Search - Rumba Lessons: Dance Like a Star (Dol Dts) on DVD

Very Poor Instruction

K. Bunnell | Vermont, USA | 02/06/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Very disappointing DVD. Sadly, this DVD offers very little useful instruction. Although there are four sections, Beginner, Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, each section offers one short set of dance steps that are merely repeated from various angles for roughly 13 minutes. While the professional dancers repeat the moves, some poor narration comes in to offer the actual instruction. In fact, the Gold level is really just a repeat of the Silver level with stylistic elements added. So, if one copies the dancers exactly, one can "dance like a star" for about ten seconds. Then one just has to repeat the movements ad infinitum.

I already know a little Rumba, so I was initially very excited to see that upper level moves were listed in the menu, but quite honestly, I already know the moves, as they are quite simple and were covered in my beginning level of rumba lessons. Stylistically, the pros show them at the height of competition style, which is fun to see and emulate, but as I said, the style is higher level, not the actual dance steps. So, I think it's false to list them as upper level moves. (Actually, the Silver and Gold dance steps are the same, so really no steps are added for Gold, it's just a little more stylized.)

Very disappointing and not worth the $12.99, as there are better DVDs available, which are also perfectly danced by professionals.

Furthermore, this DVD includes extras that are quite silly: small bios of the two dancers, and video tour of Cuba (while the narrators talks about the origins of rumba), which includes lots of old cars and some run-down tenements and a woman in the water in a thong bathing suit, oh, yes, and there were a couple of shots of original rumba come to think of it.

This is really a useless DVD. A more useful DVD for absolute beginners is Invitation to Dance: Latin Dance, and I'm still looking for a DVD with more advanced moves.

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