A New Review from Reader and Dancer, Andrea...
       Intended for all styles of bellydance, any instructor and/or student can benefit greatly from this wonderfully structured presentation. A mental, rational companion for a very physical activity, this work is the bridge that has been needed for bellydance students and instructors everywhere.
       Zanbaka includes a 'how to use this book' section, a brief history and styles, an introduction to the importance of learning styles, naming conventions of moves and a way to accurately refer to each move. She maps out the bellydance body, showing the regions and individual muscles that come into play during bellydance.
       Next, injury prevention and a unique perspective on stretching and warming up followed by posture and balance. A simple technique to neutral pelvis is introduced. Then three standard bellydance rhythms are broken down and a basic counting lesson is given. A practice structure follows.
        Directional orientation is included, helping eliminate verbal confusion. Foot positions, basic levels and foot patterns are defined and discussed, followed by two warm up phases. The first phase gets your body going and the second one includes light stretching and toning. Several basic turns are then discussed.
       Moving on to isolations, key discussion of positioning, degrees, contradictory movement, shimmy, shape making, percussive/smooth, undulation and layering concepts is presented. Isolations are presented for each region of the body, which include: head, shoulder, hand, wrist, arm, ribcage, abdominal and hip isolations. Greater attention is paid to shimmies by showing how they can be powered differently.
       Flamenco clapping (palmas) and finger cymbals are introduced, followed by a two-phase cool down. Deep stretching is introduced. A brief discussion of transitions closes the instructional part of the book. Appended: 10 Practice Sessions outline, words of wisdom developing presence, gaining constructive feedback, corrections, and raising the bar for bellydance. A bibliography and index are included.
       I think most importantly, Zanbaka makes it very clear at the beginning that a book (as well as DVDs, videos, etc.), no matter how expertly done, is not a substitute for an experienced, well-trained instructor. IMO, this book is a study companion, much like massage handbooks are for massage therapists. No one book will serve every need. IMO, this book does an excellent job of serving the needs of the visual-verbal learning quadrant. (IMO, everyone benefits from stimulating all learning styles, regardless of personal preference.)
       Given my personal preference for visual-verbal (or read/write), I found this book to be very exciting and a reference I am using daily. I also believe that *any* book, regardless of its quality, can provide helpful feedback, even if it's through negative information. With that in mind, if you are not a big book buyer, and you want a good bellydance reference book for fundamental movement, at this point in time, this is it. It's the most bang for your buck.
       Yes, $50 is a lot of money for a book. However, workshops usually cost the same amount or more and this reference will last a lot longer than a workshop when it comes to being able to refer back to information.
      I find it difficult to find any cons about the book. Especially since there are other volumes in the offing. I am looking forward to exploring my passion/obsession further through this series. The main con in my opinion is the book is terrifically dense. There isn't a lot of extra verbiage in the book, so every sentence is important. This can be overwhelming and the brain can glaze over if it's taken in too quickly. Personally, I plan on studying this dance form for the rest of my life, so I feel confident I will benefit tremendously from my tendency to read a book through, then go back and really go deep with each section. There is the danger of treating it like a self-help book or reading it once or only half-way through, then never referring back to it. I think the best scenario is taking classes from a great instructor who is open to continued learning and using the book to fill in the gaps and bring more awareness into the studio.
       The bottom line: this book makes you think about bellydance. And invites you to rethink it, and then consciously decide whether to keep your current practices, slightly modify them, or completely relearn some things. It answers questions I didn't know I had. It brings up new questions, which is always exciting IMO. Even if you don't agree with anything in the book, that in and of itself will tell you so much about your own practices and give you confidence in your decisions as a dancer. All of this is written in clear, concise and well-defined language. This book cannot be recommended highly enough. It is so packed with information, you will refer to it again and again, whether you are a beginner, a seasoned performer, a student, or an instructor. Well worth the price. It goes on the shelf next to "The Tribal Bible".

Preview pages and ordering info at: http://www.zanbaka.com/versatiledancerseries.htm

July 25-27 - Workshops and Performances with Zanbaka in Columbus, OH - Habeeba's 3rd Annual Midwest All Star Bellydance Weekend
A full weekend of workshops performances at Habeeba's 3rd Annual Midwest All Star Bellydance Weekend with guest instructors Sahra Saeeda and Zanbaka. Both instructors will teach 3 hour workshops on both Saturday and Sunday. Stay tuned for more details.