Customer Reviews

I Hate to Exercise I Love to Tap [VHS]

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have had this tape for over a year, and I still use it for exercise and I LOVE to tap! Bonnie Franklin does a great job of teaching. I also have a few other tap tapes that are just so hard to follow. Bonnie can take a beginner, teaches it slowly, speeds you up a little in easy routines, and then gets you to a faster routine with some time steps. I FINALLY, after a month or so, of really doing it daily, I was able to keep up to her pace! I joined a tap class after that, and when I did my "little routine" from Bonnie's tape, I was really tapping! (The girls in my class thought I had a lot more tap lessons than I actually did!) I had some tap in my background, but she really helped a "rusty hoofer"! Now, WHEN is she going to do another? Some of the tap tapes out there are done by great dancers, but they just cannot teach! Bonnie Franklin has a great way of teaching, and if you stay with it, she'll definitely have anyone who wants to, tapping! C'mon Bonnie, please do another tap video. I've played this one sooo much, I'm tired of it, and can do ALL the routines by heart! Thank you!

I've never danced in my life, but I decided to learn tap dancing because I'm very much into drama and I plan to audition for the show "A Chorus Line." Earlier before buying any tapes, I thought I was a hopeless case and had no chance of getting in. However, I bought this tape and after going through it just a few times, I am a confident tapper! Bonnie Franklin is excellent, as she works at a good pace and knows which steps to repeat and which ones not to. The different angles that the camera zooms in on are great and very helpful.. I would recommend this tape to anyone and everyone-- its just great.

The picture quality and sound quality of this video is outstanding and Bonnie Franklin is an excellent teacher. The intro and warm-up are followed by three lessons--each routine progressively longer and more complex. First is the Waltz Clog routine, then a fun Soft Shoe routine, and finally the Time Step. Each step is slowed down and broken down into parts that were made so clear and simple, I was just amazed at what I was able to learn in such a short period of time. I can't wait for Bonnie's next video.

This is an excellent beginners tap dancing video. Bonnie goes through warm-up exercises and then teaches the basic steps you'll need to know in any tap routine. She teaches Brushes, shuffles, slaps, ball-change individually, then teaches you how to put them together in three famous routines: Waltz Clogg, Soft Shoe, and Time Step. These routines include famous steps like the Shim-Sham Shimmy, Shuffle Off To Buffalo, and the Cross Over. This video is full of challenging exercises and Bonnie goes over them carefully, slowly enough to pick them up, but a little faster than the beginner is prepared for. This is a perfect strategy, because by the time you've repeated the lesson often enough to get the step right, you can actually keep up with her. The trick here is to practice with this tape daily. If you're looking for a regimen to get your heart beating fast and provoke a little sweat, this video is perfect. I find I perspire a lot more when I have to put some intellectual effort into exercise, than when I'm just running, for example. Learning to tap dance was the way to go for me. I tried jumping rope, running, weight lifting, and they all bored me and I didn't feel they gave me much of a work out. It's very satisfying to execute the steps right. You get a little better every day, and you both see it and feel it. I expect even a seasoned dancer will appreciate and get a few pointers from this video.

Bonnie Franklin is a great tap teacher. I don't know how she does it, but she encourages you, she takes it slow, she seems to meet every need for the inexperienced tapper. She includes LOTS of routines, LOTS of different steps and 90 minutes makes you feel like you really are getting your money's worth. The only problem is I wish there were even MORE! At the end, she says "See you on the next tape" -- has anyone seen or heard of one?

When I turned fifty I decided I wanted to learn to tap dance. Every class I signed up for turned out to be too fast, too confused, too advanced, etc. and I became discouraged. Then I discovered BONNIE FRANKLIN'S tape and the quality of the instruction, pace, reinforcement and overall presentation were superior in every way. In a word, Bonnie is SPECTACULAR! She has been tapping since she was nine yrs. old and it really shows. Her ability to present the material at the level a beginner can grasp is nothing short of phenomenal. I play the tape several times a week and have REALLY LEARNED TO TAP !! It is so wonderfully satisfying to succeed at something you really want to do and this tape turned me into a tap-dancer. It is worth every cent I paid for it and I'd gladly pay MORE for another. Bonnie, please make a follow-up tape!

I absolutely loved this tape. I could hardly wait to get home from work at night and retreat to my basement to practice tap dancing with Bonnie. This may sound a bit kooky but I felt very encouraged when she praised ME on the tape. I'm a very basic beginner and I feel so proud that I can now do three dance routines. I keep looking for a new video from her. I'm ready for a few new routines. I highly recommend this video for beginners.

Franklin is an enthusiastic, fun teacher, who paces her lessons well. You won't get bored, but she also doesn't go so fast that you are left behind. A variety of routines and steps to work through. A good value.

I am a 30 yr old woman who just signed up for an Intermediate Adult tap class. I had very, very little knowledge of tap but signed up for Intermediate because it was on a good night for me. I figured "hey, I'm coordinated, I'm a good dancer, how tough could it be?" My first class was a totaly disaster - I stuck out like a sore thumb and was totally embarassed. The next day I ordered this tape. I practiced with Bonnie for about an hour a day for 5 straight days, went back to my second class and I was like a new person!! This is a great tape because it teaches you all the basics. She teaches some fun routines and those routines give you the foundation for countless other steps you would learn in any class. The pace is easy to follow and it is perfect for a beginner who is starting from scratch. Bonnie Franklin is also pleasant to watch and listen to. Here are the only negatives - it's an older video and looks it. Doesn't matter because the content is great, but an updated version would be wonderful! Also, she is facing you so when she says 'right', her right is the opposite of your right. I am in good cardiovascular shape, so I consider this more of a fun activity than "exercise." When you get proficient at all the routines and are going up to speed, you'll break a sweat - but it takes a little time to get to that level. I would recommend getting this tape to learn all the fundamentals and assist in practicing - but then sign up for a class if possible to get some more variety and the opportunity to dance with others in a studio-atmosphere. If you think you can't tap, think again - Bonnie will get you there!

Well I ordered Bonnie Franklin's video after reading all of the wonderful reviews on it. Although all of the reviews sounded honest I was not expecting the results that I had. I've only been tapping for a week and I already know two routines thanks to bonnie. So far I've learned the Soft Shoe and the Waltz Clog routines on the video. Bonnie makes it so easy for beginners to learn tap steps. It's amazing really. I didn't expect such great results but I've learned so much from her video already and I only practice for about an hour every evening. This video is absolutely amazing. Bonnie Franklin is an excellent teacher. I would recommend this video for every beginner. I've never taken dance lessons before but Bonnie's video can make even the most shy of beginners confident of their skills. Great video Bonnie!!! ppplllleeeeaaaaassssseeeee make another