Customer Reviews

Polka 101 [VHS]

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

 

 

Though the first part of the video is tedious (and almost perfectionistic), including exerces to build muscles for optimum dancing of the Polka, it improves with a little fast forwarding (at least for those of us who just want to grasp the steps).

The Polka steps are taught clearly and gradually, and one who is untrained will come out with a general grasp of basic polka steps. A great place to begin.

I bought this DVD because I wanted to learn how to polka before the next local Polish festival. No one else I know was interested in learning, so I thought a DVD would be the best option. When I got the DVD, I was a little worried because it looked pretty lame. But you shouldn't judge a DVD by its cover! The instructor is a little odd, but an incredibly good teacher and pretty funny. She's very thorough, so it's perfect for someone starting from scratch. Also, you don't need a partner to learn. Another plus! The music is done by a Grammy-winning polka band, the Versatones. I haven't made it all the way through the entire DVD yet (the instructor recommends doing the first few lessons over until you're comfortable before moving on), but I'm very much looking forward to becoming an expert with this super-fun DVD.

This DVD instruction was great I was dancing like a pro in a couple of days. I will buy other tapes from them

This video is not for someone who wants to pick up a few steps for social dancing. It seems to be directed at those who might want to get into competition. It is slow paced and does not include enough steps -- it is as if it were a trailer to get you to buy the next dvd.

My wife and I are experienced dancers, so may be judging this too harshly. For us, it was a waste of money. We can learn more by pestering other dancers for hints. Again, we want only to do social dancing, not exhibition dancing.

The webpage needs to warn customers that this DVD teaches a variant on Polka that the teacher calls "bounce". The traditional style is often called the "Polish hop". The word Polka means "hop" and it is the hop on the first or grace-note step that gives the Polka its flavor. This raises a problem for the student. Find out if it is the hop or the bounce that is done in your area. If people do the hop, then do NOT buy this DVD.

The DVD consists of a series of drills. There is very little dancing. (Compare this to one of the Cal Pozo tapes.) In many ways, it is a come-on for the other overpriced DVD's in the series. It is as if you bought a Fundamentals of Football DVD and found it contained instructions on doing push-ups and wind sprints but nothing about football itself. Further, you find the DVd teaches Touch, not Tackle. You then learn you must buy more DVD's to learn about the game itself. "Disappointing" is an understatement.

If you want to learn the Hop, do not buy this DVD.

My ridiculous tub of a bride looooves to polka. Ol' Hops pretty much disdains the dance floor, but after something like 8 (or 9) years of our brutal (and largely loveless) marriage, I finally threw Bessie a bone (tsk, tsk) and agreed to do some polking around. First off, I have no idea how to polka dance (or any kind of dance for that matter, unless we're talkin' the Dance Dance Revolution). Pole dancing I enjoy watching. Polka dancing? Not a chance. Well when those ridiculous Bulldogs from Fresno State won the College World Series and Hopperoo lost a bet to his "wise" tobacca-chewin' padre-in-law, it was polka time! I don't mind looking like a fool (especially when dancing next to the biggest fool of all time), but thought it'd be fun to show the cow (and maybe some polka-hotties) what a fine polka dancer can do when he puts his beautiful mind to it!

The DVD! Bottom line: It worked. After watching this DVD (it's about an hour long) twice (all I could stand) and drinking about seven volka and sevens, I became a competent polka dancing machine. The instructor speaks slowly and demonstrates the silly polka dance moves in fine detail. I would've prefered Helen Hunt (or Aimee Mann), but this instructor polkas better than those two (or so I suspect). The accompanying music is decent (I don't like polka music, but pretended it was German dancehaus tunes) and the polka music works nicely with the instructor's voice and polka dance instruction. Yes, this DVD will teach the drunkest stud to dance competent polka. Buy it if you dare! <HHD>