With Spanish subtitles - con subtítulos en español.
This 4 disc set has over 7 hours of totally original content that
touches on everything that Zoe Jakes personally focus on in her own
dance. She has taken her favorite exercises, her favorite warm ups,
and her favorite moves and combinations and put them into a format that
you can put into your own style of dancing.
Each DVD is a progression from basic to advanced concepts and
techniques. There are options for different levels, so you can grow and
progress with each segment.
DVD #1 begins with Zoe's own personal warm up and a word about posture.
Then we start exploring traveling movements and variations. After a
drilling segment we move on to something that Zoe gets asked about a
lot: flutters. Then we learn a few unique combinations. Each combo is
carefully explained then extensively drilled so that it gets into your
muscle memory. There is also a 40-minute bonus class that was filmed at
one of Zoe's workshops.
DVD #2 focuses on hits, which are sharp, punctuated movements followed
by a flowing and soft aftermath. We discuss the difference between
pops, locks and hits – with an emphasis on a stylized release and
recoil. After drilling this concept we put it to use in several
combinations. Next we do some strength and flexibility training that is
especially geared toward belly dancers, who tend to universally have
tight hip flexors, overuse their abs, and have a weak psoas. These
exercises are essential in preventing injury and creating a balanced
body. Extras on this DVD include: a feather fan tutorial and live
performances.
DVD #3 is all about how to initiate movement and how to throw your
weight around in a dynamic and creative way. You can achieve a highly
stylized look simply by the way that you choose to approach your
movement. As always, there are drills and combinations on this DVD.
There is another long bonus class that was filmed at a workshop as well
as a never-before-seen live performance.
DVD #4 focuses on the advanced art of layering – but don’t be
intimidated, Zoe does offer different options for different levels so
you can start with a more basic version and work your way up. After a
detailed instruction and a long practice session we do our combination.
Extras on this DVD include: a make-up tutorial, where Zoe candidly
takes you through the process of putting on her stage make-up as wells
as an extended practice session where you can dance through all of the
drills and combos from the whole series back to back without stopping.
Each DVD goes in depth in it’s focus, breaking down the technique then
extensively drilling the concept. You can take the technique and add it
to your personal style, or see how Zoe has incorporated it into her own
stylization in the combinations section. The concepts in this DVD can
be applied to any style of dance, which is demonstrated in a surprise
cross over performance in cabaret style! With a bit of practice you
will soon notice an increase in your balance and strength, a broadening
of your movement vocabulary, and an improvement in your overall dance
presentation. 
