Search - Breakin' It Down With Laurie Ann Gibson on DVD

Short content, but good moves

Lena, LMT | Nassau, NY | 12/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The dvd is set on a industrial looking space with Laura getting help from dancers. It comes in 5.1 as well as regular stereo.
First she shoes a music video for a minute that only had a few moves of the ones you'd be learning.
She introduces the dvd for 3 min & then there's a very short warm-up (if you can call it that) for 3 min. of just head rolls, hip bumps, arm circles & side stretches.
The beginning moves is only 13 min. with 6 male & female backups. She shows you the moves with music real-time first, then goes slower time & breaks it down move by move w/o music. She doesn't give that many cues, but she uses good analogies. She will go through each move 1-3x depending on complexity. This is not meant to be an exercise video, just instruction with her knowing you can always rewind if you forget quickly. After 2-3 moves, she will ask you to try them together calling out the names of the move as you do them to music sometimes. Then she breaks down another 2-3 & then you put those together with the first 3. She only goes from the top at the end only one time with music.
The Intermediate is only 10 min. with 4 male & female dancers which again, she shows you how it looks first, then breaks it down like I said above.
The advanced moves she says if you can do it, you should be a dancer. This is also only 10 min with 2 guys as backup.
This makes a total of about 36 minutes of warm-up & dancing. After is 4 minutes superstars & freestyle where they show a couple examples of how to take some of the moves you learned & add it to your own dancing at a club.
The music was great, too bad she didn't have it playing softly in the background as she taught. I didn't have a problem with her voice or speaking style. I didn't find the moves that complex, I got a few easily the first time, but to get it down would take practice of course. She does cue your left & right, but I'm so used to mirroring anyhow. The only thing I could wish was more repitition (cheaper for them to tell you just to rewind) & a few more cues when breaking down each move.
There's another menu choice called "club remix" after the "class selection" where they show how to move to House music for 4 min, Reggae with teaching 3 moves for 6 min & Salsa for 3 min in a club. Mostly it's very talented dancers showing off & giving you ideas if can do it just by watching.

There's a trailer at collagevideo com"

Fantastic Hip Hop Instructional Video

Gina Cordova | JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY USA | 06/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased this video yesterday. I go to clubs a lot and got bored with my 1-2 Step. This video is great!! Laurie Ann is phenomenal teacher. There's a begginner, intermediate, and advanced level section. Each has a different dance routine. There's also a free style section, a warm up section, latin, reggae sections. The free video is really cool, you get to see an audition for a brandy video, which shows even more steps for a very advanced professional dance routine for Brandy's tour. You learn TONS!! of steps in each section. I can't say enough about how good this video is! You will definately not regret buying it. I bought the NY Ballet Workout video yesterday too (don't recommend that one, very choppy, and the narrator talks in a creepy monotone throughout, really weird, who produced that video?? There's no instructor in the ballet workout video, just dancers doing ballet positions and not explaining what's going on, you have to know ballet already to make sense of anything) Anyway, I just totally loved Laurie Ann Gibson's hip hop DVD. Hope there will be more videos soon like for reggaeton, latin, house etc.. Seriously, buy this Video if you want to learn to dance hip hop. You'll will find yourself smiling throughout, it's Ultra positive high energy and most importantly FUN!!"

Not so much

M. Edmiston | Charlotte, NC | 03/25/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Wasn't impressed. When I buy an exercise video or dance video I feel the purpose is to teach you. The fact that she doesn't mirror the moves makes it difficult to learn. Laurie does relie on the fact that you can rewind. The warm up was horrible, a few head rolls and hip movements. I didn't get past the begginers part for a while because it was confusing."

Does not "Break it down"

B. A. DeYoung | 01/13/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I definately would not recommend this item for beginners who wat to dance. The moves go pretty fast in this DVD and because everything is opposite looking at the tv, its even harder for a beginner. As far as someone whos looking for a good workout, I would not recommend this dvd for that either. There are far too many breaks and far too much talking."