Best DVDs for learning.

[teotjunk]

I have been searching for good DVDs for learning and these are the few that I come up with

http://www.dancesport.uk.com/video/fb-ddc1698.htm - Discover Dance Series 2 Combinations

http://www.dancesport.uk.com/video/dsi-7189.htm - It's time to dance - Waltz, Quickstep, Slow Foxtrot, Tango, Rhythm Foxtrot

http://www.dancesport.uk.com/video/dsi-7006dvd.htm - Mirko Gozzoli & Alessia Betti, A Technique of Advanced Standard Ballroom Figures

http://www.dancesport.uk.com/video/dv-disvv158.htm - Victor Veyrasset & Heather Smith, Internat Standard Syllabus

http://www.dancesport.uk.com/video/dv-discb171.htm - Corky Ballas & Olga Rodionova/Kristina Pchenitchnykh - International Latin Syllabus - Bronze


Basically I got the list from here

http://www.dancesport.uk.com/video/index.htm

From reading around, I get the impression that the Victor Smith and Corky Ballas DVDs are the best but I can't really afford them so I am deciding between the Discover Dance Series and the It's time to dance series.

Does anyone has any comments on which is better?

teotjunk

[moderated by latingal - commercial links inactivated]

[TinyDancer109]

What will you be using the DVDs for? Will they be your primary method of learning or merely a reinforcement for your lessons?

If you are a new dancer and want to buy a DVD set to learn to dance, I strongly suggest reconsidering. It is important to have a coach there physically show you (at any learning curve) what to do and what you are doing wrong. It is also important to be able to feel your partner, not just watch what a partner is supposed to do... it will also be a mess if you and your partner are both learning from the video and fumbling about because neither of you has any previous experience! :nope:

Of course, lessons can be expensive so if you are truly serious about learning but lack the finances, i suppose DVDs are as good as it gets (although those are pretty heavy on the wallet too, i hear!)

If you are just using the DVDs as reinforcement for your lessons, i suggest speaking to your teacher about it as styling/explantion differences may be involved.

Sorry not to answer the question, but these things are important to consider! :)

[teotjunk]

I have been taking lessons for the past 2 years already and am looking for DVDs to reinforce my lessons


teotjunk

[teotjunk]

Anyone knows the cheapest place to get dancing DVDS on even get them second hand ?


I am particulary interested in Victor Veyrasset & Heather Smith, Internat Standard Syllabus and Corky Ballas & Olga Rodionova/Kristina Pchenitchnykh DVDs


Cheers

teotjunk

[Leonid Turetsky]

I really like Victor and heather's standard syllabus DVDs or videos! they explain things very thoroughly and they are definitely worth the money...

As for other DVDs... if you are looking for dancing technique DVDs, I recommend Slavik and Karina's Innovation series.... very very good technical explanation (as far as learning from DVDs goes)
Also their "Dancing basics with passion" for all 5 International Latin dances are very good - they are produced and hosted by corky ballas....

Good luck!


Anyone knows the cheapest place to get dancing DVDS on even get them second hand ?


I am particulary interested in Victor Veyrasset & Heather Smith, Internat Standard Syllabus and Corky Ballas & Olga Rodionova/Kristina Pchenitchnykh DVDs


Cheers

teotjunk

[teotjunk]

Has anyone heard of this website?

[pirate website removed]

Because they are selling their dance DVDs at prices way cheaper than other websites, it is too good to be true and I suspect it to be a fraud


teotjunk

[active link disable per our new member policies - latingal]

[and123]

My understanding is that after you send payment, you get a link to a website where you can download the files and burn your own DVD. I couldn't get the software to work properly before making any purchases, though the seller was very helpful and tried to help me. Many of his DVD clips are shown on YouTube.

[davef]

Has anyone heard of this website?

Because they are selling their dance DVDs at prices way cheaper than other websites, it is too good to be true and I suspect it to be a fraud


teotjunk

[active link disable per our new member policies - latingal]

I don't know if its legal or not but the domain name seems to be registered in Vietnam - which probably isn't a good sign.

