Customer Reviews

Body Motion: Modern Dance Workout - Horton Technique

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Length:: 1:16 Mins

So, even though I had trouble watching this dvd on my dvd player, I watched it on my laptop and here are my comments.

The dvd is broken into chapters. First there is an explanation of the section, 2nd the section is performed with counting; 3rd the section is performed to music only. This for all sections except the stretching.
There is an extended workout without the tutorials. It clocks in at about 40 minutes.

If you have ever taken a modern dance class, all of the moves will look familiar to you. One thing that was missing for me were isolations and release swings. Don't know why she chose to leave those out. The class includes egyption walks but lateral pulls would have been nice. You will need to be on hard wood floors or uncarpeted floors. Give yourself lots of space to freely do the combination.

Overall I liked the beginners class and I was so tired that I only did the combination once which includes going to the floor and rising which is good for your abs. I wish the floor work had been more extensive as I love to stretch Would have loved to see more of horton's floor work especially in dvd 2. His floor work can be super challenging and fun.

What I didn't like was the music. It was euro techno something or the other. I've take a horton intro class at Alvin Ailey and it's the music that gets me going. A horton class usually has live percussion which is lively, easy to hear the accents and inspiring. This music added nothing to the movement and it was sometimes hard to hear the accents and timing, IMO. That's the only reason why I only gave it 4 stars.

As for the cuing, sometimes, the teacher's cuing didn't match the movement. Sometimes the movement didn't match the music. The music for the combination was boring. I would have liked music with more of a percussion jazz feel. But oh well it is what it is and musical taste is subjective so don't let that stop you from getting this dvd. If you love modern dance classes but can't get to one, this dvd is a great substitute.

The technique and combinations are taught well. The techinque is taught so well that you won't hurt yourself although because of my bad knees, I could not do grande plies. I would have liked to see the combination from different angles, though. Also I wished she would have counted the combination with the music, once thru as the music is not dynamic enough to easily pick up the timing.


Will I do it again? Yes. It was challenging and it will be my once a week workout. I only watched dvd 2 and it is harder than dvd 1. In the extended workout, she adds all of the sections from dvd 1 to dvd 2 to make it a longer more comprehensive dance class. On dvd 2 both combinations are danced. It would have been nice if they had put both combos together from beginning to end since I think the music is the same. Overall Very very nice.

Nothing ever beats taking class in person but for those of us who have difficulty or a lack of access to a good modern dance class, this DVD is a boon. I appreciate the different versions of the workout with as little or as much explanation as you prefer. I don't care about the music because I don't think I have ever attended a modern dance class where I liked the music anyway... tune it out or put something else on in the background: problem solved.

I finally did Disc 2 and it kicked my butt! All the variations are good. The advanced tendu sequence is done at tempo and double-time, the stretch sequence includes some pilate-esque ab work that will work you and I really liked the advanced movement combination at the end.

This is definitely better done on a wooden floor, BTW and where you have room to swing your arms, kick your legs etc and move across the floor. If she ever decided to do a follow-up DVD I'd be all over it. It's always better to take class in person but if you can't, then something like this is really wonderful to have on hand.

I am a belly dancer, not a modern dancer, but I really enjoyed these DVDs. The technique is explained and demonstrated well, but once you're used to it, the chaptering allows you to do the workout straight through without listening to the directions every time. The fact that there are two DVDs gives you the option to progress.

I tend to prefer the format of Joyce's other DVDs in which she stands at an angle in front of a mirror so we can she her front and back. However, since the movements were not done in terms of left and right, the straight on format worked wonderfully. I also like that the combination is done on both sides. One sided dancing in a practice DVD is a major pet peeve of mine.

This is a workout that left me exhausted and one that I will keep in my regular rotation.

The video is set up like a dance class and a description of each segment is given before the actual segment begins. I personally don't like the music they use during the class. I also don't like the length of the class if you do the extended class without the descriptions. It runs for about 30min because they only do the segments once and I was hoping to do them at least twice each. I also was expecting more Horton Technique and for the class to be more challenging. If you are an advanced dancer I don't suggest this video but, if you are familiar with dance technique but don't consider yourself advanced I say give it a try. I've only done disc one because I'm not motivated to do disc two; that's what I mean when I say it's ok.

I like this video a lot. You can see what the instructor is doing, things are broken down well, and there are a lot of nice menu options such as doing the exercise with and without the teacher's commentary.

It is a good workout. I will use it regularly.

I don't know how to dance and I live in a remote town so I can't learn to dance. Yet that doesn't stop me from dreaming, and a DVD like this (I have only used the beginner DVD thus far) is just what I need. I feel like I am in a class, learning what I want to learn. The exercises work you hard, and the combination is wonderful - it is definitely over my head at the moment, yet I have so mch fun trying it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

Excellent DVDs. Try Level I a few times before you do Level II. All in all, it will get your heart going. Here's the break down:

Warm up; Flat Backs; Laterals; Primitive Squats; Stretch; Tendues; Balance Study; Egyptian Walks (meh, not my favorite); Combinations (have plenty of space); Cool Down

I appreciate that each section is throughly explained. She uses another dancer as a model and shows you the correct way of doing a particular move. However, keep your remote nearby if you're familiar with the steps and don't want to hear the explainations every time. Each section is divided into introduction, exercise with explanations, and then exercise with music only. You could also opt to do the extended workout.

Note: You should be in decent shape and know your limits. You'll be doing deep lunges, push ups, and other high impact exercises.

I've started using this dvd after my cardio workouts. This is great if you are a professional dancer or if you want to be. She has a whole section on balancing exercises which I like a lot. Great value as well, since it comes with two dvd's that can be devided up into more workouts.

I would recommend it to those who have a background in either ballet or contemporary dance, and if not Horton, at least Graham. Katharina is a superb dancer, and very inspiring. Of course ideally one would go to classes, because there is no subsitute for a good teacher, however this dvd is perfect for extra practice, or for those who do not have access to a studio.

Exercises are explained, broken down, counts are given, and then presented in a sequence. I dislike the music though, I have tried using my own, but I still need to hear the cues and counts so I will have to be patient until I can do the class without Katharina's instructions. A wooden floor is also best, I have been learning the class in the first dvd and practicing it in a studio, yet having said that, many exercises can be done on a carpet floor/yoga mat. This dvd is a must for all dance lovers, probably not beginners though, but both improvers and experienced dancers will be challenged by the technique and routines in this dvd.