Review
Tamalyn Dallal Instructional DVD
On September 12th & 13th, Pamela Ball and Taiya Curle are hosting Tamalyn Dallal for a show and workshop here in Victoria.
I have been a huge fan of Tamlyn Dallal for a few years now. I think she is a wonderful example of the type of dancer who is able to present music and movement vocabulary from many different countries and styles of dance while remaining firmly within the context of Middle Eastern Belly Dance. In other words she never looks as if she has taken a piece of music and just added belly dance moves.
She has also traveled widely and written quite a few books about her travels and adventures.
I have been fortunate to attend workshops and lessons with her more than once. In person she is genuine, honest and very approachable. She explains things very well and in such a way as to make you feel that you too can eventually dance with the same type of relaxed grace and passion as she does.
I would highly recommend attending the show & workshops. But for those of you who would like to know more about her and her style, I suggest purchasing her instructional DVD entitled Tamalyn Dallal: Serious Bellydance.
It's fantastic. However, it's not a slick production DVD and it's marketed to those who are already familiar with the basic belly dance vocabulary and are moving beyond the beginner stage.
It was filmed on location at the Mid Eastern Dance Exchange - Tamalyn's studio at the that time and now owned/run by Bozenka - so you can hear the ambient noise of the street and studio and the editing is a bit choppy in places. Though Tamalyn teaches to the viewer, there are other students/dancers in the background. (You get to see Bozenka in her baby dancer days!) The instruction is accompanied by live as well as taped music.
The movement vocabulary she covers are: arm/hands, chest circles (horizontal, vertical & horizontal & vertical chest fig 8s) one-sided hip drops, hip crescents (forward, back, in, out) & fig 8s, horizontal forward & back fig 8s, vertical up & down fig 8s.
What makes this an intermediate/advanced level instructional DVD is the focus on adding depth and texture to the movements by using the core abdominal muscles and/or adding belly rolls! Further, Tamalyn teaches some basic zill patterns and adds them to the movement combinations she has taught earlier. This is a wonderful addition because many dancers, particularly of the American Cabaret era feel that zill playing is becoming a lost art in the belly dance world. I am very grateful to my first teacher, Pamela Ball, for introducing zills to our classes at a fairly early stage of our learning because I always wanted to learn to use zills and it takes an awful lot of drilling and practice to even begin to look accomplished while dancing and playing.
The DVD ends with a short clip of Tamalyn and her troupe performing at a Greyhound Rescue Gala. You see what she has taught in the execution of the dancing. Quite funny to see the dogs dressed up – even one as a belly dancer!
If you want a Bellydance Superstars type of production from your DVD then this is not for you. However, if you want instruction that you can build on in your own personal dance journey, then this is well worth your money. In addition, a portion of the profit goes to providing for retired Greyhound rescue.
To purchase the DVD go to www.tamalyndallal.com.
Bobbie
June 20th, 2008