Registrant Name:Tran Quoc Trinh
Registrant Organization:Tran Quoc Trinh
Registrant Street1:628/9 Hau Giang, Phuong 12, Quan 6, TP. Ho Chi Minh
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:HCM
Registrant State/Province:Ho Chi Minh
Registrant Postal Code:084
Registrant Country:VN

Some of the links on the home page also direct to websites that say "This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service".

I won't be happy if it is OK because I paid around £450 ($750) for my set (Bronze/Silver/Gold) of "International Style Standard Syllabus - Victor Veyrasset & Heather Smith" whereas their selling it for $140

[contracheck]

I have been taking lessons for the past 2 years already and am looking for DVDs to reinforce my lessons
teotjunk

See how you like this segment Victor/Anna's instruction tape. It looks quite good to me. If you want, I can post somemore.

http://cafe.daum.net/highpole

[contracheck]

Has anyone heard of this website?

[pirate website removed]

Because they are selling their dance DVDs at prices way cheaper than other websites, it is too good to be true and I suspect it to be a fraud
teotjunk

[active link disable per our new member policies - latingal]
It is mind boggling how this guy sells pirated DVDs in such massive scale and in public in broad day light. He has almost all of the instruction DVDs in the world at abour $10. The Japanese conmpany that produces WSSDF launched protests but the Vietnamese guy is not flincing and he is thriving. On the contrary to all of the hooplas, there is evidently no legal way of stopping him. Meanwhile, if you want high quality DVDs at dirt cheap prices,buy them from him.

[morgrob]

I was just wondering if anyone has bought from him. I love dance vision, but the tought of 57 bucks, with shipping, is mind boggling! So if anyone has purchased from [pirate website removed] and had good success, let me know. I know there is the issue with copyright issue, but the prince is pretty good considering. Just wondering.

[suburbaknght]

I was just wondering if anyone has bought from him. I love dance vision, but the tought of 57 bucks, with shipping, is mind boggling! So if anyone has purchased from [pirate website removed] and had good success, let me know. I know there is the issue with copyright issue, but the prince is pretty good considering. Just wondering.
The Dance Vision DVDs are expensive because they sell so few of them. Their margins aren't cripplingly low, but they're much lower than you'd expect. If you want to see them stop making DVDs worth buying, go with the pirate site. If you like the idea of high quality instructional DVDs by top notch professionals then cough up the extra dough and buy them legitimately. If they're too expensive at full price, wait for their annual holiday sale (buy 5, get 3 free)

I don't want to be a vigilante mod, but can we get the link to the pirate website taken down?

[morgrob]

Thank you for your reply. I understand that. I would hate to see them stop making videos. They are good quality. I was just asking. I wasn't going to buy from him anyway, just wanted to know if it were a scam.

[Ray Sison]

:rocker: *applause* Rock on!

The Dance Vision DVDs are expensive because they sell so few of them. Their margins aren't cripplingly low, but they're much lower than you'd expect. If you want to see them stop making DVDs worth buying, go with the pirate site. If you like the idea of high quality instructional DVDs by top notch professionals then cough up the extra dough and buy them legitimately. If they're too expensive at full price, wait for their annual holiday sale (buy 5, get 3 free)

I don't want to be a vigilante mod, but can we get the link to the pirate website taken down?

[teotjunk]

The Dance Vision DVDs are expensive because they sell so few of them. Their margins aren't cripplingly low, but they're much lower than you'd expect. If you want to see them stop making DVDs worth buying, go with the pirate site. If you like the idea of high quality instructional DVDs by top notch professionals then cough up the extra dough and buy them legitimately. If they're too expensive at full price, wait for their annual holiday sale (buy 5, get 3 free)

I don't want to be a vigilante mod, but can we get the link to the pirate website taken down?

Yap. I got them from dance vision at their annual holiday sale. The only thing was I had to get someone from US to get it for me because the shipping costs that they charged were quite high for overseas country

[clumsy fellow]

Has anybody done business with this company? I'm interested in the 2010 Blackpool lecture and just want to make sure this company is legit.

