Review-- Attitude: Ballet & Pilates Fusion

 I know this isn't with this month's theme, but screw the theme! Those are just guidelines ;) Now this DVD is actually marketed for those fifty and up, so the exercise is much slower and has less impact. Also, donations are made to find a cure for breast cancer for each DVD you purchase. Attitude is part of a series, and there is a second DVD for this Attitude series. I'll only be reviewing the first one. So since I didn't have time to fit this into last month, here is the review for Attitude: Ballet & Pilates Fusion.

Now as you can see,  there are several parts to this workout. First here is the introduction where the instructor speaks a bit about the exercise. Then there are the form pointers and then the two workouts. The form pointers will go over the correct posture for the ballet moves. She'll also demonstrate each of the positions so you can become familiar with them if you're not already. This section is rather lengthy, but highly recommended if you've never taken ballet before.

Going over the proper form

The workout is broken into two and each is about thirty-seven minutes each. The first is meant to be completed for the first couple weeks and then you move onto the second one for the rest of the time you use the video. I found the first workout way to easy and didn't even break a sweat. The second workout was a little better, but still rather easy and barely different. I would definitely recommend this if you've been out of shape for a long time and want to work your way back slowly.

She'll also go over positioning for the abdominal work.

 This workout workouts out abs, arms and legs. For the arm exercises you'll need some sort of weight. They use a ball filled with sand for this video but a hand weight works as well. I think the abs are the highlight of the video. I seem to get the most burn from them. The ballet exercise portions are fine, but I prefer the routines from other videos better. I still feel a slight burn  but some of the exercises are rushed over.
The warm-up is simply not good enough. It doesn't warm up all the muscles, just the sides of the abs since all you're doing is circling your arms and the hips from pliés. I highly suggest you stretch yourself ahead of time before participating in this exercise so you don't injure yourself. 

The instructor does a good job. She speaks in a hushed voice and tries to be more relaxing than energetic. She'll also occassionally remind you to keep your form, and she times her reminders well, like when you're really starting to tire or if you're concentrating hard on a different area of the body other than your core.

I did notice her form was off during fourth position. Her knees went over her heels. That can be really dangerous. I only really noticed because this is something I struggle with while dancing. During the form section, she mentioned that fourth position was going to be "one of the harder positions," and I think that's a fair statement. Still, if you're watching this and trying to model yourself after her, she will only occasionally have the correct form. Since this is for women over 50, it might be dangerous to not have the correct posture, especially on your knees, so be sure to know what you're doing and watch the form video. Trust yourself. The backup instructors tend to mess up a lot. I would focus more on her than anyone else.

TIMMMBEEERRRRRRR! (Or at least that's how I felt, hahaha)

The music is horrible! I hate, hate, hate the music! Music is like Chinese traditional music mixed with a bit of Enya--only know where near as good and relaxing. Then there's this really bad trumpet sounding music that sounds like those old midi files you heard on websites when the internet was still a scary new place... it's bad. I can't stand it.

Sometimes you would catch sides of the camera during zoom out, but other than that, the editing was really good. The camera did a great job of zooming in on the main instructor. I never really had any trouble with it so I thought it did a good job.

They shot the location in studio, but they tried to spruce it up a bit so it's not too boring. They put some barres in the back but never used them for the exercise. It wasn't bad at all. I enjoyed the colors, and it seemed appropriate for the exercise. Still, in comparison to other DVDs, this isn't my favorite studio. I like Balocity or Element's settings much better.

Workout: 7/10

Instructor: 9/10

Setting: 8/10

Camera: 9/10

Level: Beginner

Is it actually ballet? Yes

Overall: 8/10

 

I didn't really enjoy this exercise as much as the others since it felt too simple. Though the exercise definitely had ballet and Pilate influences, it just didn't work well with my body. I would recommend this for someone who's not used to exercise, but not to someone starting ballet for the first time since the instructors are not ballet dancers or teachers. 

Review-- Balocity

Today is a review for the exercise video, Balocity. This is a fifty-minute video featuring an ex-New York City ballet dancer. The back says that she developed this video to stay in shape between her times on stage. Let's see if it's good for that. 

