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I'm a bit late in reviewing this one, and there are some excellent reviews on it, so I won't go into my usual long dissection of this DVD. There are a few points I'd like to mention that haven't been covered yet and I really want to emphasize just how much I think these workout offerings can benefit dancers.

This DVD has been spinning in my player since I received it because, although the movements and techniques included in it are more along the lines of something that would really benefit beginners and early intermediate dancers, it's really a fun workout to perform. And, there's an additional benefit besides the obvious fun factor. What is it? Well, Cocktail gives me a way to practice *dancing* with a variety of movements I might not normally use and introduces me to how another dancer puts together her material. Yes, yes, you can get that from a choreo or combo DVD. Usually, though, these just break down combos and maybe demonstrate them. Or, you learn one entire choreography. Technique is the focus, not necessarily the act of dancing. I like this one, because as other reviewers have mentioned, Tanna has set up the workout so it follows the "old-fashioned" (classical? traditional?) cabaret style routine so you get an idea of how not just one song could go, but an entire selection.

This workout DVD, like the other WDNY offerings in the same family, features a "follow along" section as the workout itself. Here you have the choice of doing it with, or without, Tanna's verbal cues. This is helpful at first, as you can plunge right in but still have some idea of what is coming next. Without the cues, the flow format will have you dancing right alongside of Tanna and the other dancers, with the opportunity to really listen to the music and feel how the movements fit in with it. I really appreciate the opportunity to do that - it's something that beginner and intermediate dancers can use to their advantage. How many times have you improved or tried to plan out a choreography and not quite known what comes next? By following along to the music-only section, beginners and intermediates can begin to integrate the dance into their body as they listen to the music, something that can be incredibly beneficial when and if they choose to improv.

As a more advanced dancer, I liked the fact that I could add my own flair to the easy workout. Yes, it was pretty simple - I knew all the moves. But as is true any time you take a workshop or a new class, the arrangement was new, and that was refreshing. Once I learned the simple choreos and combos - each of which are repeated several times so you really get them in your muscle memory - I found myself layering on additional shimmies, arms, and movements allowing myself to put my own personal flair and style with the workout. Normally, I'd just put on music and do my own thing. But, here, I'm trying someone else's ideas and making them work for my body, something that will benefit beginners and more advanced dancers alike.

I don't know if anyone has really mentioned the performances, but they are plentiful and delightfully varied. A total of six different performances are presented, two by each dancer. I was very surprised to see that this section included not just oriental style pieces but also tribal fusion and a sort of Romany (gypsy) or Turkish fusion piece along with two performances featuring props. With the inclusion of so many additional performances, AND a bonus makeup section, this DVD has even more to offer for the beginner or early intermediate dancer. Beyond the workout and dance instruction section, a dancer can get lots of ideas on different styles of dance and presentation techniques just by watching the performances.

I'd say this selection was best for a beginner to intermediate performer, but it definitely has material to offer more advanced dancers too.

You will like this DVD if:
* You would like a bellydance workout DVD that utilizes classical style movement and music. Especially if you want to practice dancing to classical music, but are not quite sure of how to use movements to interpret the music or how to arrange your moves - this will give you a lot of practice in doing so.
* You would like a moderate cardio dance workout that uses bellydance as the vehicle to burn the calories.
* You would like to practice a variety of different choreographies in a "flow" format, following along with the instructor as she dances.
* You are interested in learning how to put together a restaurant style or more classical oriental style bellydance routine

What might not work for you:
* The performances are not "labeled" as to the style of dance presented. This made me somewhat sad because, to be honest, the performances were a really nice showcase of different styles of dance. This would be one of the few suggestions I would give for this DVD - I think the beginner dancers who might use this DVD would really benefit from being able to know what type of dance is presented (Tanna, for example, does a nice little Rom (gypsy)/Turkish piece, there's a tribal fusion, and a number of different oriental performances too).
* On my copy, I had trouble watching several of the performances. Well, not exactly watching them - I could see them but not hear the music. I know some other reviewers had trouble too and I suspect this has probably been corrected by now.
* The menus only lead to the beginning of each section. The workout is intended, I'm assuming, to be performed in one large block of time so you can't access the individual sections. You CAN jump to each chapter, but have to do so while watching the DVD. This makes it difficult to access an individual section if you have a favorite spot.

This DVD shows you many of the basic steps for old style cabaret/restaurant dancing! Once you learn the steps, they are put together in a restaurant style show routine, making this one of the most fun workouts you can do. For more advanced dancers or those who are already in shape, Tanna shows you how to amp up the cardio by putting more energy into your hops and adding flourishes. This is beginner/intermediate material. The costumes are lovely, I love the music (the music is readily available classic belly dance music), and of course the performances are great to watch. Tanna's voice is clear, the picture is clear, and the demonstrations are clear. Have fun with this one! I do!

