Customer Reviews

Dancing With the Stars: Fat Burning Cardio Dance

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

 

 

After seeing some of the previews of the DVD, I was really excited to get "Dancing with the Stars: Fat Burning Cardio Dance." And, although it was a pretty good fitness DVD that gave me a good cardio workout, it still left me wanting just a little bit more.

The DVD is divided into four different sections: Mambo, Jazz, Hustle, and Cooldown. This is what I thought of each individual section:

Mambo Mix - This first section fuses Mambo and Salsa moves together, and I'm afraid that the different tempos of the two dances in addition to Edyta Sliwinska's (the instructor for this routine) bad cuing makes this low impact segment the worst of the bunch. While you start off by doing some very easy and slow mambo steps to the side, forward, and back, Edyta soon adds in moves that are very fast, and the two different speeds just don't really feel right together. Edyta does do a good job, for the most part, of slowing down each move before bringing it up to tempo, but there are a few times when she teaches the move incorrectly and never corrects herself, leaving the viewer to notice the mistake a few minutes later when doing the move quickly. Overall, the moves were very Latin and sexy, but the speed differences between the two styles was just too awkward for me.

Hollywood Jazz - Kym Johnson leads this routine which is a mixture of many styles of dance such as: Swing, Jazz, Broadway, Charleston, and more. Kym starts off with a very slow fosse move, but the rest of the routine is very high cardio and very much fun to do with moves that include fast kicks and lunges. The cuing is really well done, and most of the moves are broken down to teach but brought up to tempo before the heart rate falters. Some of the moves are definitely a little tricky to master, but this adds a challenge to the workout that isn't frustrating since it's just one or two moves. It may be a little harder for beginners to pick up, but otherwise, this a great section in terms of fun and cardio.

Hustle & Pop - Coming in as the third cardio segment on the DVD is this one, led by Chelsea Hightower. The moves in this routine are very Disco with just a slight Hip-Hop feel to them. It starts right out with Chelsea jumping full on into several fast high cardio moves that she doesn't break down at all, and it just continues on from there. There is definitely a lot of content in this section, and I absolutely loved all of it! The breakdown may not be there, but the cuing definitely is as Chelsea cue excellently through the fun, cheesy Disco moves that includes a lot of hops and lunges. This one is definitely a blast, and I enjoyed doing it, as well.

Cooldown - As the finish to the workout is this cooldown, led by all 3 of the instructors and aided by the 4 backup girls who were in each routine. I was disappointed with this part, though. The first half is just step touching, triple stepping, and doing some other cardio moves! Finally a little bit of stretching is done for the abs and legs, but it is done so quickly, I barely feel anything before we move to the other side. I didn't feel like there was enough stretching here for the end of my workout.

Overall, though, the dancing on this fitness DVD was very fun to do. Edyta's cuing may have been off, some of the moves may have felt a bit weird, and the cooldown may have not been sufficient, but this is still a very good cardio workout for fans of dancing and exercising.

I own a few DWTS dance DVD's as well as the Julianne Hough ones and while I am not a pro dancer I feel that I am at a higher level than the novice dancer. However I did this DVD for the first time the other day and I was very dissapointed. It was very hard to follow along in most cases
Edyta started off fine but then she ended up going way to fast and did not explain alot of the steps that well. I was very impressed with another DVD that had Kym in it and am able to do that dance but this one she did same thing was lost part way through. I felt that out of all the dances Chelsie was the best and easiest to follow.
I will give it another try but it is not fun doing a DVD that you get frustrated doing

This video is horrible. Totally unispiring. Boring. Boring. Boring. The music has a low volume and it did not put me in the mood to dance (let alone exercise). The "Hustle and Pop" segment is a really bad version of 80's aerobics. I'm really surprised the producers put their names on this.

Rating a workout video can be tough due to the fact that people who do the dvds come with different levels of fitness, instruction, and training, so I am rating this 4 stars for myself, but will try to outline who this dvd may be for and what I liked and disliked about it:


A good place to check the level of workout is collagevideo.com. They will give you a breakdown of beginner, intermediate & advanced, this will give you a starting point because in the Dances with the Stars videos they go from Beginner to Intermediate/Advanced. This dvd is considered "intermediate".