I really liked the instructor. She does a great job of being optimistic, but not summer rainbow sunshine sparkle happy. She speaks very clearly and very eloquently, which helps during the exercises. She has her moments of quiet, but when she does offer tips on form, they are really helpful, though I did notice that she didn’t explain the proper form for the pliés.

No butts should stick out!

 They have some really good stretches. There's a section for the inner thighs that really helps. Usually the inner thighs are ignored in workouts, so I liked how they put extra emphasis on this region of the body. The instructors are really flexible, but sometimes I swear they performed the ballet moves wrong during the exercise. They let their butt stick out in the pliés. It's hard to tell, but I think they are just slightly.

I did feel as if we could have used more time on some of the exercises. We sort of seemed to fly through them without taking an extra couple of seconds to feel the muscles fully lengthen. I can just pause, though, if I want to continue an exercise and then play the video again once I'm ready. 

One of the great exercises they do to reach the inner thigh.

 The fast pace of the exercise does make it interesting. I don't lose interest as quickly as I do in other exercise videos. The floor barre is only about nine minutes and the standing workout makes up the rest of the video. I would recommend stretching every once in awhile to avoid pulling muscles. Also, don’t try to go full out since they move so fast during the standing exercises that you could pull something during the kicks.

They do make an effort to offer variations. They have low-impact variations, too, for the cardio sections. This is great if you're tired, have bad knees/legs/whatever, and need a less jarring motion.

During floorwork, she doesn't tell you which foot goes forward. One the second side she reminds you, but I had already started switching sides the first time. It would have been nice for clarification, though I can sort of see how she probably thought we'd infer this through the nature of the pattern itself. She remembers to do this later during the cool-down stretches, so I forgave her for the slight lapse.

 

The final part of the exercise is the abdominal work. Usually exercise videos start with ab work right after the warm-ups, but this video saves them for near the very end. They are pretty easy--nowhere near as hard as previous exercises, but it was a relief after a long workout to not worry too much about the abs. 

The exercise, overall, was easier than most. It is more for beginners or people looking for a lower impact exercise. The floorwork is definitely higher impact, but you can lower your legs on the kicks. The ballet is also there, but this video is not for people looking for ballet form corrections. This is a ballet-inspired workout, more than anything.

The location is actually really nice. I liked how they changed the color scheme every once in awhile for a nice change. It looked polished and professional.

The camera would only occasionally miss important areas of their body, but overall, it rarely failed.  Whoever directed the video had a good sense of proportion and what viewers need to see as they worked out along with the video.

The tips section will go over the proper form for the moves.

The video when you first pop it in will go over the tips section. This is where she gives you information on the proper forms. Though this is nice, I often forget some of the advice they offer. Luckily, the instructor often reminds us to correct our posture, tucking our abs, or whatever is needed to fix our form.

Another portion of the video is the behind the scenes and shots of them shooting the workout video. It's rather interesting if you're interested in film and how movies are shot, but that's about it.

Final Thoughts:

 Workout: 8/10

Instructor: 9/10

Setting: 10/10

Camera: 9/10

Level: Beginner-Advanced

Is it actually ballet? Yes

Overall: 8/10

This may be revised because I haven't had time to review this video and workout along with it for a second time. I usually like to use a video at least twice before finalizing my review, but since I've just been exhausted lately, I'm throwing this review up here early. 

Review-- Simply Ballet

This is a review for the Simply Ballet: A Master Class for Beginners. This is not a review of an exercise video (though you do exercise) as much as it's a supplement to ballet class. They recommend you already have one to two years of training, and I tend to agree with them since she doesn't go into acute detail on the correct forms. 

The DVD opens up with three beautiful young dancers. I just love watching them! They are quite talented.

The setting is in a studio. The lighting is not too great, but it's enough to be able to see all the dancers. The quality is also not fantastic, even on DVD, but it's passable. (My screenshots are worse than the actual quality of the disc. I'm not quite sure why.)

The instructor does a great job of fully demonstrating the exercises. She is clearly talented, knows what she's talking about, and a good dancer. She covers some really important things to remember as you perform these exercises, especially if you're a beginner like me.

