Customer Reviews
Challenging and effective workout 
2008-06-22
This was a fun and challenging workout which really got me sweaty and feeling spent in a good way. I would caution people with injuries (especially in the knees as she really likes to have you do a lot of plies---including grand-plie which is a pretty big bend in the knees) to steer away from the this video. It is probably not best for a total beginner unless you feel comfortable modifying your exercises to your own abilities and if you do not mind that you might not yet be able to perform the exercises to the level of the woman on the screen. The exercises are actually reasonably easy to modify (do demi plies instead of grand-plies, put the hands on the hips is you get tired from keeping them in second position forever, only lift the leg to 30 or 45 degrees instead of 90 in grand battements etc). If you have never had any dance training (I have only had 6 months of a beginning adult classes) then I would probably think that the New York City Ballet Workout 1 is better for introducing some of the basic ballet steps while still getting a workout. Incorporate this into your workout routine and I do not know how you would not get results. And one more thing---you do not need to be flexible to do the workout as other reviewers have suggested---I had to work for ages to even touch my toes and I found this workout to be possible, with modification of course.
relaxing and effective 
2008-06-15
This workout helps to burn calories and relax at the same time. The movements are elegant and powerful. The abs are hard!
It works! 2008-06-10
I thought this was a great, effective workout. I've only done the video about four or five times, and have already had a coworker ask if I have lost weight. My only issue with it is that the music is very new-age; not what you would associate with ballet.
Element: Ballet Conditioning 2008-06-04
I've always admired the strength and elegance of ballet dancers. After reading the review in Shape magazine and on Amazon, I bought the DVD. Wow! This is a challenging workout! I know a few people were disappointed that it wasn't balletic enough, but I don't think it was meant to be. This video is a conditioning workout. I haven't made it through the whole video. I piece them out: core strength and quads one day, stretching and glutes the next (with some yoga mixed in). Frankly after the first few minutes of keeping my legs raised and repeating leg movements, I was sweating from holding certain positions. You do work your arms. Elise has you raising your arms above your head or out to your side and you keep them there for the duration of the exercise. The core strength uses pilates and it left my abs burning for hours.
This a wonderful video to add to my collection. Graceful instructor. Gorgeous scenery. And a workout that leaves me feeling strong and supple.
Great workout! 2008-05-27
I'm 6 months post delivery of our 2nd baby and starting excersize to get back in shape. This video is perfect to get started again! As some other reviewers have mentioned, it may look like you're just gracefully dancing or messing around, yet much more than that is going on. I noticed another reviewer wrote that if you don't have much flexibility this video is very bad for you. I can't disagree more. She mentions in the video, several times, that do what feels challenging to you! You are not going to be able to move as advanced as she does for a while. That's the beauty of this video. You can see how everytime you do the workout, you'll get that much more out of it. Just do the workout so that you can feel the muscles work. The flexibility will come with time. I'm sure before I know it, I'll be able to lift my leg much higher than 1/3 of the way up (although sometimes is just 1/4 of the way)! My 3 1/2 yr old daughter starts off working out with me, and gets tired after about 10 min, so she just encourages me while I work. Its great!
Perfect for me, a NON-dancer 2008-07-16
My last ballet class was over twenty years ago when I was a child. I am most definitely not a dancer (and am probably twice the size of the dancer in the video!). I can't speak to the technical aspects of it or which of the dancer's techniques are improper.
However, I enjoyed this DVD as a wonderful departure from the other high-impact exercise videos out there. When I finish, I am exhausted and sweaty, but feel a wonderful burn in my arms and legs. I recommend this for anyone who wants a ballet-type workout who is not so concerned with the technical aspects.
Great lower body workout 2008-07-11
It's a straightforward, relaxing, toning workout for your lower body. I have to take breaks to get through it, but I know it will give me leaner and stronger legs if I keep doing it. It makes your thighs burn if you aren't used to doing lots of toning or pilates. This is good if you want to get into your skinny jeans and are looking for a routine that's a little less typical gym routine and has a little more dancer/yoga flair.
So far, so good! 2008-07-09
I am a dance instructor with 30 years of dance under my belt. I decided to find a dance work-out that would keep me in shape during the summer when I'm away from the dance studio. After a few weeks of doing "nothing," I popped this DVD in and got right to it. I found it to be extremely beneficial in a conditioning sense, but it is not what you would want if you are training in ballet. I have a problem when technique isn't taught perfectly, or executed correctly. This DVD is considered a "conditioning" work-out---and that's exactly what it is. The price is right, the setting beautiful, and I am so sore I can hardly walk.
fantastic way to tone those "soft" muscles 2008-07-02
i haven't done any type of ballet or dance in years, and i purchased this after a recommendation in my shape magazine. i was not disappointed. it definitely uses all the muscles in your body to tone, AND actually gets the heart rate up! i was actually sore after my first workout!! the exercises build upon each other, so you can easily track your progress. i would recommend this to anyone who is looking to tone and build muscles!
A Waste of Money 
2008-06-30
This is not a conditioning class; it's simply a beginning ballet class taught by a very average ballet dancer. I wouldn't even recommend it to a beginner ballet student because you're liable to pick up some bad habits like sticking out your thumbs, and not working through your feet, both of which the teacher does routinely. And she doesn't have any business talking about how to develop the long, lean look of a dancer -- which she does ad nauseum -- since that's not the type of body she has. She has a nice figure, but it's definitely not a ballet dancer's body. If she has primarily been using dance as her means of exercise (as she implies) then she's been using her quadriceps to lift her legs into developpe, which is a definite no-no. If she comes out with an actual conditioning DVD, that might be good, but this one has no redeeming value to me.
