Customer Reviews

Cal Pozo's Learn to Dance in Minutes: Swing [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

My husband and I teach swing locally and I picked this tape up at the library for move ideas. I was aghast at what I saw. Please do not waste your time learning Cal Poza's style unless you are restricting your dancing to ballroom-style. It's so far removed from what we dance at swing dances that it would be hard for you to integrate it. If you are really interested in learning how to swing dance, check out many of the other tapes available such as Julie Mertz

Cal teaches beginning ballroom style swing. He teaches basics of East coast, Lindy, and West coast very well. His presentation well organized and easy to follow. This is the swing style danced at most "ballroom" dance parties.

After learing the ballroom style I learned the Savoy/Frankie Manning style Lindy Hop. This is the energetic jumping style danced in most "swing" clubs. This is not what Cal teaches.

I suppose this will teach you the steps but it is defintely not very hip. The format is cheesy, the dancers stiff and old-fashioned. Not the instruction I had in mind for swing dancing at the local clubs. But like I said it show what steps are involved so if you want conservative or know how to take what it shows and liven it up, this would be ok.

Never buy any DVD by Cal Pozo. I've accidentally bought two, since Cal isn't on the cover and I hadn't noticed that he would be the one doing the instruction. By the way, the cover of the DVD looks like it's a lot more lively than it actually is.
This is extremely stiff, and you will not be impressing anyone with your moves. Honestly, this looked horrible and my entire family was laughing hysterically for the first ten minutes because we could not believe that anything could be so boring, stilted, and lame. After that we fell asleep. Please, save your money.

This instructional 'SWING Dance' video is horrible, unless you are going to a ballroom party. Any swing club would laugh you off the floor if you tried to emulate Cal Pozo. And it will basically teach you nothing in a few minutes, without much michanics, an awful-not to mention innacurate-style, and a waste of $15 (avg). Try something from the 'World of Swing' collection or go to your local dance sites for lists of at home videos you can purchase here at Amazon.

There is very little in this video at all, it is very slow paced and doesn't do much other than teach the basic step, if you are looking for something to really learn from, especially if you have already learned the basic step look for a different video. The cover is misleading, don't buy this video.

Cal has produed a Swing video that is better for older people.
It is very basic & traditional.
I agree it is better for a ballroom crowd but is still can be used in a Swing party.

The instructions on this tape are very clear. It shows both the leader and follower parts from the back so it is easy to follow. It shows the basic steps for several different types of swing. It is definitely a beginner tape though and not enough steps are shown to make a person "stand out from the crowd" as the box suggests. It is more of a ballroom style but the basic still applies to the Savoy style Lindy Hop. I don't think the moves on this tape would make a person look as though they were dancing in a retirement home as one review suggests! An excellent beginner tape!

Cal Pozo has a wonderful series out to help people with two-left feet like myself how to dance. The lessons are short and give a variety of dance steps to work with. Do not expect wonders, this is a beginning video. The only way to get good is to put what you learn into practice.

I am no swing expert and bought this tape based on the hip fun looking couple on the box cover. The actual footage is a trip through the Lawrence Welk era. The lady, (she could potentially look quite hip in an appropriate outfit) wears this hideous flamingo pink flapper fringe sheath costume with this 6 foot strand of beads..reminiscent of those from the early 1980's (shudder)..

Yes the 'swing' dancing on this tape resembles the geriatric gig, at best. They contradict entirely what their box label promises to deliver! I'll tell you, after this ill informed purchase, I will look at the names instead of the pictures from now on!

A far better, more honestly packaged production is Swing Craze. They offer a better basic as well as a fun history lesson on Swing.