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The New York City Ballet Workout

The New York City Ballet Workout

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $14.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Nothing amazing...
Review: Use this tape as a supplement to your regular workout or if you don't want a really difficult workout that day. Maybe because I don't have a ballet background, I don't sweat much doing it. However, one of my fiends who has taken extensive ballet loves this tape, and believes you need to know the classic ballet positions to get the most out of this workout.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: not what it appears
Review: maybe it was just me but it seemed that this video misleads people. the cover is appealing and it sounds great to be toned without becoming bulky. unfortunately, the video itself is extremely boring and hard to follow. there's no excitement to get you motivated, only a plain white room and a narrator with a voice that could put you to sleep in a minute. i also found it very hard to do and i felt like an idiot prancing around not one bit as graceful as the dancers.it goes on forever and i can never seem to finish. i only give it two stars because it is not the video's fault that i am not coordinated enough.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: LOVE IT!!!!
Review: I am 37 and have always been thin but not toned lately, especially after having three kids. I wanted to firm up but not add any bulk. I have been very frustrated with different yoga tapes because the pace is just sooooo slow and I have NO interest in meditating. I went online to find something new to try and came across this video. I immediately knew I wanted it because I have always envied dancers bodies. The first time I tried it I merely watched while eating chips on the sofa. The second time I felt like a fool because I just could not follow it much, especially the warm up. The third time I was able to follow it better and was able to complete most of the moves and I have to say it made me feel healthy, beautiful and sexy. Just looking at the beautiful bodies makes you feel motivated. The pace is perfect for me and were it not for the impossible to follow warm up I would give it five stars. I actually really look forward to doing this tape every day -- and this from a chip eating, t.v. watching, lazy gal.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: when does the workout begin?????????
Review: This was not quite what I thought it would be. This dvd is slow and relaxing-so I recommend using it at night to relax and unwind. Bottom line-relax, unwind and enjoy but don't make this your primary workout.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: For those with training in ballet or an extreme interest!
Review: If you have some background in ballet, this video cannot be beat! It's very well made, tasteful, a tight workout, very nice classical music, and the dancers don't distract from the workout (although the bios are kind of a nice touch). I think that every girl probably wanted to be a ballerina at one time or another, and using this video is a great way to pretend in your own living room. Plus, it's a great way to get that famed "dancer's body." I've been using this video for about two months, and already I think that I'm looking leaner, and I certainly have a lot more endurance. This isn't a jump around exercise video; it has very small and compact moves that really work the muscles. It's not quite aerobic, not really weight-training, but somewhere satisfyingly in the middle. I would recommend this if you're looking for something in addition to an aerobic workout.

Here's the downside: I would not recommend this video if you've never had any instruction in ballet. You don't need a lot to follow this video, but even lessons taken as a kid would help. The problem is that positions and moves are explained extremely briefly, and from then on it's strictly a watch and learn kind of atmostphere. That's nice if you already know what you are doing, but not good if you've never had any experience. I took ballet lessons until I was probably twelve or thirteen, and even though that was a while ago, I still remember the basic stuff. I lent this workout to a friend who has never had any dance training, and she complained that she couldn't follow the moves. And if you don't have a mirror to watch yourself in, it's easy to forget the proper posture and position. Without the right position, you don't get the full potential of the workout and you open yourself up to injury. Plus, when the video is hard to follow or you don't fully understand, it's frustrating and you're less likely to stick with it (at least I am). I would just keep that in mind if you don't have any dance background.

