| | |  | BELLY DANCE | Home » » » Learn Hot Combinations with Ansuya - Belly Dance Lesson DVD | | | | | | | Description: | | Afraid your belly dance choreographies are getting cold or your improvisations are uninspired? Spice up your belly dancing with hot new combinations from Ansuya! The fun belly dance combinations Ansuya teaches in this video include:
* Funky Temple
* Freezing Cobra
* Grapevine Snake
* Infinity Sway
* Tick-Tock-Ripple-Lock
* ... and more!
Ansuya describes and demonstrates each combination, then teaches a complete breakdown of the technique, with plenty of repetition so you don't have to keep hitting the rewind button. Then Ansuya leads you through a dance drill using the combinations to practice transitions from combination to another. By the time you're done, you will be able to use the combinations in your own belly dance choreographies or improvisations.
The video ends with a full, costumed performance by Ansuya! | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Ansuya | | Run Time:
| 98 minutes | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 10 reviews |
| | | | Used and New: | | | |
| All | |
| $29.10 | Used
- Good | | | $30.00 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | Used
- VeryGood | | | $34.95 | New | | | $37.99 | New | |
| Used | |
| $29.10 | Used
- Good | | | $30.00 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | Used
- VeryGood | |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 10 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 found the following review helpful:
Hot, hot, hotNov 05, 2006
By Eden Russell
The market is so full of instructional bellydance videos that choosing the right product is almost as challenging to me as learning the content. So imagine you know the basic moves and are looking for a challenge. Tired of the few simplier choreographies you already know? Need more ideas for improvisations?
AT this level I found several DVDs on the market teaching different combinations that could be considered. IAMED have produced several of thee. The Ultimate Combinations 1 and 2 by various dancers, Ava Fleming's Traveling in Style and Ansuya's Combinations - Hot and Hot New.
Of all the above I own I like Ansuya's Combinations the most. Just like any IAMED product it's pricey but the quality of instruction and of the DVD itself are high. Total run time is about 90 mins. It includes Ansuya's combos, a combo drill and 2 performances.
WHat I genuinely appreciated about Ansuya's DVD is that it starts by explaining the proper posture. Every video says "chest up, tailbone down" but Ansuya demonstrates slowly and pays attention to the arm position. I've always wondered why my hands and arms don't look graceful - this finally fixed this issue! I'm so happy about that.
There is no warmup or introduction chapter - she goes straight to the point with the first combination, Funky Temple which is quite easy and fun. Six more combinations follow at different difficulty level. Ansuya demonstrates each combo in full costume, then completely breaks it down, explaining the technique first. The latter while detiled is targeted in my opinion to dancers with some experience. People like me whose only way to learn bellydance is watch tapes at home should appreciate this approach of pointing out the essential part of the movement when it's already become easy and familiar. Instead of using mirrors, Ansuya turns often first to show and then let you follow along, another useful habit of hers.
She gives each combo plenty of time for repetition from all angles which I enjoy a lot. I saw the previous reviewer mildly complain about it and while I agree that more content would have been better, I have to say that this gives my body the opportunity to soak in the combos until they feel natural. None of the combos are too hard but it takes time and skill to be able to do them in tempo on a fast beat. The final stage of dancing with the music on helps it and the complete drill at the end of the DVD is a great way to polish these and do them without giving this too much thought.
These combinations are universal and are great for drum solos and pop songs. As a fan of the drum solos I tried them with different rhythms and I was very excited with the results. Infinity Sway is good for chiftitelli, Frunky Temple and Bump and Wave are perfect for saiidi. The challenging Egyptian Ripple looks just right at a 4/4 maksoum.
What I love about Ansuya is that she uses a lot of undulation+locks combos. As I mentioned, these are awesome for drum solos as a substitute to the endless (and often needless in that) shimmies. The locks/accents placed at the right dums can really impress.
Ansuya has included two of her performances which are truly beautiful to watch. She's very charismatic and her technique is sharp too - which makes her an outstanding dancer.
I don't recommend this DVD to anyone who doesn't have a foundation in bellydance. Beginners going to intermediate and intermediate dancers would be enjoying these the most. Ansuya wisely included combos of different difficulty to give less experienced dancers material to work on for a long time as they progress. Those at intermediate level can learn these within a few weeks and incorporate them in their choreos immediately. I found repeating the combos all over again, especially the drill at the end to be an excellent workout.
