Review by Cheri Sicard
60 Minute Workout
Regular Price $14.95
Order Online and Save!

If you grew up taking ballet classes (as I did) or ever dreamed of taking ballet, you'll love this new workout. This 60-minute class covers 17 ballet exercises. No special equipment, other than a mat and a towel are needed as most of the work that would normally be done at a ballet barre is done on the floor.

The emphasis is definitely on toning, although a few short segments will get your heart going, just not for long enough to be considered aerobic. The exercises will help tone and lengthen your muscles, build strength, especially in the core muscles of the abdomen and back, and help improve posture and flexibility.

I do enjoy this workout and do it reasonably often. That said, I have to put a few serious disclaimers in this review. While I love Peter Martins narration, his voice is almost hypnotic, there simply is not enough of him on this tape. In other words, the cueing leaves something to be desired.

Patterns will change often without verbal cue. While this isn't a major problem when you're in a position when you can comfortably see the screen, there are times when Martins instructs you to "follow the dancers." It's physically impossible to do some of the moves and still see the dancers. I also would have liked to hear more instruction and coaching on the proper form of the moves. There is some, but more would be better.

I've had fairly extensive ballet experience in my youth and didn't find the moves or instructions difficult. However, when I did this tape with friends who had no previous dance experience, they wished for more instructions and explainations, especially of ballet terms and positions, although they quickly caught on.

The classical, orchestral soundtrack is beautiful, inspiring and a nice change from other workout videos. Visually, however, the director often went for style over substance. Sometime the dancers are shot in shadow or at such angles that it makes it difficult to see the proper form. This isn't as serious as it sounds as the angle soon changes and you're able to see better, but it is a minor annoyance when combined with the lack of cueing and instruction. I almost get the feeling (and I may be correct in this, I don't know) that the tape was produced as a souvenir of the New York City Ballet first and a workout second. If this tape were re-edited with additional cueing it would get a much higher recommendation from me.

So, I give this one a thumbs up, but with reservations. If you have ballet experience you'll probably like this workout. If you don't have dance experience, you can easily learn the moves by watching a few times. The choreography is basic and impact is generally low, with a few exceptions. It's a fun workout to do and quite challenging. Beginner modifications are shown for some exercises, although there is no verbal instruction to accompany them.

Following the workout are short video profiles of the New York City dancers who starred in the workout: Helene Alexopoulis, Albert Evans, Edward Liang and Deanna McBrearty. Actress and ballet fan Sarah Jessica Parker provides a brief introduction.

Order Online!

New York City Ballet Workout Order now and save 6%. Regular price $14.95, Amazon.com price $13.99. Usually ships in 24 hours. (Amazon.com prices subject to change.)