The camera does a great job of zooming in to focus on the individual dancer as the instructor works with them. What I like is how they'll demonstrate the correct way, but also the incorrect way for some moves so can see these in yourself and correct it.

They also have a girl facing back and a girl facing front so you can see the correct forms from both angles. It's really helpful. I say girls, but there's also a boy dancer. I really like when they have boy dancers, too, so boys using the DVD won't feel left out. When it's time to go to the other side, the camera will cut and the dancers will now be facing the other way. However, they don't always go to the other side, so you'll have to get up and rewind. You can't just hit the back button because she'll start giving the exercise instructions again. This can get a tad tedious. I wish they broke up the exercise and her instructions so you can jump to and fro with the next button.

The instructor leads you through the combinations she has designed for both the barre and floorwork. There are also combinations specifically for male students. When she teaches a combination, she'll go through it herself. Then she'll demonstrate the correct and incorrect form on the student dancers. After she gives her final instructions, you practice with the students as a pianist plays some rendition of a classical piece. She only gives instructions before the exercises, not during. I prefer during since then if I forget to put one of her methods into practice, I'll be reminded. Usually I'm so busy concentrating I don't notice I'm performing a move incorrectly. Comments during the exercise would improve this.

I truly enjoy this video. Not only did I learn something from it, but I feel confident as we go through the motions. This is not a video to buy if you haven't taken a studio class yet, since she does expect you to know the terminology for the most part. If you are unsure of some ballet terms, then this might not be the best video for you yet.

This DVD delivers exactly what it promises to do, which I respect from it. It's an easy-to-follow master class for beginners. And this really is only for beginners. There's a lot of instruction and the combinations are simpler. Sometimes there's even variations put into some of the floorwork for those super new to ballet.

However, the price is pretty steep: $27. For a little bit more, I think you'll be able to find better instruction videos and one with better quality. Still, not to bad! I'm glad my library had this.

Verdict: If you can get it for a cheaper price than $27, give it a shot.

Review-- Yoga Booty Ballet Master Series

I borrowed this DVD series from my library in hopes that it will live up to its name. So here is one of my last ballet exercise video reviews for awhile, Yoga Booty Ballet - The Master Series. The Master Series is a two-disc set. The first DVD is entitled "Goddess Booty," and the second is called "Yoga Core." Let's see if it does it's title name justice!


Yoga Core
I'm actually going to start the review with the second DVD, Yoga Core, since that is in the order I exercised to them. The disc doesn't have a DVD menu. It pops right into the exercise after a minute or two of warning notices that I'm starting to really hate.

So we start the workout with a brief mediation and then go into some warm-ups. I really dislike the yoga where it feels you're constantly breathing, or the instructors have you do rapid breathing so I skipped over part of it.

The move that incorporates first position arms.

Just as the DVD is titled, the rest of the workout is mostly yoga. They say on the back the exercise is thirty minutes long, and I found that correct, give or take a couple minutes. The workout is light and easy, and it works your back and abs mostly. Sadly, there's no ballet except for a mentioning of pointing the toes and placing arms in first position at one point, though it's not actually called "first position arms." No ballet/yoga fusion here. The workout also combines some pilates with a move called swimming. I would say that this DVD is great for those beginning yoga, pilates, or any time of exercise.

Just keep swimming...

Though I like how they broke down the workout so you can choose how long you want to go or pick an area you wish to focus on, you really need both DVDs to get a decent workout. Plus, they could have easily put both on the same disc, but they divided them up so they can charge you more for them. Given that it says, "As seen on TV," on the cover, these two probably started out selling their product using infomercials.

The instructors use each other to help demonstrate the correct forms.

The instructors are fun and helpful, but I can't shake the idea that the blond looks like Baby Spice. The two instructors interact with each other like they are longtime friends and developed cute names for some of the yoga moves. This is definitely a more light and lighthearted version of an exercise class. But sadly, no ballet at all.



Goddess Booty

The instructors do an "anti-ballet" move where they turn in for resistance.

The exercise is about twenty-five minutes long and works mostly your butt, but also the back and thighs. More ballet moves featured here, but only marginally. They have what they call the anti-ballet move, which is where you turn-in instead of turn-out. This is to build resistance in certain moves you do on the floor. The blond seems to have more ballet training. At one point, the girl with brown hair even mistakes attitude for passé, but the blond later corrects it.

