The New York City Ballet Workout

Rating:
Summary: Relaxing Workout
Review: I bought the book of this workout and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was hoping there was a video and am happy to see there is. I read some of the reviews and it was indicated that the workouts weren't explained well or not at all on the video. Buy the book! It explains the positions and, of course, has pictures. There are tips for each workout. I am hoping the the video and book will compliment each other. I've only given it one star because I am just ordering it now. I thought I give a tip.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect for a former dancer
Review: I love this video! As a former professional dancer, this is one workout video that works for me. If you like pilates...this would work for you.

Rating:
Summary: I loved this DVD
Review: This is a great DVD for those who have dance background and want a workout with an artistic touch. I teach Celtic dance and found it gave me renewed interest in class exercises. I am working on the workout each day and it is improving my own technique. For those who don't understand ballet terms the glossery on the DVD version is very helpful. I prefer the contemporary music soundtrack for my workout and find the music uplifting.

Rating:
Summary: Not for me
Review: I was very disappointed with this video--perhaps if I had some background in ballet I would have had different expectations. I was looking for a different type of workout which it certainly is. However, I realized at about the 13th section that IT WASN'T FUN!!! Here are professional dancers holding perfect positions that I will NEVER come close to. I enjoy working out and have lots of work-out videos that I love--and many that I had to do several times before I really felt comfortable with them. I didn't even finish the whole workout--it was more like art than exercise. Watching perfection is one thing--it is beautiful--but it was not at all motivating.

Rating:
Summary: fun, but not much of a workout
Review: This video workout is a lot of fun, and a lot of laughs if you have never taken ballet before. I really like doing it, however, I do not think that it is that hard of a workout. At the end of it, I am not even remotely tired or sore, but maybe that is because I am used to doing Tae-Bo every day. However, it is very relaxing and the music to the workouts is very calming. It definitely brings me down from a hard day at school, but as for it toning my body, that is yet to be seen (or felt). I guess I am the kind of person who needs to feel the pain in order to feel like I am doing anything worthwhile for my body.

Rating:
Summary: The alternate day exercise
Review: I was looking for a routine which would give me something to do on the alternate days from my step aerobics routine. It is a nice DVD to do when you need to de-stress and do something good for yourself at the same time. I did find however that the cueing leaves much to be desired. Quite often you are forced to be looking at the screen instead of concentrating on proper movement as the cueing lacks precision. At one point at the floor barre section, the dancer changes legs and unless you are watching, you are totally clueless. This forces you to torque your neck and quite often strains your shoulders. Hopefully, I will memorize this section soon. Another problem, is that you are not sure if you are "done" once the DVD is finished. Should you go back and do the "warm up" section again to "cool down" ? Who knows. I do enjoy this workout, but would have preferred the cues be given more consistenly and from the users point of view instead of the dancers point of view. ie: your right foot moving is not the foot that is on the right side of your screen, but rather the dancers right foot, which is on the left side of the screen.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful change of pace!
Review: After experiencing a serious exercise burnout in the last year, I began looking for workouts to supplement my usual step aerobics/weight training regimen. I added yoga several months ago, and then a friend mentioned the NYC Ballet Workout book. Since I'm not one for exercising out of a book, discovering that a video would soon be released was very exciting. I have not been disappointed.

I have never studied ballet formally, but was familiar with the five basic positions and many of the other common ballet exercises. As a result, I fell in step quite easily and was able to concern myself more with proper form than might otherwise have been the case. The three warm-up segments had me laughing at my own clumsiness the first time around, but were much easier the second time I did the tape.

This workout won't be especially difficult for anyone who's either studied ballet or is in fairly good shape. I found certain things challenging (like holding the arms in second position for the whole of the tendu segment), but overall, I think this tape is aimed more at helping the viewer develop flexibility and strength without taxing the cardiovascular system to any great degree. I have found that I can do this tape at 9:00 in the evening and fall easily asleep at 10:45. You will be perspiring but have an overall feeling of tranquility at the end.

Even though I love this tape, I gave it only four stars because of what I perceive to be some minor problems. There is one bad edit in the stretching segment that threw me off at first. Peter Martins's cueing leaves a bit to be desired, and his instructions of "right" and "left" are from the dancers' point of view -- not from the perspective of the person following along. (I'm used to simply mirroring the people in workout videos and disregarding the narrator, so this is not a problem for me -- but could be confusing for others not experienced in doing that.) And finally, the dancers aren't always shown full-length, which makes it harder to know what the parts of their bodies that aren't being shown are doing at that particular moment.

But, as I say, these are minor matters in an otherwise terrific video. They certainly do not keep me from recommending the New York City Ballet Workout!

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic workout
Review: This is a wonderful workout--I've taken years of ballet and I was exhausted by the time I finished! I'd rate it, however, between 3 and 4 stars for two reasons--first, the narration doesn't keep up with the actual video so if you are doing a movement that requires looking away from the screen, you miss what the dancers are doing. Second, for someone who has taken ballet, it might be a bit repetitive or boring in parts.

Despite those nitpicks, I was very impressed with the scope of the video. Every muscle group gets worked. I felt taller, thinner and more graceful after the workout and look forward to recapturing my ballet body!

Rating:
Summary: JUST REMEMBER TO LAUGH !
Review: If you have never done ballet before - you may feel like you're in an old 'I Love Lucy' episode - as you swing your arms while doing plies and arabesque raises. The 'warm-ups' challenge your sense of humor - as well as your endurance - with their fast paced routines. I laughed heartily the first couple of times I used the video. I've never taken a ballet class - but wanted a workout that would supplement yoga classes. This is the perfect video for that purpose. It will absolutely tone your stomach and add definition to your legs. I've seen results in just one week.

Rating:
Summary: Just what I was hoping for...
Review: This is a great video for a someone who used to take ballet and wants to get back into it. It is quite advanced, so I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner; but for all those ballet lovers out there, it's well worth the money.