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This DVD is well presented, with attractive and useful menus and high quality professional filming. The menu gives you the option to either watch the performances straight through or to use the teaching part of the DVD, which is an excellent feature. Serena looks stunning and dances beautifully, making the 20 minutes of dancing very enjoyable to watch as a performance DVD. She dances gracefully and her warm personality shines through. Serena wears three different costumes, one for each choreography and all are well chosen and attractive. The set also has a nice Egyptian feel without being too cluttered and the dances are separated with footage of an arabesque street which adds to the professional look of the filming. The instructional part of the DVD is however disappointing. There is no footage of Serena taking you through the dances; instead there is a textual breakdown of each choreography with links to the relevant section in the performance. The right and left camera angles are not nearly as useful as being able to view the dance from behind would have been. Following the choreography breakdown requires a substantial knowledge of Egyptian dance and rhythms, so as an instructional DVD it is only really suitable for dancers of a good intermediate level or above. For anyone with the patience to teach themselves from the notes they are all very nice choreographies, but my inclination would be to attend one of Serena and Hossam’s excellent workshops, where Serena neatly breaks down her choreographies in challenging but rewarding classes. Overall the DVD is well presented, but without video tutorials it doesn’t really impress as an instructional DVD. In spite of the quality of the performances, with less than 20 minutes of dancing Visual Melodies may not be the best value entertainment DVD either. However, if it is your only chance to see Serena dance it may be worth the money. |
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