All that said, I think that this is a great workout if you're into dance and have a history, or if you're really devoted to getting that dancer look and can watch yourself seriously. It really works the muscles, makes you longer and leaner, and in addition to keeping you in shape, the workout (I think) adds an all around gracefulness to your everyday routine. Okay wait, maybe that last fact is just my little girl ballerina ideal coming back into play.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An excellent video
Review: As an injured ballet dancer, I have found this video to be excellent- for a long time I was only able to do the floor work- of which there is a good amount. Later the standing exercises were good also. I would reccomend this for anyone who wants to firm and tone up their body.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: For those with ballet training.......
Review: This is an excellent DVD showing the correct form of basic ballet work out technique. But for those who never took ballet before, it can be very challenging to learn the terms and the moves. But if you ever had any ballet training, even just a little, this one is a very good work-out. Since I always want to look like a dancer, I would try to work out with this DVD as much as possible to achieve that look!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A nice workout if you already like ballet
Review: I bought this video because there isn't an adult beginner ballet class anywhere to be found. I've always enjoyed ballet moves, but felt overwhelmed or intimidated in the classes. I'm in decent shape, and didn't find this workout very strenuous, so I use ankle weights for some parts. You have to do it a few times to get into a groove. The level of work/intensity is entirely up to you, and it's difficult to work hard until you're familiar with the moves. You have to watch closely, as there is very little direction on the audio and no instruction on the foundation of the moves. If you need a change from the usual workout videos, and always wanted to be a ballet dancer safely in the privacy of your home, this is a great video.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not your average trendy exercise video - This is a classic
Review: I did this video today for the first time, and, Wow, I loved it. This is one exercise video that I can imagine working out with for years. These are the same exercises (or layman's modifications) that have been creating killer dancer bods for as long as there has been an art form called ballet, so you know they are effective. But what immediately impressed me were the high production values. I really appreciated the excellent classical music selections, chosen to keeping tempo with the movements, the neutral black background, and the lack of exercise-guru attitude displayed by the awe-inspiring four dancers who demonstrate the exercises. In other words, this is a breath of fresh air after too many exercise videos displaying distracting MTV-style camera work, with music, sets and costumes that are sure to look as ridiculously outdated in a decade or two (and to be as impossible to work out to without laughing hysterically) as vintage 80's aerobicizing is today.
So, there are the refreshingly un-tacky production values. There are the stunningly well-toned dancers in form-revealing exercise wear. (My three-year remarked, "Some of the people are naked." Well, not quite...) There is Peter Martin's deep, calm, European-accented voice, giving the instruction in voice-over. But how does this rate as a workout? I would say "five stars." It was do-able the first time but leaves plenty of room for growth; after all, these are some of the exercises that these dancers, in such peak shape, do daily. Surprisingly, I was the most challenged by the "Warm Up" section, as the choreographed little floor combination left me feeling like I had two left feet. Then the video moved on to mat work, done lying down, such as the Abs section, and standing "barre" work, involving lots of plies. So, luckily for an somewhat uncoordinated person like me, there were not many more sections of speedily combined actual dance steps. Overall, it was definitely work, and I felt it aerobically, but there were good stretches in between the exercises throughout, and the entire workout flowed well and never lagged. It felt as though it went by quickly, while at the same time being thorough and addressing every area of the body.
My only real criticism is that the five foot positions are referred to in passing during exercises, without having been previously broken down and defined. So, one might find oneself standing there saying, "Wait, what does he mean, 'feet in fifth position'?", without necessarily getting it just by looking at the dancers' feet. It might have been a good idea to demonstrate these in an introductory segment. Other terms, like "plie," "releve" and "tondue" are briefly but effectively defined, however. I liked how the workout ended with a section entitled "Reverence," which had to do with bowing in respect to the art form of the dance. It's a full hour long workout, which I also appreciated; some of the newer Yoga and Pilates videos I have turn out to have only about twenty minutes of instruction, which is a bit of a rip-off when they are not advertised as "quick version for days when you have no real time." After doing this workout, I felt really uplifted and expansively euphoric. I must have had an ever-so-beginner/amateur Ballerina's Exercise High.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nice visuals, poor instructions
Review: The video is aesthetically stunning, but the workout itself is fragmented and difficult to follow, due to the poor instructions. Some segments are "only for ballet dancers". Not for newbies.


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