Dance Hot Salsa DVD 1 (levels 1&2)

Rating:
Summary: Some drawbacks, but overall excellent
Review: First point: check out the extensive reviews of the VHS version of this DVD if you want to know more. It's an extremely popular series, as is reflected in the reviews.

Now the drawbacks: On the VHS version, the sound and picture quality are quite mediocre. Let's hope they've fixed that on the DVD, along with the over-dubbing of the 1-2-3-- 5-6-7 counting! It's a logical way to count, but it is distracting on the VHS to have it added in as an afterthought.

Second drawback: the first five minutes of this program are a little cheesy and stiff, but don't let that stop you, because here begins the good part. First of all, the instructor presents a guide to posture and positioning that is invaluable. Then come the clips of combinations: Josie and her assistant make these ten moves look so fun and sexy that you can't wait to try them yourself. Then each move is broken down. I'm not a dance teacher, so I'm not sure why her way of breaking things down is so clear, but it just *is*. A side benefit: the teacher on this tape is the woman, but her assistant still gets to speak and contribute-- unlike some old-style videos, like the one by Ron Montez, where the woman ends up looking like a silent bimbo rag doll to be thrown around. Here everybody gets to have a brain *and* be sexy.

In general, the best part of this program is how manageable it is: with one set of ten moves and then another set of fifteen moves, you'll feel like you can be perfectly presentable on the dance floor. Despite the so-so sound and picture on the VHS (which hopefully are corrected on the DVD), this program is highly recommended. I also recommend the "New York Salsa" beginner DVD, which is high quality and tons of fun but maybe just a tiny bit overwhelming. Between the two of them, you'll be stylin'!

Rating:
Summary: Some drawbacks, but overall excellent
Review: First point: check out the extensive reviews of the VHS version of this DVD if you want to know more. It's an extremely popular series, as is reflected in the reviews.

Now the drawbacks: On the VHS version, the sound and picture quality are quite mediocre. Let's hope they've fixed that on the DVD, along with the over-dubbing of the 1-2-3-- 5-6-7 counting! It's a logical way to count, but it is distracting on the VHS to have it added in as an afterthought.

Second drawback: the first five minutes of this program are a little cheesy and stiff, but don't let that stop you, because here begins the good part. First of all, the instructor presents a guide to posture and positioning that is invaluable. Then come the clips of combinations: Josie and her assistant make these ten moves look so fun and sexy that you can't wait to try them yourself. Then each move is broken down. I'm not a dance teacher, so I'm not sure why her way of breaking things down is so clear, but it just *is*. A side benefit: the teacher on this tape is the woman, but her assistant still gets to speak and contribute-- unlike some old-style videos, like the one by Ron Montez, where the woman ends up looking like a silent bimbo rag doll to be thrown around. Here everybody gets to have a brain *and* be sexy.

In general, the best part of this program is how manageable it is: with one set of ten moves and then another set of fifteen moves, you'll feel like you can be perfectly presentable on the dance floor. Despite the so-so sound and picture on the VHS (which hopefully are corrected on the DVD), this program is highly recommended. I also recommend the "New York Salsa" beginner DVD, which is high quality and tons of fun but maybe just a tiny bit overwhelming. Between the two of them, you'll be stylin'!