DVD Review: Dance and Be Fit: Cardio Mix

My overall impression of Dance and Be Fit: Cardio Mix is that these three workout videos are a lot of fun! This may not be an earth-shattering revelation, but in workout videos, isn’t this what we are all looking for? The Dance and Be Fit series not only provides a great workout, but, more importantly, it provides enough entertainment value that it will lure you into continuing the workout week after week.

Dance and Be Fit: Cardio Mix, which was released by Acacia on January 5, 2010, is a collection of three previously released workout videos: Brazilian Body, Latin Groove, and Hip Hop Cardio. The three videos have enough similarities that they seem like parts of a whole, but offer enough differences that the collection will provide an appealing variety to your workout.

Latin Groove is the easiest of the three DVDs and, while it is still a strong workout on its own, compared with the others it was my least favorite in the set. Desi Bartlett’s movement quality can be graceful, but can at other times verge on mechanical, and I almost had the impression that I was watching a Dance Dance Revolution avatar (the camera angles may also have something to do with this).

I think this DVD is best suited for those who already know basic salsa moves and want to incorporate them into a lower-key, yet still sufficiently aerobic, workout, rather than individuals hoping to learn how to salsa. On a side note, I was disappointed to find that selecting the “Spanglish” audio track simply meant that Desi would say some sentences in English and others in Spanish. I was hoping for something more amusing.

Hip Hop Cardio provides a moderate and highly enjoyable workout. Sarita Lou is just plain fun, and this workout is super fun, too! The two segments (Old School and Sexy Sculpt) have a different feel to them, which made it more interesting when doing one after the other.

Article Author: Kerri Shadid

Kerri Shadid has a multifaceted interest in people, in culture, and in art. She recently finished her Master's in Humanities and Social Thought at New York University. She has undergraduate degrees from the University of Oklahoma in Letters and Political …

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