Great Moves: Just Step

While the combinations that Andre presented looked fun and interesting, I found them very difficult to follow. I am not usually intimidated by complex choreography (I usually pick up the choreography on Cathe Friedrich and Kari Anderson's tapes pretty well on the first run-through), but I found myself frustrated trying to keep up with this one. I viewed the tape once and attempted it twice, and it didn't get much better. Also, my heartrate kept dropping out of my target range while I was trying to learn the combinations. Although I'm sure it would have been a fun tape once I learned the choreography, I have many other tapes that are just as complex but easier to follow and give me a better workout. I know that the Great Moves series is meant to be for instructors so the pace has to be slower to teach the moves, but I never was this frustrated with any of the Great Moves tapes that Kari Anderson has done.

This tape really doesn't do a lot for me. It looks fun, and it probably would be for many people, but it didn't hold my interest. If it had been better taught or more intense, I would have liked it better. I like complexity, but Andre puts in some complex moves that he doesn't teach very well. That can make all the difference in the world. I would call the choreography here advanced, but the intensity is intermediate. Grade B.

This video has a lot of complex moves that any advanced stepper would love. Some of them reminded me of CIA 9001 and CIA 9701. Andre teaches them in what I call' " interval teaching" teaching. He shows you the move fast , then VERY slow and then you join in doing it at normal tempo. He shows a beginner move then intermediate and the muscly Pat in the background shows you advanced turns that Andre said is optional. Another unique thing about this video is that Andre comes around the step with his back towards you so can see exactly what to do. He did this on the hardest part of the tape. IT's a very tough combination.

The set is the same as Kari Anderson's United Steps ( bright set with ferns and huge windows in the background; wooden floors) She must be putting out a 'West" coast CIA -type set of video's . The music is the same old Step max soundtrack which is alright since there is new choreography.

It was great the Andre taught the moves so slow (the opposite to Patrick Goudeau in CIA 9001) but if you keep doing the video over and over, it won't keep your heart rate up. I finally started to sweat at the end when he put all the combinations together with out so much marching in between or teaching the moves at half count.