall, it's a good documentary. I agree with some of the previous posters in that, it's definetly makes you think that Miles Copeland is all about money when it comes to belly dance. I enjoyed seeing the interviews with the stars. The cd that comes with it is great in my opinion. Some of the same old same old music, but some newer stuff that I haven't heard. :)
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 American BelllydancerSep 04, 2005
I'm glad I've had the opportunity to watch 'American Bellydancer'and its certainly a good $$ value, especially since you get both the dvd and a cd, but aside from satisfying my curiosity, I felt I could have lived without this dvd.
I actually got a headache watching it and found myself wondering at the end if it was really necessary to cram EVERTYHING into it. I realize its a documentary and the story being told was long, and multi-layerd .. but, it felt like information overload. It felt too convoluted. I certainly can't say I enjoyed watching it over all. There were segments I really liked, but after a certain point I found myself wonedering when it was going to end.
There's been so much debate among bellydancers about Miles Copeland in regards to his motives, and if he's helping or hurting bellydance so I was really curious to see this one. I hoped to get a sense of it all. I certainly didn't come away from this dvd with warm fuzzy feelings about Miles .. IMHO he's definitely in this for the money not the art, but I don't think he's going to hurt bellydance either.
There's not much actual bellydance is this dvd, but I didn't mind that as I felt the movie's intent is to tell a story; its not a performance video.
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