Search - Dance off the Inches: Hip Hop Party on DVD

A little difficult at first, but worth the time to learn the

M. Oxley | 04/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first time I tried this DVD, I didn't like it. I thought the moves were much too complicated and I would never get them down right. (It should be noted that I have absolutely no dance experience and don't generally do aerobics type DVDs either.) I didn't touch the DVD again until I was getting bored with my yoga DVD. I've since done it twice, and it's grown on me. Most of the moves can be learned after a few viewings.

The Sexy Smooth Hip Hop portion is my least favorite. The steps aren't particularly hard to understand, but that section has a lot of hip rolls and body rolls. As someone who's not so good at pulling off hip rolls, it makes that section of the DVD frustrating for me. I can always skip that section, though.

The Basic Hip Hop section was the easiest in my opinion, especially after going through the step guide. I also liked the World Hip Hop section, which I thought had the most interesting moves.



CHAPTERS (Note: The chapter listing in the booklet is incorrect and leaves out the World Hip Hop chapter. This is the chapter listing from the DVD itself with my notes on the contents and length of each section.)

1. Introduction - This is basically what you see in the video preview on this page - Jennifer's introduction of the DVD. (1.5 minutes)

2. Warm Up - Marching in place, shoulder rolls, isolation stomach moves, hip rolls (4 minutes)

3. Basic Hip Hop - Slides, punches, butterfly, throw down, pelvic thrusts (10.5 minutes)

4. Sexy Smooth Hip Hop - catwalk, hip rolls, kickball changes, body rolls, drags (11.5 minutes)

5. World Hip Hop - lunges, salsa twists, box step, chest pumps and pops, heel digs, shimmy shakes (11 minutes)

6. Cool Down - breathing exercises, pliés, stretches (4.5 minutes)

7. End Credits (1 minute)



Also included: Step Guide (15.5 minutes, despite the fact that the box says it's only 10 minutes)



PROS

- The instructor seems to be genuinely enjoying herself.

- The moves are pretty fun and interesting, so it's not boring.

- It's actually a good workout.

- You don't have to lie on the ground or own any weights, bands, or other supplies.

- Most of the routines consist of one movement to which she then gradually adds more movements, so you have a little bit of time to get used to doing the movements and transitioning from one to another.

- The movements match up well with the music, so if you get off it's easy to pick back up again.



CONS

- Some of the instructors comments are annoying: "Show me what you got!" "Smooth like honey!" "You guys are getting hot!" "Oxygen is free, guys!" "Like you're taking off your shirt!"

- A couple of movements may be difficult for people with bad knees, particularly the butterfly. Overall, though, I think this workout should be doable for most people.

- Like some of the other reviewers said, there are a couple of moves that are difficult on carpet, including the slides. For these, I just accept the fact that I will not be able to slide as smoothly as she does since I'm on carpet.

- The step guide would have been better if it had gone a little slower and included more practice of the steps. The box boasts that the step guide is it's only ten minutes (which is wrong, it's 15.5 minutes long), but I think it would actually be better if it were longer because that would mean that she was taking the time to teach you the moves thoroughly. Think about it - she has to teach you 10 different moves. Even at 20 minutes, that would mean she was only spending 2 minutes on each move. She does a good job with the time she has, starting with the legs and then adding the arms, but for some of the moves she only puts it all together and does it at tempo once or twice, so I found myself skipping back a few times before I got them right. I would have preferred if she repeated the moves a few more times so that I would have time to mimic her and then make any adjustments necessary to get the moves down completely."

Lots of fun, can't wait to get the moves down!

mcel | Salem, MA | 01/11/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great DVD. It's a lot of fun and one that you won't dread doing if you add it to your collection. However, I have been dancing for over 20+ years, all different styles, from ballroom to hip hop and I have found it difficult to get all the steps down my first time trying this workout. That doesn't mean it's not doable, but it WILL take you a few workouts to get the choreography, arm movements and flicks. In the meantime, you should listen to Jennifer and do what you feel rather than worrying about how you look.

Having said that though this is still a great heart-pumping cardio and even if you don't get every move down, you will get a good workout since you are constantly moving. The step guide tutorial is helpful but doesn't allow too much practice (you practice a step 3-4 times before moving on) so repeated viewings help, but nothing is better than doing the steps in the workout itself.

I love Jennifer Galardi's workouts, her choreography and personality. And am I the only one who thinks she looks just like Jennifer Aniston?? lol Her cuing and form are great as always and she has just the right amount of pep. And I love her process of starting off a move and then building on it so you can perfect the base move and then add arms and styling.

This is a great DVD if you are looking for a little more of a challenge in your dance workouts (those of you who use the 10 Minute Solution DVDs know what I mean), the time goes by rather quickly and she does incorporate some great, fun and sexy dance moves. Go Jennifer!"