Josephine: Don't try to heap too much on yourself too soon. I started out learning these things pretty slowly at first, took a few breaks, and then got back into it at a leisurely pace until immersing myself into it just recently and somehow some things just *clicked* last weekend.

I find the Straight Four a little harder in some respects as well, probably because of the repetitiveness. I prefer rhythms with some variance and variety. And I know what you mean about the right hand feeling more energetic and coordinated; I'm right-handed... you must be, too? I just tried to remember my piano training, wherein the left hand is always doing something different than the right. (Maybe that's why the straight four seems harder!) I've wondered if it wouldn't be a good idea to try doing it "left-handed" for awhile to give the left side more of a workout and let it catch up to the other side.

On the DVD, I think Ansuya gives a brief introduction before the performance (or at some point), saying that the rhythms progress the same way they do in the instruction and the drills, but I'd have to watch that part of it again to be sure. I don't remember there being any long pauses between the transitions so that probably makes identification for *newbies* a little more difficult. ;) But I agree. Great performance!

Josephine, I emailed Ansuya that same question, "What rhythm's are you playing when you dance at the end of that dvd?" Her mother replied that Ansuya improvs when she dances so she couldn't say what specific rhythm she uses. So I copied the video to tape cassette and listened to it when I was driving. From my point of view she plays to the rhythm of the song, some singles and some triplets. As you improve with using your zills and remembering the different rhythms, you will hear how Ansuya plays while watching... it's hard though because watching her dance is so mesmerizing.

really, the only thing that works is practice, lots of it. when I was laid up after my car accident, my only entertainment activity while recovering was zilling along with dvds. I worked through both the first and second of ansuya's dvds while laid up on my sofa. It was so helpful to just get my hands up to the speed I wanted. After almost 3 months of sofa time, my fingers got really fast. Adding in the footwork once the zills had become "automatic" and I no longer have to think about the patterns was actually really easy.
so just start at a slow speed until it is really comfortable, then try a little faster. There is no shortcut to practice, just time at rehearsal.