As printed in the Quarter 4/2005 issue of The Belly Dancer Magazine

"Belly Dance: Fitness for Weight" Loss

featuring Rania

    I am always on the lookout for all things belly dance, so here I was in a small town library, and found this video! Natural Journeys, a company that produces other videos such as Yoga, Meditation, and Pilates, apparently has a belly dance set, which also includes Belly Dance Boogie, Pure Sweat, and Hip Drop Hip Hop. I was interested to see the presentation and focus on "Cardio Shimmy."

    The video is about 30 minutes long, and was made in 2002. It is not flashy, showy, or strong on technique, but it really is a nice "belly dance cardio workout." Rania is joined by a group of dancers who all perform the movements and combinations in matching practice wear.  They are a smiling and energetic group, and they do place a couple of pauses, and encouragement, in between short sets. There is a short warm up, and a short cool down that includes floor exercises. Throughout the workout is the repetition of hip and shoulder shimmies through the use of 8-count combinations. She starts with a breakdown, adding traveling steps, and hand and arm frames or movements along the way. 

    The set is beautiful, the photography and sound were well done, and the music is modern and "fusiony." Rania performs to a drum solo at the end of the video in a gorgeous dark purple cabaret costume. She can shimmy for a long time, and I sure thought I saw a lot of Tahitian movements in with the belly dance movements. Rania is a certified aerobics instructor with a strong dance background, and combines these energies in this video. 

http://www.raniabellydance.com * rania@raniabellydance.com