Habiba employs her unique teaching technique in this
DVD. Following a live performance of the choreography is
an hour and 40 minutes of instruction. The choreography is
divided into eleven manageable segments. Each segment is
named for its rhythmic pattern. Each segment is further divided
into three sections. First, the steps are demonstrated with
appropriate explanations. Next the section is "walked through" without the music. And finally the section is danced with the music.

     Habiba's consummate artistry as a performer and outstanding creativity as a
choreographer are matched in this DVD by her skill as a teacher. Her talent as a
teacher lies in her ability to present each series of steps in a clear, complete and concise manner
that is comfortable for both the most advanced dancer as well as the less experienced student.

     To order the music, Midnight Magic, go to Dr. Samy Farag's web site or order it from Sphinx Records.

Purchase Habiba's GAWAHER today!

GAWAHER - "A CHOREOGRAPHY IN THE EGYPTIAN STYLE" - HABIBA (USA)
reviewed by Raqs-sharqi.com

Although not a commercially produced production, Habiba's video does have good production quality and is professional presented. It is geared towards intermediate/advanced dancers.

The music used in this DVD is clearly listed both on the packaging, and on the actual DVD itself, together with information on where to purchase the CD from. Habiba teaches an Egyptian style choreography to Samy Farag's "Gawaher" from his album "Midnight Magic" which is 15 and a half minutes long. Don't let the length of the music put you off! (See explanation further down).

THIS DVD HAS THE BEST EDITING I'VE EVER SEEN, EVER.

The main menu is very clearly laid out - you can either play the entire DVD, watch the live stage performance of the choreography, learn the choreography, or view the credits. Teaching of the choreography has been divided into 11 very easy to follow parts - the teaching part of the choreography has divided by the various rhythms/styles contained in the music, for example "part 1 the opening", "part 2 malfuf", "part 3 maqsoum", "Taqsim 1" etc - an act of brilliance, helping the student dancer become familiar with the rhythms in the piece while learning the choreography. Each "part" of the choreography has three sub-sections "Elements, Walk Thru" and "With the music".

Although at first glance the secondary menu seems very busy, in fact this means it's very easy to get to the *exact* part of the choreography you want to learn, and you can just choose the bits you want to do, so you don't have to keep winding forward to back, or keep *repeating talk throughs* and walk throughs you've already gone over.

In the teaching section, Habiba stands against a white background wearing a black unitard and hip belt. Although she doesn't break down each step in detail, she does some helpful tips for the more difficult movements. The choreography itself fits the music beautifully, and is dynamic with lots of different elements, and I found because Habiba's choreography fitted the music so well, I didn't have trouble remembering "what comes next". I liked Habiba's teaching style - she gets across the elements of the choreography very effectively, and without waffling. I was very impressed the the very professional standard of her teaching.

As I said earlier, don't be at put off by the fact that the entire choreography is 15 and a half minutes long. The brilliant way that Habiba has put the choreography together in rhythmical sections means that you can in fact use most of the sections by theirselves as individual short choreographies, and easily edit the music down using Habiba's structure to create shorter versions of the choreography etc. Habiba's skill at choreographing and understanding of the music means each section of the choreography has a "complete" feel about it, so, if you do this, it won't really feel like there's part of the dance missing - also the music contains two drum solos which also can be used individually if you edit the music.

Excellent value for money, "concise and precise" teaching style, well structured choreography - you can learn a lot from Habiba using this DVD! Highly recommended!

       I first encountered the choreography that is on Habiba's new teaching DVD at the Raks Adunya Festival August, 2001 in Gainesville, FL. I have taken workshops with Habiba on several occasions in the past, but they were always for her folkloric specialties (Ghawazee, Tunisian, Andalusian). Although I had seen her perform Orientale, this was my first time to experience her teaching of it. And what an experience! She chose a 15-minute Egyptian-style choreography to music by Dr. Samy Farag. It was hot. There were times during the class that I actually cheered because I loved what she was doing so much. And as some indication of how good a teacher she is, we actually got through most of the choreography (I think about 13 minutes or so). And even though we didn't complete the whole thing, the music had a lot of stops in it so we actually got several possible routines. So when I heard she'd released a teaching DVD of the same choreography, I was interested to see how it translated to DVD. And besides, it would be a helpful reminder of the choreography, which I quite enjoyed.

      When I got the DVD, I immediately appreciated that she listed the music, which is readily available, right on the DVD box cover, along with where to get it. The piece, from Dr. Samy Farag's album "Midnight Magic", is about 15 minutes long. I had to wonder how she was going to squeeze it all on a DVD. But she does. First she shows it in costume, in a live performance. This introduces you to the music and gives you an idea how the choreography works as a complete dance. I liked that it was from a real show; it's nice to get the feel of the audience interaction.

      Next, she breaks down the choreography in sections. Each section is identified by its rhythm--this was a nice extra tidbit for those of us who might recognize the rhythms but don't remember all the names. For each section, first she breaks down the steps for that section; then she does a walkthrough of the section without music; then she dances it with the music.

       The breakdowns go pretty fast--they need to, to get everything on a two-hour DVD. But after all, this is DVD, and if you miss something you can always go back and look at it again, as many times as you need. Habiba's explanations are very clear, and when apropriate, she turns sideways to make it easier for you to see what she's doing. This is not a DVD for raw beginners, though, because she doesn't break down every individual movement. You do need to have at least a basic bellydance vocabulary. On the other hand, she does provide additional helpful details and tips for some of the more unusual or potentially misunderstood movements.

       The walkthrus could have been omitted to make a shorter DVD, but I think they're helpful for reviewing the steps and making the initial rhythmic connection with the music. The dancethrus with the music are a pleasure: it's fun to see how the steps fit with the music. And Habiba really gets into the mood when the music starts, smiling and enjoying it even though she's just in a studio.

       Some of the sections are a bit long to digest all at once, but there is that rhythmic logic... and of course, it's DVD, so you can always work on just part of it if you want.

      Overall, I would recommend this DVD to dancers of intermediate level and higher. The material is within the grasp of an intermediate dancer, but still contains some really nifty combinations and stylizations to make it fun and interesting for the more advanced dancer as well. The music may be a bit too long for performance for many of us, but the sections allow it to be cut and shortened in any number of ways. So whether you choose to use the whole choreography, or an edited version, or just want to pick bits and pieces out to put in your own choreography, you're sure to find Habiba's DVD a useful resource.

Dear Habiba,

My name is Linda. I'm a student of Mo Geddawi. I live in Italy near Venice. In Italy I lead a Belly dancing school, my stage name is Fairouza. Last summer I saw your web site and I asked Mo to buy for me the Gawaher DVD. I watched this DVD with Mo in Berlin, where I usually go to study with him, and I think it is fantastic. As soon as I came back to Italy I began to learn it and recently I performed in a stage with your choreography. I had a great success. I admire your style and your technique. It is really difficult to find a DVD well done like yours.

Linda