Advanced Stepping with Ramsey

Advanced Step with Ramsey is one of the better produced videos by Shaped 2 Fit. ALthough it still is a *homemade* video, the lighting and sound is very clear, making it easy to see and follow. As with the other Shaped 2 Fit videos, the instructor and participants (two women) face a mirror so that the viewer sees both their fronts and backs (just like in a real class). Although it is a training tape, it can also be used very well as a home-exercise tape.

This tape does not include a warmup or floorwork. It is just 47 minutes of stepping.

Ramsey shows a series of moves that he puts together in different ways, or "layers," as he puts it. He takes one move and then builds on it until it becomes a pattern. There are lots of turns, reverse turns, repeater variations, A-steps, leaps, pivots and flying moves over the step. He starts out fairly basic and quickly progresses to more and more complicated moves. But as I mentioned, he layers the moves so that you repeat things enough that it's easy to catch on. Although he has some different terminology for some moves,(like triangles,airplanes and helicopters) it's easy to figure out what he means.

He does a pretty good job of making sure both the right and leg are worked evenly. He also shows different modification levels.

The music is very quiet. If music is important to you, you probably won't like this tape. And there's not a lot of "patter" from Ramsey, just straight instructing.

I found this tape to be fun, challenging (choreographically) and also a good workout. It's one of my favorites, but people need to remember that it does not have a fancy set or music, it's just a good solid workout.