Ballet Workout
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Product details
Actor: Melissa LoweEdition: VHS Tape
Format: NTSC
Release Date: 1991-10-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Kultur Video
Studio: Kultur Video
VHS Movie Reviews of Ballet Workout
Movie Review: A good place to start.
Summary: 3 Stars
I own all three of the Ballet Workout DVD's. This one is my second favorite out of the three, and the best place to start if you've never had ballet before. It's structured like a ballet class (floor work, barre work, and center work). You don't need a barre. I use a chair.
I took ballet for 10 years when I was younger, so I knew all of the terms used in this DVD. There is a lot of time spent demonstrating and explaining the terms, so people who don't know ballet should be able to stay caught up.
The patterns are very simple and very repetitive, so it doesn't take many repeated viewings to learn them.
Some of the stretches require good flexibility (especially the level two workout) so I couldn't do a lot of them all the way at first. The people in the video are professional dancers, so of course they make it look easy. Just do what you can do and don't worry about the people on the TV.
You can tell just by watching that this was filmed in the 80's, so it's old. On some of the stretches she tells you to bounce. Don't. People don't bounce anymore. It''s bad because it doesn't let you ease into the strech and can force you to go to far too fast.
This is a good video to start with. I don't use mine anymore because I find the patterns repetitive and boring now, but if you don't know what you're doing the repetitiveness is good. My favorite DVD is the second one, but it is faster paced and you need to know what all the ballet terms mean.
Movie Review: Best if you've had ballet
Summary: 4 Stars
This DVD features two ballet classes. The first says it is for people with little or no ballet experience, but it is more geared toward the person who has a distant memory of ballet classes she took as a little girl. As a 36 year old who never took ballet as a child, I would have benefitted from a little more time devoted to the basic positions. Although I have watched hundreds of ballet classes, I have not participated before, and I found it difficult to maintain the positions during the simple combinations. A little more time devoted to simply coming back to first would have been a help for me.
That said, it is a much better video for beginners than the New York City Ballet Workout, which has more complicated combinations and assumes a fair amount of knowledge.
The other thing that could improve this video would be to have the teacher show the combination once before having the students follow. The first time watching the video, you're not quite sure what she is going to do next, which makes it hard to follow. Of course, this isn't a problem with repeated viewings.
In all, I think it's a good product and especially good for people with a little ballet background. It is a very simple ballet class with easily assimilated combinations, and ballet classes are always a good workout that use every muscle.
Movie Review: Good, solid, ballet exercises
Summary: 4 Stars
Good ballet exercises. Sound and video quality not great, as it seems like it must have been a so-so quality VHS tape converted to a DVD.Movie Review: I have danced with Melissa
Summary: 5 Stars
Melissa and her husband Jory danced with us when we were just a small midwest company. I was the very lucky one to dance with both of them up close and personal and what a thrill it was.
I now have my own studio and have sent this video to my adult students that want to work out at home. She and Jory know their stuff and they are the finest/nicest dancers and teachers around.
Elizabeth C. Williams
Elizabeth Williams School of Dance
Williamston, Mich 48895
Movie Review: Great basic ballet workout
Summary: 5 Stars
These ballet classes (there are two levels on this one dvd) are really clear and enjoyable. However, it is important to have a real-life instructor who can assist and correct you as you learn the basics in a regular studio environment, but if used in addition to real classes - this is very helpful. I like starting my day of with this workout to supplement my ballet classes. I recommend to anyone serious about learning ballet!
Summary of Ballet Workout
The title is somewhat a misnomer: this 83-minute video isn't a "workout" so much as a ballet class. If you've taken ballet in the past--or if you've always wanted to--pull on your tights and leg warmers and enjoy this video. Melissa Lowe, a former soloist and principal dancer with several ballet companies, leads two levels of workout. Level 1 is for those with little or no ballet training; ballet experience is helpful for level 2. Each level has three segments: floor work (stretches to warm up the muscles), barre work (standing exercises and positions done holding onto a barre or chair), and center work (more intense conditioning with balance, traveling, and some jumping). If you're not already flexible, you'll find the stretches daunting, even at level 1. This is a 1984 video and doesn't have the production quality you find in more current videos, but ballet is timeless. The music is solo piano--just like in ballet class. The lithe, willowy instructor doesn't smile or try to engage the audience, but she sure knows ballet, and her flexibility and grace are awe inspiring. --Joan PriceGeneral Video
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