UK Dancefloor workout - bit like Tracy Anderson's cardio
 

www.dancefloorworkout.com - I was looking for a DVD under £5 to make up an Amazon gift voucher I was spending & bought this dance workout. I'm always on the look out for good dance DVD's & this seems pretty good actually. Think Tracy Anderson but less impact. As it explains on this trailer, you have the option of learning and then doing the workout for each song (much like in TA's first dance DVD - I haven't got her 2nd BTW). Then there is a choose workout section where you can do a 20, 30, 40 or 60 min workout. On these there is a warm-up and cooldown. Unlike TA, on the workout the instructor (Fleur) carries on cueing throughout the song. All the songs were big hits in the UK going right back to Sister Sledge. The most modern songs are like Sugarbabes & Armand Van Helden (not sure if they're known in the US). There is also a short section teaching basic moves - turns, a pump step etc.

I did 4 of the songs in "learning mode" this morning, followed by doing each workout. They actually get your heart rate up pretty well, not as high as in TA. It depends on the speed of the music and what kind of moves she does. The ones with the odd jump in are higher intensity (the jumps are what I would describe as dance jumps not jumping jacks a la TA) but I think once you know the moves, this would be a great workout. Each routine was 4 or 5 counts of 8 (hope that makes sense!) and then you keep repeating the routine, like you do in TA's.

I like that you can either choose a pre-mixed workout or choose your own tracks. There are 18 workout songs in total (not including warm-up and cool down) - so pretty good value really.

Now for the things that I think might bug people a bit! For learning the dances, Fleur is split into 3 screens (see the first image on the link). The two small ones are on her feet and her upper body and the larger split on the right stays full body (as far as I remember). I thought she taught the routines pretty thoroughly but I did dance classes for 10 years, so I'm not sure how good a judge I am on that. The music for each track is playing quietly in the background and she teaches difficult moves half time first.

When it comes to doing the workout the screen is split into 2. On the right is Fleur and on the left is the video of the original song. The camera is not on her full frame the whole time, so I think until you get the routine really well that could be a bit frustrating.

The warm-up was more of a stretch type section with the odd plie (v dancer-y!), so you might want to do your own warm-up. Also, the warm-up and cool down are not chaptered separately, so you have to go to the pre-mixes to do those.

It would have been nice to have an option to turn off her vocal instruction on the workouts once you have got the dances. Also, I noticed on a couple of the tracks that the song is quieter than her instruction - although that could be a problem with my DVD player, as I've had similar problems before.

So, I'm really pleased with this for the price I paid. If anyone wants to know any more, please feel free to ask. Also, I'd be happy to post the track list if that would influence anyone :) .

Emma

Ooh could you please post the track list?? :)

Hi Lucky Star - here's the track list for you: -

Warm up tracks: Sister Sledge - He's the Greatest Dancer and Holly Vallance -Naughty Girl.

Workout tracks: Kiss Kiss - Holly Vallance; UR the Best Thing - D:Ream; Lady Marmalade - All Saints; Just a litte Bit - Gina G; It's Alright - East 17; Big Love - Pete Heller; Not over Yet - Grace; Free your Mind - En Vogue; You don't know me - Armand Van Helden; Disco Inferno - The Trammps; You see the trouble with me - Black Legend; Overload - Sugarbabes; Young hearts run free - Candi Staton; Reach up (Papa's got a brand new pig bag) - Perfecto Allstarz; Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes; Put the needle on it - Dannii Minogue; Don't leave me this way - Communards; Lost in music - Sister Sledge.

Cool Down: Pure Shores - All Saints.

Learn the basic moves: I'm every woman - Chaka Kahn (I think this one only played quietly in the background).

They've all been big hits in the UK and even the ones I thought I didn't know I recognized when I heard them. The only one I thought was a bit out of place was the one by Yes, the rest are pretty "dancey"!

Hope that helps

Emma

There are some really good songs on it. Thanks for the info keepfitgirl!

Great music! Wow, I would do donkey kicks and crunches if songs like those were in the background. The music in many US DVDs really reeks; I hear that licensing costs are lower in other countries.

Hmmm, I have an Amazon certificate too...

Yeah it's all really good stuff. I think they must have done some deal for the original tracks in exchange for showing the music videos for each song on screen as you're doing the workout. You also have the choice to watch each music video.

Emma

Wow, thanks for posting these... sounds like so much fun!

I think it will be fun once I've got the moves down. The steps remind me of the sort of stuff that we did in my dance classes. If you've seen Tracy Anderson's DVD's, I would describe them as high impact (mostly) dance aerobics, whereas this I would actually describe as dance.

Emma

Here's another UK dance workout that is a blast and the music is fantastic! :sun:

Deanne Berry - Clubland Work It Out
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clubland-Wor.../dp/B001G93ZEC

keilan00 - that's the instructor who did the first Ministry of Sound Pump it up DVD. Is it similar to the Pump it up DVD's? ie do you actually learn dance moves or is it more dance aerobics like Pump it up? I actually really liked the first Pump it up as it does get your heart rate up there and was thinking of getting another. I feel slightly enabled!

Emma