Cocktail is a super delightful dance based fitness program with 100% belly dance movement and very beginner friendly.
Tanna Valentine is seen often in World Dance New York videos.Her teaching method is pleasant and easy to join in as she narrates the program step to step. The program is abundant and features a delightful array of combos; 2 drum solos, 2 Chifte Telli, a lyrical piece,the fun Mastika,the ever popular Layala and rhythm variations to include karshlima.

Aside from the dynamic collection of material to build a cabaret show from beginning to finale, this program is also a delightful workout with happy and upbeat tempo variations. When viewing the dynamics of this dance style, you may find that moves are classic and basic, lots of grapevines, 3 point turns, shoulder rolls, hip twists, etc. Yet in turn, dancing the combos is graceful and sophisticated. Best yet, it is so enjoyable and uncomplicated. Before you know it, the 30 minute workout is too soon over and you may find yourself repeating the sections because they are enjoyable! Several students and I danced Mustafa one evening, and it was a pleasant workout.

The Tutorial: Tanna instructs the following detailed tutorial on belly dance movement (used in the combos in the program).
Emphasizing posture from head to foot, and classic belly dance movement such as:
Arm and hand movement, chest lifts and drops, upper body undulation, pelvic accents, and a generous section on hip work, circles and types of shimmies.
Footwork and traveling section is abundant with folkloric steps, arabesque, 3 count turn, more!
The Practice Flow:
Delightful and easy to join into as it is set to slow to upbeat tempos, perfectly paced for upper and lower movement. I absolutely love this section! It becomes lively and bouncy, very well designed to incorporate all the movement to be used in the combos that follow.

The Work Out Section:
(The music includes pieces from Amir Naoum's "New York Belly Dance", and " Belly Dance For Fortune and Fame").

Mustafa - very lively tempo and use shoulder rolls, grapevines 3 point turns, bouncy hip circles and step hip movement.
Bir Demet- moderate tempo with traveling hip circles, figure of 8's,arabesques, upper body undulations, traveling footwork,etc.
Soode-Soode- leg sweeps, folkloric front and back steps, shimmies with accents, back pushes, etc. lively tempo, tempo changes.
Chifte Telli 1-2 upper body sways, undulations, shoulder rolls, snake arms, hand and arms undulations, slow tempo.
Maksoum Drum Solos, 1&2- incorporates hip twists, shimmies, hip work variations, such as hip drop with foot release, lifts and drops layered on level changes, hops, pelvic diamonds, lively and upbeat, lots of fun and little challenging.
Soode-Soode the Finale incorporates hip work and 3 point turns, lively tempo.
Layla -step hip lifts, twists, triple steps, step hips, shoulder accents, 3 point turns, lively tempo.
Sala Sala -step hip lifts forward and back, undulations, arabesques, one hip circles, vertical figure of 8's in place, moderate tempo.
Ya Ain Mulayatain- traveling hip twists, traveling vertical figure 8's, step hip lifts with travel forward moderate with temp changes, bouncing hip circles, kick steps.
Mastika, upbeat with Turkish crossover step, hip twists, shoulder accents, figure of 8's layered with shimmies, the challenging choo-choo's. (also lovely as a skirt dance)
Tuta Finale-triple steps on diagonal and circles, 3 point turns, hip pushes, short and sweet!
Bonus performances by Tanna, Gisselle, and Yoshina. Also a make-up section by Jade that is must see!

"Cocktail" is the classic beauty of belly dance cabaret, stylish, graceful, and very delightful work.

The first run of this DVD seems to be defective. The sound cuts out halfway through the third performance and never resumes. Sending back...again. Too bad...the work out section would have been great.

Update 1/26/2011 - I re-ordered the video and the defect has been corrected. I am changing my rating to a five star now. Great video!

Cocktail is another line in World Dance New York's dance workout DVDs. I own the trio Luscious, Love Potion and Hard Candy and you may have read my reviews of those products. My main complaint was that the music used was not at all bellydance music. Cocktail not only meets that need with true bellydance classics, but it also keeps it exciting by following the American Cabaret 5-Part routine. The thirty minute workout has two full routines, with everything from the chiftetelli to the drum solo and even a karsilama. There is an optional 60 minute beginner's drill section to learn the movements. A non-beginner may want to review just to get the cueing as Tanna Valentine may use different terms than one's own training, but as a 9-year veteran of bellydance classes, I was able to pick up the workout choreography on the first runthrough just by watching and following along. Because it is short, easy to follow, and has a lot of variety, I can see myself picking this DVD out of the workout DVD pile more often than its sister DVDs.

I was totally flashing back to my many years of classes with Amira Jamal, with the music and many of the movements - to the point where I wondered if Tanna and Amira come from the same New York American Cabaret lineage (and it turned out that they did share a number of teachers though they wouldn't have crossed paths as 20 years separate their dance careers in New York).

It was easy, as I mentioned, to follow along to the simple choreographies, suitable for a beginner class recital piece. The DVD covers a full range of movements from percussive hip hits to lyrical arms. I was actually sweating by the end, during the rousing Mastika finale. Let me repeat how thrilled I was that this workout DVD brings the real bellydance music and the 5-part routine to a broader audience. I also liked having the real music because I found it more inspiring and fun to dance along with - the choreography was simple - yet musical. Tanna managed to keep it clear and easy to follow while also following the phrases of the music.