They are really energetic and happy as they workout. The give great instructions for how to complete the moves and often give alternative versions if you have trouble with some exercises. They have their tacky moments, though, like when they say, "Feel your inner beauty rising up, bubbling and sparkling. Feel that inner beauty seeping through your beautiful skin. Gently, open your beautiful eyes." I like how they demonstrate correct form using each other as partners and will have mini (and I do mean mini) funny conversations with each other as they workout.

There's your only ballet, people.

Still, this has barely any ballet in it. I expected a bit more considering that "ballet" is in the title of this entire workout series. I wouldn't even call this an infusion. Just they sometimes use ballet moves. Still, it's not a bad exercise video at all. It's good if you want to do some short exercises without a lot of exercise equipment.

Final Thoughts

Workout: 8/10

Instructor: 10/10

Setting: 8/10

Camera: 10/10

Level: Beginner

Is it actually ballet? No

Overall: 8/10

 I expected a lot more ballet fusion when the word "ballet" is in the title of the exercise series. Still, it's not too bad. The instructors are great. The setting isn't the most inspirational, but it's easy to see the instructors and it isn't distracting. The camera zooms in to show the moves. Still, there isn't any ballet, which is why I'm giving this series an 8 out of 10 possible points.

Next exercise reviews: Pure Barre, Ballet Class for Beginners, and Ballet Boot Camp.
Plus: Jalie sewing pattern review

Review-- The New York City Ballet Workout II

This is a review of the second workout DVD created by the New York City Ballet. Immediately, the second DVD proves better than the first. I can run this DVD on my computer without any issues. The intro is also much better, less trippy, and interviews the "ballet master" instead of the actress.

The menu is much more organized; no more exercises out of order. Plus, there's an added glossary for those new to ballet. The glossary is a list of ballet moves, each featuring a thirty-second clip and demonstrating the correct form for the chosen movement. Also added are some special features. These are "Special Exercise Programme" (this is where you create your own order for the workout from selected segments), "Quick Fix Target Practices" (additional exercises to hit target areas of your body), making of the video, and clips with the dancers speaking about dance. Also the music, again, can be changed to with or without narration, and there's a choice between contemporary and classical music. I still prefer the classical music, but the contemporary's not too bad.

 Immediately I noticed that the title cards before each exercise looked much more professionally animated. Before, they sort of looked like they were made on Windows Movie Maker or something. I didn't really mind since it wasn't a significant part of the workout, but it definitely shined up the edges in the second DVD.  I also noticed that most of the dancers from the first one have returned (I think there's one new male dancer), which is awesome since I really liked them before.

The intro also explains to mirror the dancers, but then sometimes, especially during the abdominal workout, it has you mimic the dancers instead of mirroring them again. Why the inconsistency? Oh well, it's really not that big of a deal since they've stated to mirror the dancers, and that's exactly what I do.

The into also explains the proper alignment for a neutral pelvis and bracing before beginning the exercises. Though there are still some errors in regards to narration, the narration no longer sounds like a Discovery channel documentary.

Talented dancers still lead us during the exercise.

The workout has some differences but follows a similar pattern. There's warm ups, then some brief floor work, quick floor stretches, abs, and then some floor ballet moves. I do have to say that I felt a better cardio from this DVD, though I prefer the ab workout form the first DVD. Still, both have a decent workout that has strong ballet roots.


Also, they improved the camera transition between instructors. This comes into play during abdominals. The camera will fade smoothly between male and female instructors.

The shoes are highlighted with light for the most part.

I enjoyed this effect. It was subtle, but nice. Also, they improved the location of the ab workout. The light comes from above, no longer from an angle. This highlights the feet a lot better than the first one. Though they still sometimes blend in, there's always just enough light to tell if they are pointing their foot or not.

 This DVD is much better than the first one. The sets are better, the narration is better, the workout still gets me pumped and keeps to its ballet roots. I really enjoy this DVD. The workout is about fifty minutes long again, just right for starting my day. I loved how they introduced us to bracing our abs and reminded us to do so throughout the exercise.