The dvd is broken down in three sections mambo, where Edyta is your instructor, Hollywood Jazz, with Kym & Hustle & Pop with Chelsea. My favorite was Chelsea's section because the moves were retro, fun and you move a lot. My least favorite was Edyta's, because it didn't seem to flow as well. I took dance training for many years growing up, so I have done many of these steps before, and it is just a matter of learning the combos and speed of the movements. After doing it once I had most of the moves down, but it would probably take me, as an intermediate/advanced exerciser about 3 run throughs to really have everything down-pat, and probably a bit longer to look polished and have memorized the steps so that they flow well.

Dislikes: The videos really should have a special segment that breaks down each move, this would make this dvd appeal to many more people, as some do not have dance experience but want to learn. The breakdown section could be aside from the workout so that you are not consistently having to slow down, but at the beginning this would be helpful and probably more people would have stuck through it if they had some instruction and additional follow-the trainer kind of moves. I am always puzzled why they have no warm-up. At least some stretches for your calves, quads and hamstrings seem in order before you are doing cardio, even if it is a short section. The choreography starts slow, which gives people the idea you will get a little practice first, and they would be mistaken. You move slowly for a very short time and then the pace really picks up, which can be frustrating if you are new to dance or need more instruction.

Likes: The workouts are good for someone looking for an intermediate/advanced instruction with moderate choreography. I felt this was at a good level for me. It was not as easy as the Latin Dance, but not quite as hard as the DWTS Dance off the pounds workout. I, myself am looking for the more challenging choreography as I pick up steps more quickly because of my training, and need a bit of a challenge. This would not be the case if you are not familiar with dance, need more instruction or feel you have two left feet. I would recommend one that is listed as Beginner, and start there first-the Latin one with Cheryl Burke would be a good place to start. After practice you will be able to pick up some of these steps easier. For those that have done the Dance off the Pounds dvd, Kym's section will be somewhat familiar with the "Sailor", "Charleston" & Suzy Q steps although they are a bit quicker and in the Charleston you will do a variation. The music was good and matched each segment well. The set was also toned down and reminded me of my old studio, stripped down, wood floor with a dance barre in the back. Not glitzy, but a little more authentic to how most dancers practice.

Overall, a good dance dvd if you are already familiar with dance and do not need much instruction. If you need more instruction or are slower to catch steps, I would think this would be a huge exercise in frustration. Start on one of the beginner dvds and work up to it once you have a little practice. If you are already someone well versed in dance, you will be able to catch most of the steps the first couple times through. I worked up a nice little sweat and had fun dancing in my livingroom.
I would consider this for purchase (I borrowed this copy), and most likely will try it several more times or check it out again if I don't purchase it right away.

I had to give a review after reading the other horrible reviews of this video. I don't think some people are allowing themselves time to learn the video.

Just to give you a little bit of my workout history. I've been able to stay in good shape over the years working out mostly with at home workout DVDs. I even had a few VHS workouts that I used back in my teen years. Back when it was common for supermodels to release their workout program(Cindy Crawford, Kathy Ireland, and Elle McPherson). I've done various workouts: aerobics, step aerobics, tae-bo, circuit training, pilates, etc.

I had devised my own weekly workout regime that I had stuck with for the past 3 years. Consisting of strength training from a DVD, some ab work from a DVD and my cardio was walking my dogs and the treadmill. After so long of doing the same thing I was getting bored. I spent months trying different videos that I already had in my collection to get me out of my rut. I was still looking for something to make me more excited to workout. I've always loved dancing but I'm not a dancer. One area I felt I needed to improve was my cardio stamina. So in a rather spur of the moment decision I bought Julianne Hough's Cardio Ballroom and her new release Just Dance. I began learning the Cardio Ballroom workout this past October.