This DVD also includes a bonus make-up section, a selling point for me. I had also won a gift certificate from my workplace that made it possible for me to buy this lighthearted, but not necessarily essential DVD. The price is particularly appealing as it is priced similar to other workout dvds, rather than the more expensive bellydance instructional DVDs.

Overall, I would say that it's a great DVD for a beginner and early intermediate dance student - far superior to the Neena and Veena DVDs. At the end of this DVD, a dancer would actually know how to develop a performance piece, understanding the dynamics of music and how to construct an exciting routine. To pursue this direction further, said dancer may wish to purchase Bellydance Show Basics for Beginners, which I have also reviewed.

However, for an advanced dancer, it would not provide enough of a challenge. Nevertheless, sometimes I just need a fun workout that doesn't challenge my brain too much. I could also argue that you could - as I did - modify the workout by adding your own style and flair, putting a shimmy on top of movements, or ornamenting the hands. I have no doubt that's exactly what Tanna Valentine expects people to do, as she deliberately kept things simple and clear for the purposes of instruction.

This is a great program for people who want to exercise but learn dance moves at the same time. Unlike other bellydance exercise programs, this one really is easy to follow. Tanna is an excellent instructor who knows what she's doing and who makes you feel confident. The DVD has several small workouts in which moves are repeated enough times to follow along without being boring. Instruction in technique is optional. The workouts certainly would be helpful for a beginner, but I can see them being useful for others who just want to get in a quick workout without being bored. The costumes are kept interesting by changing them between routines so that you can really get the feel of separate workouts. About the only thing that bothered me was that the vertical figure 8 was being called the "snake," but this might not bother someone else who had no training in bellydance. A really great DVD! Definitely five stars (or higher).

I am a beginner bellydancer, I found the basic movement breakdown very clear, she explained and demonstrated everything very clearly. The beginners 10 minute practise is really good I could follow it really easily. I spent 20 minutes plus the 10 minute practise for 3 days in a row then I went on to the 30 minute workout. I found it easy to follow, her instructions are really good, very clear and I'm not able to do all the moves that well yet but that's good because I won't get bored and I'll be able to work on my technique until I can do the practises with good form. The performances of Tanna were lovely, she is a really good dancer and has really polished technique, Giselle did a tribal performance, which was ok and she did a regular bellydance cabaret type performance that was quite good, Yoshina did a couple of performances but there didn't seem to be much bellydance moves in there it was more theatrical.

I have had a great time working with this one......a little different dance style and feel to it than the Luscious, Love Potion, & Hard-Candy (though I have those & love them too). I like Tanna's sweet & down-to-earth persona, as well as the dance combinations she has put together. I also like that you go through the dance combinations once and then it immediately starts all over with a slight progression on the previous excercises. It really gets you going!

I love this DVD. It's a nice workout that covers all of the bases (cardio, strength, stretch, core) and uses only bellydance moves. There are some really nice classic bellydance combos in here, including Turkish and Egyptian. I love the flow of the bellydance moves and the structure of two full performance belly dance routines that could easily be modified for a restaurant or show. Tanna is a dynamic instructor and the instruction is easy to follow. This DVD is a great way to drill your bellydance moves while also getting in a good workout. The beginner part serves as a nice warmup.

If you have never danced before, you can still learn to do a belly dance cabaret show, with the detailed instruction given by Tanna Valentine in this terrific DVD, provided you are in good physical shape. As Tanna explains, it all depends on you fitness level, and she also says, "Dance based fitness" is a multi-level experience, a whole body/mind/spirit endeavor, and so it's much easier to do than the usual repetitive gym exercises. With this DVD, keeping in shape is fun, and an adventure, as one learns a dance form that is based from ancient cultures, using authentic belly dance music.

Tanna is a superb teacher, and guides you through a tutorial section that starts with the basics, like posture, through a "flow" practice section, and the main event: A choreographed cabaret piece, with lots of time to practice it. This cabaret "show" has many moods, as it goes through different tempos, from sensual and slow, to upbeat, shimmering party-style dance. In this section, Tanna is flanked by 2 beautiful dancers, Giselle and Yoshina.

The bonus features are great, with a total of 6 performances, 2 solos by each dancer. Tanna's pieces are lovely, with sumptuous costuming, followed by Giselle, with an interesting tribal flavor, and ending with Yoshina, who dances with a fan in her 1st program, bringing a touch of Asia and a sense of mystery, and then seductively with a veil in her 2nd piece. We also get a peek into the make-up used in theater and film, with Tanna and make-up artist Jade Elhadad.

Very well produced, photographed and lit, the music is worth noting too, and is by Amir Naoum Bellydance New York - with Amir Naoum, the Mogador Band with Spiro Cardamis Bellydancing for Fortune & Fame, Djinn, and the Ensemble Al Asdeka.