Listed as the #1 workout celebrities do by SHAPE magazine, Yoga Booty Ballet is a dynamic fusion of dance, booty sculpting, and yoga that will make you feel strong, confident, and beautiful! Created by top fitness experts... more » Gillian Marloth and Teigh McDonough, it?s so much fun, you won?t believe you?re also losing weight and sculpting long, lean muscles. Workouts include: Latin Flavor and Light & Easy.« less
"I LOVE this workout. Some might find the begining segment of these workouts too out-there for them, but I found them be very affirming. The workout was fun and easy to follow. I am a regular exerciser and definately worked up a sweat, even during the "light and easy" workout. I have a large collection of exercise videos and this is one that I couldn't wait to do again."
Lots of Fun
Fable | The Garden State | 01/25/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This set includes two YBB workouts: Light & Easy and Latin Flavor. Each starts with a warm-up which draws from the kundalini yoga traditions, and includes low impact cardio and sculpting. Yoga returns again in the cool down. I liked that a variety of body types, not just skinny models, were represented in the class.
If you don't like "new age" type language, avoid these DVDs. But if you are willing to give it a try, these DVDs provide very positive and affirming way to work out, not just concentrating on the body, but on the spirit as well."
Fun short workouts with a lot of variety
C. Daly | 06/10/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This package includes two workouts, each about 40 minutes and incorporating an intro with new age / yoga style "intention setting", dancey cardio (about 15-20 minutes), approximately 10-15 minutes of toning and a short yoga cooldown. The workouts are taught in an indoor classroom setting with live druming but what seems like recorded music.
The Light & Easy workout is more appropriate for beginners, with a slower pace, more traditional aerobics moves, and less overall intensity. It finishes with some pretty traditional ab work incorporating a squishy ball (not included with DVD). The only thing I did not like about this workout is during the intention setting, when they usually have you put your hands in a "cria", the one for this particular workout was surprisingly strenuous--flapping your arms up and down for what seemed like forever. It was the most difficult part of the workout for me.
The Latin workout incorporates Latin music and a few familiar steps such as flamenco and mambo, and some totally original creations of Gillian & Teigh. I love the choreography in this workout, although it is a bit hard to follow at times and I know I look ridiculous doing it. True, there is not much instruction or technique, but I think the focus in this workout is not doing the steps exactly right but getting moving and having a good time. Even the dancers in the room are not all doing the exact same thing. I find I get really bogged down and frustrated in videos that focus too much on dance instruction and getting your hips moving exactly the right way and I don't get a good workout. Here I don't worry about it and just move.
What I like best:
I like that the choreography is different, fun, and not focused on being a perfect dancer. Although Teigh and Gillian can be corny at times, they are endearing and motivating. I enjoy the fact that they're focused more on being your best self than losing weight. I like that the workouts are short and include many different aspects - yoga, dance, toning - so I never get bored.
What I do not like:
There is way too much taking it from the top. You learn one new thing and then have to take it from the top...over and over. You end up only doing the very end of the dance once. On some YBB lives, they even stop in the middle of the routine, so you never get to do the complete routine in its entirety. This just seems really poorly planned. I would prefer either breaking it up into sections ~5 mins each or just learning more steps before starting at the beginning again, and then doing it from the top twice at the very end once you've learned the whole thing. Also they always start on the same leg and there is really not a whole lot of effort towards getting the same balance on both legs.
Despite these problems, these are workouts I continue to look forward to again and again."
Fun and fast paced--run away if you don't like fast
BeckyFS | Portland, OR United States | 02/28/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I really enjoy this DVD. The teachers are having so much fun that I don't care if I don't get the steps. I am the original Ms. Grace, but the attitude presented on the DVD is "just have fun, enjoy being a woman, and get in there." If I miss a step, I make up my own. I also think that once I have practiced, the fast pace will keep me from getting bored. I have now invested in seven very different DVD exercise series, and unfortunately for us less graceful exercisers, it appears speed and efficiency are the trend. At least I enjoy trying with YBB Latin Flavor.
One less star because I do prefer slower, more repetitions for floor exercises when toning."
Great positive feel, uplifting, silly dance but good toning
Lena, LMT | Nassau, NY | 04/05/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Latin Flavor:
This is set in a stage with the 2 main teachers & 6 girls & 1 guy. All people were different sizes, one who is over 300 lb which is inspiring. There is one guy who plays percussion, but prerecorded music is also added in.
Meditation/Affirmations: 5 min w/relaxing music
Stretching: 5 min with all yoga (hip stretches, twisted spinal twist, triangle, wide legged fwd bend, butterfly) & stretches done fast & done up/down several times instead of holding it with FAST music.
Dancing: 15 min of cha-cha, samba, merenge, stepping on toes, shoulder shimmies, kinda ballet box step/grapevine backwards, hip circles & other simple 1-3 step dances. The only one I couldn't catch on the first time was what they called a "slither" looking at all the women, I still couldn't figure out what muscles were being used. The fanfare kicks looked silly & so did what they called a "mr. ed" a 1 leg kicking dancing pony.
Mat work: 7 min crunches & leg lifts w/fast music, I didn't feel any burn
Cool Down: 5 min deep beat, symphony music good poses such as pigeon, spinal twist seated pose, seated fwd bend
Meditation/Affirmation: 2 min
I did have a little fun dancing, they are enjoying themselves, but the moves I didn't like since there seemed no art/grace in the moves, just the sake of moving. The guy & some of the girls were barely moving as time went on which didn't inspire me. The toning also wasn't long or hard enough for me to feel anything.
Light & Easy:
Same stage, women all different sizes including mentioned above, but no guy. Same guy playing percussion w/more prerecorded music added.
Warm-up: 8 min w/new age chanting music, mantra for a min, several kundalini exercises using arms & moving hips back/firth & also circles & chest as well each done for only 5-10 seconds each that felt great, lifting seated butt back/forth, stretching wide legs, touching toes, modified boat pose, standing spinal twist, hip circles, etc.
Dance: 15 min w/cute fast music, no deep beat, a lot of step touches side to side, forward, back, grapevine, knee raise, squats, shoulder shimmies, shaking whole body, hip circles, torso circles & standing poses/twists.
Modified Ballet: 2 min w/fast tempo music & little bass, standing squats & plies w/ballet arms & lifting on to toes at times.
Mat work: 3 min good music, kinda industrial deep beat, using squishy ball (I did w/o) crunches while squeezing ball between thighs, reverse sit-ups, laying down knees side to side, not letting legs hit floor & holding, repeat, then hip circles & knee to chest stretching.
Cool-down: 6 min new age music, laying down spinal twist, bridge pose, cat/cow, balance on 1 knee & 1 hand when on knees, downward dog, child's pose, kundalini arm exercise to clear aura & end in seated meditation.
I liked this dvd more with the kunalini exercises, the dancing was very boring & simple to me. This is obviously for what the title suggests, light for days you are tired or weak or for those who are out of shape or new to exercising.
I enjoy the Goddess series more. This is good for light days or combine the both of the 2 dvd's kundalini & toning portions for 1 light day of toning & stretching.
I do love Teigh McDonough from her Yoga Fusion Abs & Power videos that incorporated dance & Qi Gong with pilates & yoga. She has great body awareness & knows what stretches, poses, moves feel great in what order to keep you inspired to keep opening up your body."