A search here came up empty, which surprised me . . .

[bluebereft]

don't think it's actually legal.

they send you the ripped video files rather than the actual dvds.

[ballroomdancertoo]

how much were they asking for? each video as there are two. I have them both.

[clumsy fellow]

don't think it's actually legal.

they send you the ripped video files rather than the actual dvds.


Ah, thank you. Something didn't seem right.

[clumsy fellow]

how much were they asking for? each video as there are two. I have them both.

They are asking $76 for the nine plus hours of lectures from 2010. (they have it as 4 DVD's)

[toothlesstiger]

When you find yourself getting uncomfortable at the cost of a DVD, consider how much the equivalent set of group classes, or private lessons would cost.
Around here, four hours group class, with lots of irrelevant chatter from the instructor, and lots of standing around, will run you US$50. Comparable to one of Victor and Heather's DVD's. And I can play it again and again, at no additional cost.

[pygmalion]

Ripped video files? Not sure what that means. But I will say that, based on my own entrepreneurial pursuits, more and more companies are selling information electronically, with no actual physical product in hand. There's nothing illlegal about that. What you are buying is information. The format is up to the seller. And the buying decision is up to the buyer. :cool:

[nucat78]

Ripped video files? Not sure what that means.

I believe that's the video equivalent of converting sound tracks from a CD to mp3s. You can rip a CD into iTunes for example. So this would be ripping DVDs into mpegs or similar.

[pygmalion]

Ah. Got it. :cool:

[bia]

Ripped video files? Not sure what that means. But I will say that, based on my own entrepreneurial pursuits, more and more companies are selling information electronically, with no actual physical product in hand. There's nothing illlegal about that. What you are buying is information. The format is up to the seller. And the buying decision is up to the buyer. :cool:
"Ripped" means electronically copied from a copyrighted dvd to which the copier doesn't have rights. So in this case it is illegal. Yes, it's the selling of information, and the format of the information doesn't matter, but the originator of the information does -- it is the intellectual property of the person who originally produced it.

[pygmalion]

Okay. Gotcha. Thanks bia. :cool:

My response to that is that it depends. Copyright and trademark law varies from country to country -- a huge source of disputes between the US and China or US and Russia for example. So, if you're selling pirated DVDs of US origin in the US, for example, it's clear-cut. Otherwise, it's not, unless I've misinterpreted things I've read.

[toothlesstiger]

Copyright laws may vary, but remember, if the makers of the videos aren't compensated, they may very well stop making the videos. I don't agree with the direction of US copyright laws, but I still want to see my favorite content producers be rewarded for their efforts, so that they will continue to make more.

[pygmalion]

I'm not arguing that pirated videos are okay. I don't think they are. I'm pointing out that calling them illegal is incomplete. Eh. *shrug* Unsportsmanlike? definitely. Immoral? Depends on your code of ethics? Illegal? Depends on where you live. Eh.

[clumsy fellow]

When you find yourself getting uncomfortable at the cost of a DVD, consider how much the equivalent set of group classes, or private lessons would cost.
Around here, four hours group class, with lots of irrelevant chatter from the instructor, and lots of standing around, will run you US$50. Comparable to one of Victor and Heather's DVD's. And I can play it again and again, at no additional cost.


I was only uncomfortable with how cheap the DVD's are on the site and the email ordering system.

I own all of Victor's DVD's and consider them a terrific investment.

[Harvest]

