Ballet Boot Camp 2
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Movie Reviews of Ballet Boot Camp 2
Movie Review: "Boot Camp" for Ballerina Wannabes
Summary: 4 Stars
Workout Description: 16 minute warm-up / stretch, 52 minutes of ballet moves used for toning (37 minutes of floorwork & 15 minutes of standing ballet work, focusing primarily on the lower body, with some ab and minimal upper body work), & 13 minutes of aerobic ballet routines for a total of 81 minutes. This is not a true "boot camp" workout, except for the fact that everything is counted out in 8s. However, it is, more or less, a real ballet workout.
Workout Level: mid-intermediate to low advanced; aerobics contain high impact and fairly challenging choreography
Instructor: Jessica Sherwood (Has a degree in ballet performance; certified ballet instructor who has worked with Crunch Gyms). Jessica is clear in her instruction, particularly in the one-on-one tutorials previewing upcoming moves. There's not much instruction for the standing ballet moves, though; she uses ballet terms liberally without much explanation. She works both sides evenly and intends for you to mirror her movements. She sometimes gets distracted by her students or the camera, but it's nice to see an instructor smile genuinely. Her flexibility can be a little intimidating, but overall her technique is good.
Class: some instructional segments with Jessica & 1 student only; other segments vary from 3-20 students of various ages and sizes; mostly women but some men figure prominently
Music / Set: The video uses classical music. (Some selections also appear on the NYC Ballet Workouts.) It appears to be set in a large gym with monochromatic walls and floor. (Apparently the producers decided this video would not be labeled "too artsy" in any way, since that was a common complaint about the first Ballet Boot Camp.)
Equipment Needed: optional mat for floorwork; can be done barefoot or with ballet slippers
Caveats: Although the cover states that this exercise is intended for all fitness levels, true beginners should not attempt this program because of its length and the difficulty of many of the moves. Familiarity with ballet and Pilates is highly recommended, but you do not have to be a dancer. There is no cool-down, so you may want to skip or repeat the warm-up / stretching segments from the beginning after you finish.
Additional Comments: This program is comparable to the NYC Ballet Workouts, particularly #2 with its dance routine at the end. I personally like the NYC Ballets a tad better, mainly because of their superb production and shorter running time. That said, all are in my rotation (for my "ballet week") and are used almost equally.
There is a strange "infomercial" at the end for a piece of strength-training equipment. Unfortunately, it seems to have taken the place of the cool-down. Besides that, my biggest problem with this program is the timing. Jessica takes time to demonstrate floorwork moves before doing them in full, which is great if you're just starting out but annoying if you've been doing the program for a while-although I've found I needed this time to stretch muscles used in previous segments and/or set up for the next move. The transitions between sides are very quick, and you may find yourself still setting up when the class has already begun the next exercise. There are a few pauses while Jessica waits for someone to push play for the music, which can be amusing or annoying, depending on your mood.
Most people probably won't have time to complete this program in its entirety. A natural breaking point is right before the "Paquita Waltz" ballet routines, which gives you just over an hour of ballet work. I reluctantly stop there; as much as I've tried, I'm too tall (5'8") to comfortably fit all of the waltz movements into my space (approximately 8' by 6'). The rest of the workout fits, though.
The DVD doesn't have a great menu, so if you want to skip forward or back you'll have to just use the buttons on your remote. There are no extras.
Movie Review: Good workout.
Summary: 4 Stars
I prefer the Ballet Boot Camp I but this is a good alternative if you need a change in your routine.
I prefer it to the N.Y city Ballet workout that's by far a better production but doesn't cover as many muscles as this video. Jessica relies a lot on variety and repetitions &, as everyone knows, repetitions work!
The break & explanations between moves are a little too long for me but I just FF.
It's a great workout for anyone, regardless age, sex or background (I'm recovering from 2 sress fractures)
Movie Review: Nice Workout. Plain and Simple.
Summary: 4 Stars
This DVD is a good workout. It is a basic background and very plain and simple. Don't let that stop you from trying it. The exercises are effective and you will gain strength in your legs and core. You will begin to sculpt your legs and arms. I keep it in my rotation and I have many many dance and aerobic DVDs. I would recommend it if you are interested in learning dance or practicing between classes.Movie Review: not quite what I was looking for.
Summary: 3 Stars
I have no previous ballet experience and was looking for an interesting way to improve flexibility and muscle tone and see if ballet held any interest for me. This struck me as something that would be great for those getting back into ballet. For me, the routines just seemed rather long and involved. Also, not being that skilled, it is easier for me to learn complex dance moves if I can watch the instructor from behind and see their front in the mirror (which I have never yet seen in a dance workout dvd.) There was nothing really interesting about the stretches so I did not really get what I was looking for. Having said that, I like the instructor so I tried the Ballet Boot Camp Stretch and got exactly what I was looking for!Movie Review: A waste of money - do not buy!
Summary: 1 Stars
Having taken ballet classes for eight years, I was not at all impressed by this DVD. The production quality is poor, there is very little barre work and the instruction is brief. Much of the DVD is in fact movements which aren't related to ballet. I attempted to follow this DVD one time and gave up - the instructor is awful. Save your money and don't buy this.