If you're a seasoned dancer and thus are interested in something more challenging than this, try Sadie's Drum Solo DVD. For beginners, you may want to check out Neon's Party Combinations. There are 10 of them, comparatively easy and explained in detail. However, consider it only if you don't mind new age music. The DVDs I mentioned in the beginning are for the same level as this DVD.
15 of 15 found the following review helpful:
 7 stunning combinations from an amazing dancerOct 25, 2006
By Mala
Ansuya is am incredible dancer and she literally sparkles and crackles with energy. She has a healthy and wholesome look which sometimes makes me think someone should grab her for a health food advertisement. She also happens to be a great looker. On top of all that, she's very graceful.
All of that comes across in her beautifully produced Hot Combinations video. Now followed up with a second video. Hot Combinations is a part of almost every belly dancer's library. It also has a surprisingly low number of reviews everywhere and I rememnber looking all over before I bought it a long while ago.
Hot Combinations is an IAMED product and like most DVDs from this academy, it's very well produced. Everything is clearly shown and easy to find on the video.
Ansuya takes up 7 combinations, each made up of 2 to 4 moves. For each one, she shows you the combination and then goes on to break it down in complete detail, repeating parts as she goes along many many times over. She then strings together the moves and you can dance along with her for several repetitions. Finally she will perform it to music a few times before going on to the next. She teaches well, with a nice rhythm and shows you every move from head to toe very clearly.
But these combinations are not easy. I've always been a little confused about whom this dvd is meant for. If it's for beginners, they're in a spot of trouble because they will not have been through the basic isolations necessary for this dance. They will also not know quite how to use them. If it's for intermediate to advanced dancers (and it does say the combinations are meant to spice up your belly dancing so I'm assuming it is meant for dancers) then quite so many repetitions are not needed. My one quarrel with this video has always been that one could have cut down on the repetitions (one or two is okay) and given a bit more content. At its price, just 7 seven combinations isn't enough. They're also very distinctive combinations so all of them are not usable, say, in just any choreography. They have their own strong tone and would need the rest of the dance to fit in very well. But they are amazing to just watch.
The first combination, Funky Temple, is one of the easiest and most usable. It's an energetic combinaiton made up of hip drops and hits, shoulder locks and temple arms. While she teaches it, she also shows you how to do the isolation, so theoretically, a beginner could try it out. The Egyptian Ripple is one of the most difficult. It's pharonic looking and involves some challenging isolations like sharp pelvic arcs and locks, the reverse camel with change of level. Good luck to any beginners. This move will just not look good unless the dancer has the isolations down to a fine art. This is one that will only fit into a dance that has the same pharonic tone. It's one of the most difficult ones. The Camel Pull is more versitile and usable, but also challenging. It involves hip snaps, nice arm work, and camels walking forward and back.
The Freezing Cobra is one of the shorter combinations and has some cobra arm poses, a freezing shimmy, and some body waves. Not easy either. Very beautiful looking however. The Grape Vone Snake is one of the easier combinations and also versitile. Involves the grape vine step with a spanish style stomp, snake arms and a head sway. It's a favourite with me. So is the Infinity Sway which inolves the vertical figure 8 or Maya with a sway. It's very usable, as is the next one, Bump and Wave. This one uses hip bumps and arm poses. Tick Tock Ripple Lock is a fantastic looking combo--also usable--and involves vertical hip locks, the maya with a sharp drop and a nice arm movement, a hip circle and a chest circle.
There are two stunning performances by Ansuya which will again make you wonder where exactly she gets her energy.
I would love to see these combinations embedded in choreographies--but haven't. It would be great if advanced dancers would share some information on how to use these combinations better.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
WONDERFUL!Dec 05, 2006
By Rossella
"Rossella"
I think this dvd is the best I've ever bought. It's full of useful repetitions and demonstrations and Ansuya explains every combo very carefully. The movements are amazing even if they're not suitable for beginners. If you are a beginner, you should buy "Lavish layers" before.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Great combinationsJul 20, 2007
By Viviana Chan
"VC"
I'm a belly dance student who takes lessons at the famed Serena Studios. Many people are teaching belly dance who have bad technique coupled with no teaching skills.
Ansuya has excellent technique and great personality which is why she is one of the belly dance superstars.
This video contains many fun and unique combinations for the intermediate belly dancer.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Ansuya - Hot CombinationsMar 20, 2007
By Bonny Whiteford
This is a fabulous instructional DVD. I feel like I never can know enough combinations and she doesn't disappoint. Her combinations are original, entertaining and inspiring. She really does have some hot combinations and none of them are boring, to say the least.
See all 10 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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