When you find yourself getting uncomfortable at the cost of a DVD, consider how much the equivalent set of group classes, or private lessons would cost.
Around here, four hours group class, with lots of irrelevant chatter from the instructor, and lots of standing around, will run you US$50. Comparable to one of Victor and Heather's DVD's. And I can play it again and again, at no additional cost.
Couldn't agree more.
DH collects dance DVDs, to the extreme. He started with Victor and Heather's international standard syllabus and Corky and Kristina/Olga's Latin syllabus, I actually learned all figures from Bronze to Gold by watching these DVDs. Then gradually, in a period of three years he added many more.
To list some: Hilton's Beautiful Basics, Simply the Best Part 1&2, Luca & Loraine's Art in Motion, Artistic Approach, Mirko & Alessia's La Base, Line Figure Combinations of Ballroom Dancing, A Technique of Advanced Standard Ballroom Figures, Arunas & Katusha's Line Figure Combinations of Ballroom Dancing, Victor & Anna's Believe in Basics, Massimo & Alessia's Dance as Fire, William & Alessandra's From Beginners to Champions, Christopher & Hazel's Secrets of Success, Christopher & Justyna's Live 2 Dance, Jonathan & Hazel's Line Figure Combinations of Ballroom Dancing, Jonathan & Lyn's Naturalism, Alan & Donna's Believe in Basics, Caterina Arzenton's New ABC's of Ballroom with Domen and Monoca, Victor & Heather's Picture Lines Volume 1&2, Pivot & Spins, Slavik & Karina"s See It Hear It Master It, Innovation, Dancing Basics with passion with Corky Ballas, Michael & Joanna's Body Basics, Max & Yulia's Latin Variations, Michael & Beata's Touch of Africa, Alec & Edyta's Dancing like the Pros, Fitness with the Pros, Jami & Jose's Salsa Syllabus, Jami & Billy's Hustle Syllabus,...... WOW, I didn't know we have so many until I'm writing this post!
I've watched all these DVD's and have practiced and excised with some of them many times. Considering how much they've helped our dance, and comparing how much we spend in private lessons, I think they are very much worth to have.
One interesting fact is, since I watch these DVDs so much, I feel I know all these world top dancers in good deal. When I see some of them at comps where they judge, when I meet a few of them for the first time when they come to studio to teach, I feel I've known them for long, in a way, they are like my private teachers. Karen Hilton, in one of Simply the Best DVD says having DVD in your own living room is like having private teacher in your own house. How true she is to a certain degree.
Of course nothing can replace a good, real private teacher. I have a fantastic teacher, as I become heavily depend on him in learning, I don't watch DVDs as much as I use to. From time to time when I need reference I still go back to them.
DH is still watching, and keeping his collections going, the newest additions are Mirko & Alessia's New Steps to Success and Arunas & Katusha's Pursuit of perfection. :)

[morgrob]

FYI, the new american silver rhythm dvds with donald and kasia can be pre-ordered from DV.

On another note...has any ever seen the Ron Montez solo cha cha steps? Is it worthwhile? I wish it were on DVD if it were, just wondering. Thanks for any advice!

[morgrob]

I have another question...if anyone knows...do you know of any videos that might demonstrate club style cha cha moves, ones that would be compact for a night club setting...not things like crossovers or big flashy arms and stuff like that...just wondering...i know dance vision has a vhs, but was just wondering if anyone knew of anything else out there...thanks!

[Smooth Dancer]

At DanceVision, I like anything by Don Johnson, Bob Powers, and Shirley Ballas. (I'm sure there are others as good, but these are among the ones I've worked with). For me, I want to see a Bronze presentation that is not watered down with respect to style. Bob Powers is a good example of demonstrating polished style even at the Bronze level. However, beginners might be overwhelmed. Sometimes the "style" is left out of the syllabus DVDs and put into a "style & techniques" DVDs. Although the techniques DVDs can be good in themselves, I don't like (at my stage of dancing) watering down style in syllabus DVDs. IMHO beginners should get into the "style & techniques" DVDs at the same time as the syllabus. It never hurts to see the road you should be taking in the future.

I have also found that you have to really "mine" information from the video. Go over it time after time, ferreting out its subtle points. Watch really closely. Go slow-mo, step at a time, cycle a portion, and all that. However, you have to already have a decent ballroom dance vocabulary to do this effectively, otherwise you just don't know what to look for, or make a reasonable assessment of primary versus secondary issues.

I also like to get 2-3 good DVDs of a dance and then compare how the different instructors treat a given step.

And yes, I would agree that beginners should not rely on DVDs exclusively. They are, however, an invaluable resource (one of many) to my partner and I.

Beware of simple "step" DVDs that show only where to put your feet with atrocious style. There's a lot out there on the Internet.

