"SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: GET FIT!"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Courtney Galiano as HERSELF Travis Wall as HIMSELF Lauren Gottlieb as HERSELF Stephen “Twitch” Boss as HIMSELF Katee Shean as HERSELF Dmitry Chaplin as HIMSELF Not Rated Studio: Paramount Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The folks behind the popular show “So You Think You Can Dance” have released two home workout DVDs in a new “Get Fit” line. Starring some of the finalists from the show, “Cardio Funk” and “Tone and Groove” are designed to slim the body and get the heart working. Broken up into three different styles per DVD, each led by a different SYTYCD star, the content includes an introduction, a warm-up, several workouts and a cool down.
WHAT I LIKED
I never watched the show “So You Think You Can Dance,” so the different stars held little credibility to them. As a long-time chubby guy, the whole home workout thing caught my eye, though. I don’t think I have worked out to the television since the early days of Richard Simmons or “The 20 Minute Workout” back in the 1980s, so I was curious to see how things are rolling nowadays.
“So You Think You Can Dance: Get Fit” is assembled rather well. It utilizes the non-linear DVD technology to improve upon the old-fashioned televised workout or the old VHS format. The menus allow you to choose which workout you want, and it also lets you bypass the instructions if need be, or the warm-up and cool-down phases.
“Cardio Funk” features a disco style with Courtney Galiano (my personal favorite for no other reason than the fact I like watching her the most). It also features Lauren Gottlieb with a hip-hop style and Travis Wall with a contemporary style.
“Tone and Groove” features Stephen “Twitch” Boss in hip-hop mode, Katee Shean in the jazz style and Dmitry Chaplin with the cha-cha from the ballroom dancing school.
I actually put on the workout clothes and gave these workouts a try (and you can see the video below for a taste of that action, if you are so inclined). And while I haven’t used the boob tube to work out in years, it came across rather well. You can work at your own pace, and the instructions give you plenty of time to learn the moves... as long as you don’t mind looking like an ass in the privacy of your own living room at the onset.
The workout made me sweat, and it did target various places on the body. I imagine if I stuck with this for a couple weeks or more, I might actually get fit... if I stuck with it, that is.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
While the DVDs allow you to work at your own pace, there are a few moves thrown into the mix that are hard to do from a beginner’s perspective. Of course, these workouts are not designed to be one-hit wonders. Repetition will make things run smoothly, again if I were to stick with them.
The only other probably I had was a general annoyance factor with certain aspects of the presentation. I did get a little tired of being told that I can slow down the workout and do it at my own pace if I wanted. One or two mentions of this would have been enough for me. Also, the warm-up process didn’t take into account varying body types, and reminded me a little too much of Richard Simmons choreography. (And no, I would prefer to not explain why I am familiar with his work.)
DVD FEATURES
Each DVD includes non-linear choices to the workouts and elements around them. There are also bonus interviews with the leaders from each DVD, as well as the stuffy British dude (Nigel Lythgoe) who helped create the show.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Out-of-shape folks like myself who want to learn some dance moves and maybe lose some weight.
