Rating: 
Summary: What this video IS and IS NOT
Review: What it IS:This video is very good if you have generally performed traditional calisthetics. The ABs section is great and challenging. Its very effective at core strengthing. It's great for people with desk jobs who want to improve their posture - and for joggers who want increase range of motion in the hips, as well as strengthening the core. If you pay CLOSE attention to what the instruction is, you WILL feel a burn. These are not sloppy movements, nor quick. They are subtle, and easy to miss. The dancers go faster because they are experienced, but the beginner will have to take it slow to understand the correct position. Form is of utmost importance in this series and you have to carefully observe the movements to make sure your form is right. What it's NOT: This is not a typical exercise DVD nor a ballet instruction video. This is not for dancing, but for general fitness. This video is *not about* dance technique and will not turn you into a dancer. If you are someone who has owned a million aerobics tapes, this one is a very interesting change of pace. If you have never taken ballet, its a refreshing introduction to movement. The classical music and haughty voiceover may not suit the 'hip' areobics approach, but the movements are good and the video is comprehensive. A good deal.
Rating: 
Summary: Work Out Some More Like a Dancer, Whether You're One or Not
Review: Workout Description: about 30 minutes of toning (17 minutes floor work, 12 minutes standing; primarily focuses on lower body with some ab and minimal upper body work) with 11 minute warm-up, 6 minute stretch, and 17 minute "cool-down" which includes dance routine for a total of 63 minutes
Workout Level: mid-intermediate to low advanced
Instructor: Peter Martins (NYC Ballet Master in Chief) in a voice-over with his British accent. He is encouraging and helpful (and less snobbish than NYC Ballet Workout 1). You will need to watch the dancers closely and even watch the video glossary at the end; the tips given are sufficient but just barely. (This is another area improved from NYC Ballet Workout 1). Both sides are worked evenly, and you are expected to mirror the dancers' movements.
Class: 1-4 dancers from the NYC Ballet (2 women, 2 men)
Music / Set: You can choose between a gorgeous classical music soundtrack or a more modern jazz-inspired vocal soundtrack, both with or without narration. The interior set is minimal, as the focus is on the dancers.
Equipment Needed: optional mat for floor segment. The workout can be done barefoot, with ballet slippers, or you can use the special split sneakers (from Bloch or Capezio) the dancers use in some segments.
Caveats: Familiarity with ballet is extremely helpful; familiarity with Pilates or similar methods is also helpful. You don't have to be a dancer, though.
Additional Comments: You'll need some space for this workout, particularly for the movement combination. However, at 5'8" I'm able to fit it in my 6' by 8' space without getting too cramped or having to be too creative.
This, along with NYC Ballet Workout 1, is one of the few exercise videos in letterbox. The choreography and production are beautiful. Sarah Jessica Parker appears on the back cover but nowhere else.
This program consists of 16 exercises divided between a moving warm-up, floor exercises (including a stretch, ab series, and "floor barre"), standing center, reverence, and a movement combination. (There are fewer pauses in between exercises, as in NYC Ballet Workout 1.) There is no cool-down after the movement combination, so you may want to delay the reverence until after you've completed it. The movement combination isn't enough to count as good cardio, but it's fun to see if you can complete it even half as gracefully or effortlessly as the dancers.
In comparison to the New York City Ballet Workout 1, this is more like Jessica Sherwood's Ballet Boot Camp (1 or 2). NYC Ballet Workout 2 has more explanation and more routines. It feels more like a regular class that ends with practicing a routine for a recital. Personally, I have both NYC Ballet Workouts and use them equally. I'm so excited to live out my childhood dream of being a ballerina (although just in private-there's a reason why this is just a dream) that I can't help but enjoy these workouts. Are they perfect? No. Are they as fun as a real class? No. Do they make you sweat buckets? No. Do they help you increase your flexibility, strengthen your muscles, improve your balance and posture, and make you feel like you're a graceful dancer when you're done? Absolutely.
The DVD comes with a booklet offering workout tips and a summary of the program. (Don't let the photos of the super-flexible dancers intimidate you; you won't have to do any of those stretches in the workout.) You have the option to select chapters or program your own workout, so if you only want to do part of the exercises, you can. (For example, you can do the warm up, floorwork, and stretch one day and the warm up, standing work, and Reverance another day; you could also focus on lower body.) There are "Quick Fix Target Exercises" for the abdominals, shoulders & back, and thighs & buttocks, where a dancer demonstrates an exercise to add on; it's then up to you to do them on your own. There are 2 documentaries: "Tendus, Tutus, Tights, and Takes," which is a behind the scenes look at filming the workout, and "Born to Dance," which combines bios with a day in the life of each of the dancers. (It's worth seeing for Aesha's commercial debuts.) In addition, there are trailers and promo spots for Danskin and NY Sports Club. You may find the book version of the exercise program helpful, particularly if you have little ballet experience, but it is not necessary.
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