Workout: 9/10

Instructor: 9/10

Setting: 9/10

Camera: 9/10

Level: Beginner - Advance

Is it actually ballet? Yes!

Overall: 9/10

I love this DVD much better than the first. If you tried this DVD and still didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't recommend buying the first one at all. 


Click here to read my review for the New York City Ballet Workout I

Review-- The New York City Ballet Workout I

Here is yet another ballet inspired exercise series, this time from the New York City Ballet. I had some trouble with my usual program so I had to get screencaps a roundabout way. Anyway, here it goes!

So the video starts off with an introduction by Sarah Jessica Parker. I have no idea why she's telling me about dancers. Apparently she used to dance or something... maybe she's sponsoring this video? I don't know. The video intro after her speech is, well, trippy. My first thought was that maybe it would make a lot more sense if I had some marijuana. My second thought was "I wonder if this links up with a Pink Floyd song...." Yeah, the editing made me raise an eyebrow.

The exercise itself is sparse, but it helps because it makes it easy to see the dancer's bodies. The only problem with the sparse setting is that floor work tends to be in a spot light. The dancers wear black shoes and it's hard to see if they are pointing or flexing their foot. What I do like about the exercises is that they have both female and male dancers. This way, guys can also have an instructor to mimic.

Sometimes the shoes disappear into the shadows.

The narration drives me crazy, though. It's like a Discovery channel episode on wildlife animals. "Now, let us observe the New Yorker dancer as she warms up for exercises. With these exercises, she can develop her muscles so she can catch her prey." Yeah, I don't care for it too much. It's nice in that it reminds you to breathe every once in awhile, but other times it doesn't alert you to changes in the workout. Also, it's confusing since the narration changes on you so sometimes you are mirroring the instructors (their right, your left) and other times using the same side (their right, your right). The nice thing is that this DVD comes with options. You can turn off the narration. Heck, you can even change to contemporary music if you don't like to exercise to the classical music.I don't know how to describe the contemporary music. Sometimes it sounds like a Chinese string instrument and then other times it's jazz. It's a large medley of different sounds.

They are pretty good about showing alternative ways to perform stretches in case certain moves are too difficult for you, but they don't always show them or keep them on the screen. The demonstrators tend to show the ideal way to perform it instead, which is fine by me. The exercises are really nice, using real ballet to work the body. The abdominal section is nice because not only does it work your abs, but it works your legs, too. By concentrating on the legs, I didn't think about the burn in my abs, which makes me last longer and build more heat in my core.

The DVD case comes with a pamphlet. Inside are instructions, ways to use the DVD, best ways to exercise (don't eat, remember to breath, wear lose clothing, etc.), which is rather nice. The pamphlet also includes some nice pictures of the dancers performing. There are interviews and photo albums included on the DVD, but for some reason I wasn't able to access it. I'll have to try it on a different DVD player. I also have problems running this DVD on a computer with both Windows Media Player and Windows Media Player Classic. This must be run on a DVD player. Otherwise, certain items in the menu can't be selected and you won't be able to fast forward and click next. Other problems with the menu include that certain exercises are out of order. "Reverence" is listed before other exercises on the menu list even though the title placard says it should be the final exercise.

The DVD also offers a variety of exercise chapters that you can jump to from the title menu. In total, there are four major sections. In these sections are individual exercises that are about three minutes in length each. In total, there are seventeen exercises you can do. So if you do all exercises, it will be about a fifty-minute workout.

Workout: 8/10

Instructor: 5/10

Setting: 8/10

Camera: 8/10

Level: Beginner-Advanced
Is it actually ballet? Yes

Overall: 7.5/10

Not a bad DVD overall, could use some improvements, especially the narration instructor. It made the exercise confusing at times. The people actually performing the exercise routine are professional dancers and can definitely perform the moves, saving the score from dropping significantly low.

If you are looking to buy the DVDs, it is best to buy them together with workouts one and two. This review was only on the first one, the other will come later, but if you think you'll like it, buying the two together will save you money in the long run. Amazon - New York City Ballet Workouts 1 & 2


Click here to read my review for the New York City Ballet Workout II