During another shopping trip right around the first of the new year I noticed the 2 newest DWTS workouts that were on sale(this one I'm reviewing and DWTS: Ballroom Buns and Abs). I bought both DVDs that feature the same 3 pros. So for the past 2 months now I've ditched Julianne's workouts and I've focused on the DWTS DVDs. I interchange them depending on the day. I like this workout a lot. I do the complete video each time, all 3 dances plus the cooldown. Both Edyta and Kim will tell you to "watch my friends while I show you the next step". When I first began this workout I struggled with Chelsie's segment the most. None of her steps are that difficult but there's a lot to learn.

I don't agree with the reviewers that say the pros go too fast. I don't want them to go so slow that my workout is compromised once I learn the entire routine well. Perhaps an added feature where the pros take more time to break down more difficult moves would be helpful to some. Julianne Hough's dance workouts had that feature. I also don't want to do a move over and over and over again. I like how they make sure they do the move a few times then build on to that move. I prefer more content as opposed to a bunch of reps of the same move. In one of Julianne's dances after learning the entire dance you run through it 7 times. That was a little much! It appears in this DVD the plan was to run through the entire routine 3 times before the segment ends. Due to time constraints Edyta only goes through her full routine twice. And Chelsie has a time issue too and only does the full routine 2 and a 1/2 times. But I don't mind not doing the full routine a bunch of times I don't believe it's necessary. My focus is to keep moving, keep improving, having fun, and getting a good workout in the process.

I think it's all about your own personal preference for a dance workout. I prefer the overall style of DWTS opposed to Julianne's now. But the key is allowing yourself time to learn! Especially if you have little to no dance in your background.

I needed something that did not feel like working out. I was 50lbs overweight and needed something I would LOVE doing. This is it. I am admittedly a horrible dancer. This video is advanced and in some instances difficult to follow but it got ME MOVING!! I do this workout twice a day and have lost 15 lbs so far!!! I love this video because I am so busy following the steps I forget I am working out. I dont mind that I get lost in some of the steps the point for me is that I am still moving!! It is a great video for those at home with little ones. I have a 3yr old who dances along while "mommy do exercises" this is something SHE looks forward to us doing together!

I thought this DVD would be a blast but I quickly found out that if you don't have a dance background you are going to be left behind and very confused in the first 5 minutes. The moves look like a lot of fun to do but they are so fast you can't possibly keep up unless you are a dancer. My first time using this DVD I got frustrated and turned it off. It's still not a whole lot better.

Bottom line... if you are a dancer (cheerleader, drill team, bogie at the club every weekend) this is the workout for you. If not... keep looking.

UPDATE: After trying this DVD a few more times it's gets easier to pick up the dance moves. I still struggle with some parts but it's getting to be more fun and less frustrating. However, you need a really big living room to do the dances in (I kept crashing into my couch) and I'm thinking that after a few more months of this DVD it will get boring.

I'm bumping it up to 3 stars from my former 2 star review.

Even when I have trouble keeping up with a cardio dvd at first, I practice it over and over and usually am able to "get" it in time. I did this one once, and knew right away I would have to toss it. I would say only buy it if you are very well coordinated with great agility. The first section is too slow, the second is the most "cardio" but I couldn't do any of them accurately enough for it to be a good workout.

This dvd would be great if it has a tutorial section, but it has nothing!!! Also a "rear" view would be helpful for those learning how to dance... I am sure I could get a good workout if I knew what I was doing... It is so frustrating! So many dance/workout videos lack instruction!!! So far the ballet conditioning videos have worked for me... not trying to learn to dance, just go through the conditioning part to get toned...

I bought this DVD at costco cause I had started a new diet and thought this would be a fun addition. I should have researched this video before just buying it. It is very hard to follow. I thought it was me at first, but my sister tried to do it with me and she could not follow it either. They dont really teach you the moves and it progresses too fast for you to really get the moves down packed.

I haven't tried other workout DVDs so I cant really compare. However, I know from my first experience that this workout DVD is not that great and there has got to be better videos out there.