As for DanceVision, I've bought maybe 2 dozen DVDs and, although they vary in quality, I value the information I've been able to "mine" from them. I've only returned one because I genuinely felt cheated (which they happily accepted). Overall, very good.

[morgrob]

Sorry to over post on the thread, but I also noticed that the new Don Johnson DVDs for American Silver Rhythm have different steps in some cases than the Ron Montez...does anyone know the reason? Just wondering..thanks!

[suburbaknght]

Sorry to over post on the thread, but I also noticed that the new Don Johnson DVDs for American Silver Rhythm have different steps in some cases than the Ron Montez...does anyone know the reason? Just wondering..thanks!
Hmm... not sure. From the names alone the figures look to be very similar and then judging by the video samples compared to the corresponding names, I suspect they're the same figures but with different styling or subtle variations. Donald and Kasia weren't shy in the bronze DVDs about going off-syllabus and saying when they were doing something different from the book (and why they were doing something different!); I suspect they may have just formalized it. I'm going to send an e-mail to Renee.

Here's hoping they'll revise the rhythm manual.

[morgrob]

Hmm... not sure. From the names alone the figures look to be very similar and then judging by the video samples compared to the corresponding names, I suspect they're the same figures but with different styling or subtle variations. Donald and Kasia weren't shy in the bronze DVDs about going off-syllabus and saying when they were doing something different from the book (and why they were doing something different!); I suspect they may have just formalized it. I'm going to send an e-mail to Renee.

Here's hoping they'll revise the rhythm manual.

Thanks for the info, let me know what she says! Yeah some of them look similar, but some do look different maybe. I don't compete, just enjoy the DVDs to try to pick up some new steps and stuff, but I did notice the difference from the Montez videos. Thanks again!

[suburbaknght]

Here's the e-mail I got from Renee:

How best to explain this……

Donald & Kasia thought the syllabus needed a revamp. At this time Ron’s will be the “official” syllabus as far as exams and such go however, eventually we will create a manual and probably (maybe, we aren’t really sure yet) convert to D & K’s figures.

Right now the new DVDs are just a different way of looking at things and expanding your repertoire.

Hope this makes some sense.

Renee

[morgrob]

I notice now they have this with the DVD step lists

At Dance Vision we strive to bring you the most up-to-date patterns and technique from the champions who know it best!
In this series, Donald & Kasia will offer a comprehensive look at some new figures with the latest tips to take your dancing to a new level.
Please be aware: The steps on these DVDs do not exactly correspond to the Syllabus figures in the most current DVIDA Silver American Style Rhythm manual and should not be used for certification purposes.

[suburbaknght]

Please be aware: The steps on these DVDs do not exactly correspond to the Syllabus figures in the most current DVIDA Silver American Style Rhythm manual and should not be used for certification purposes.
Eh, not a big deal for me. I'm still preparing for my bronze rhythm exam (April, 2011, fingers crossed!) and then it'll be back to smooth for silver. I expect the new book will be out by the time I'm ready for that test. Besides, for exam prep I find studying the book is usually more effective than the videos.

[morgrob]

Eh, not a big deal for me. I'm still preparing for my bronze rhythm exam (April, 2011, fingers crossed!) and then it'll be back to smooth for silver. I expect the new book will be out by the time I'm ready for that test. Besides, for exam prep I find studying the book is usually more effective than the videos.

Well, good luck!!!

[QMSF]

As far as budget-friendly DVD options go, I like buying them with friends/colleagues and sharing. When the time comes to get certified or whatever, you've got a stake in a DVD, without having to own it entirely. Then you and that friend can even use the same amount of money you would spend and get twice as many. You'll have to figure our the logistics of who'll hold on to them and whatnot, but if you've got the right partner in this situation, it should be fine.

Meanwhile, for DanceVision I always volunteer to pay the shipping, and then do it in my account on the website and then rack up the DV Points. Then I get to furnish my own collection with my own selections. That way, I have access to the things everyone wants---syllabus, technique, etc---and then can add on my own interests---tricks, theater arts, obscure dances.