This DVD has helped my wife and I become better dancers. It features the teacher and his partner but then shows very average people of all ages dancing throughout the DVD. Being male, I was a little intimidated by this at first but quickly lost that feeling because of the pace and teaching techniques the instructors use. Good buy! Only drawback is that if you rewind often to watch and practice on your own, you quickly get tired of the music being played.
low quality
Why is ballroom dancing supposed to look so old fashioned?
I was very disappointed with the quality of this dance instruction DVD. Overall it looks at least 25 years old. On Latin dances (rumba and cha-cha), the selection of music is all 80's style ... American songs. Same for the Waltz. The instructors' feet and body move too loosely all over the place; they just don't look very professional. I don't think that the instructors need to look and dance like the average Joe and Jill clients to please them. The female steps are instructed by the male instructor who brings the lady in afterwards to show the couple dancing. The party part is supposed to show an overall review of each dance with ordinary people of all ages and styles dancing, but some of those 80's look-overweight bodies, some in extremely tight and short dresses are too much. The whole thing makes you doubt if the steps are properly instructed, but at least for the Rumba, the steps are similar to those instructed in another DVD with Vicki Regan as teacher (That DVD was a better quality and a more thorough instruction). So, I guess it is OK. There are 3 levels for each dance, which is also nice compared to other DVD's. A second musical CD is provided with the DVD. The musics played on that CD are famous but there is no indication on which style of dance they are supposed to be. It is obvious for Edelweiss but the rest of it is sometimes not that easy to guess.
I wish some professional and great ballroom dancing teacher would go ahead and make something with music from recent soundtracks of movies like "Shall we dance". And also put some effort in the looks of the dancers and the set. After all, it is a DVD not a CD or radio sound.
Very easy to follow
This is a great DVD for someone just learning to ballroom dance. Kyle explains how to do both the man's and ladies' steps making it extremely easy to follow. The fashions and hairstyles are a bit outdated but all in all it's a very good way to learn the basics.
When I first put this dvd in the machine I was shocked to hear Country Rock music being played as the sound track. I was immediately discouraged about what I had just bought. The people dancing to the music were't particularly inspiring either. You wouldn't watch them dancing and say "wow! I would love to dance like them!" The dance instructor wore his best pair of jeans for the occasion. In other words the video is extremely square and low budget and I'm not sure these people have ever actually heard swing music.
On the other hand, the steps are presented well enough and if you have some good swing music to dance to and make an effort not to be as stiff and square as everyone in the video you can learn some moves and get some basic dance steps under your feet. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Kyle Webb DVD Release Date: Released the 20 May 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Ballroom Dancing for Beginners will appeal to novice ballroom dancers who want an introduction to several different social dances. Instructor Teresa Mason, assisted by Randolph Scott, teaches basic patterns for six popular ballroom dances: fox-trot, cha-cha, tango, waltz, rumba, and swing. Mason sensibly begins by introducing steps that recur in many ballroom dances, such as walking step, rock step, and triple step; several dance positions; and music timing for different dances. Next you start learning specific dances. This 47-minute video is well instructed, not rushed or complex, and Mason doesn't try to pack too many moves into each dance. The black background, however, is somber and sometimes makes it difficult to see Scott's moves clearly (he's dressed in a dark suit). The... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Teresa Mason DVD Release Date: Released the 15 April 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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A really good introduction for beginners who are too shy to actually take real dancing lessons. Go for it ! More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 22 August 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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