Search - Live At Broadway Dance Center: Turns and Turn Combo with Michele Assaf on DVD

Definitely a dictionary

Rachel Marie | Miami, FL | 03/01/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was very excited about buying Broadway Dance Center: Turns and Turn Combos, but I was a little skeptical because I couldn't find a single review for it all over the internet. First and foremost, there are no warm-ups and the turns are not broken down step-by-step for instruction, which is understandable because there are SO many! The DVD goes straight into jazz pirouettes and chainé turns with a few tips on spotting while turning. Michele does instruct the dancers to go in slower motion the first time, but she does not break down the turn to help you. All she really does is critique the dancer's turn, which is why it is great for aspiring dancers and instructors, not beginners.

I first got the impression that this was an instructional DVD, though it really isn't. It's more like a turning dictionary, which could be just as efficient. It IS an amazing tool for a dance instructor or a more experienced dancer -- most DEFINITELY not for beginners. Even though it is separated from beginner through advanced, Michele throws around a lot of jazz and ballet lingo that no beginner could understand. If you have taken a few jazz and ballet classes before, it may facilitate understanding her and possibly picking up many tips. In that case, Michele Assaf would be of great assistance to you. I, personally, found the DVD very rewarding.

For my sister, who has never taken a dance class before, this all sounded like Chinese to her. "Dégagé? Chassé? Relevé? What the hell is she talking about?!""

Fun, to the point, turn dictionary

Lena, LMT | Nassau, NY | 01/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rachel Marie's 3/1/07 review is very succinct & I agree 100%. I've never taken a dance class, but own many dance workout dvds & am familiar with some of the terms. I didn't have trouble understanding what Michele meant when directing the students. If you have a HUGE floor space, this could be fun to do with a girlfriend for a few minutes, as some of the turns start to look the same of ll the TWENTY turns she teaches. In other words, this isn't dry/boring & there is music when the dancers demonstrate the moves in normal speed.
Michele teaches the turns in 1/2 speed, holding the important parts for a second before completing the move. Then she shows with students moving across the screen in both directions the way it should look for a beginner, intermediate & advanced one at a time. She also gives good cues such as not allowing your ankle to turn in, etc.
This is fast moving for anyone who hasn't taken classes. I'm not sure who else would need this beyond serious dancers or dance hobbyists.
Menu options include:
spotting, chaine turn, pas de bourree turn, back touch turn, coupe turns, degage turn, pencil, soutenu turn, 2 classical pirouettes, jazz pirouette, 2 pique turns, 2 attitude turns, table top attitude turn, arabesque turn, a la seconde turn, fouette turn, turn combions for across the floor & choreography, in 6's"