Element: Ballet Conditioning
by n/a
List Price:
Our Price: $7.19
You Save: $7.75 (52%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.49 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Elise GulanDirector: n/a
Brand: Fox
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Stereo; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Stereo
Format: Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 51 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-12-04
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
DVD Reviews of Element: Ballet Conditioning
DVD Review: Not really for beginners
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm trying to find a good DVD to exercise, and I thought I'd try ballet - hey, who doesn't want to be more graceful, lean, and strong? All the other DVDs I saw reviewed on Amazon seemed to be for an existing dancer (which I'm not!) to refine technique, or a mix of ballet-Pilates or ballet-yoga.
So you know who's doing this review - I'm very tall, 235 lbs, 30 years, good athletic background but not in great shape now. I am certainly NOT one of those women whose reviews I read here on Amazon who complain that an exercise video spends TOO MUCH time demonstrating moves, and gives too much of a break between moves. Nope! I need things simple and paced so that I can actually do it. So with that in mind, here's my review of Elise Gulan's Ballet Conditioning:
Pros:
1) Gorgeous Pacific background (someone's beautiful house)
2) Gulan has an amazing figure and is very graceful - gives me something to which to aspire, and trying to imitate her grace took my mind off the difficulty of what I was doing - a tiny bit at least.
3) I found the moves very difficult, and I was working hard let me tell you!
4) For a complete ballet newbie, I guess there was a good element of introduction to ballet moves and terms.
Cons:
1) I was distracted by the fact that she kept on referring to long, lean dancer's muscles - but she's a beast. Great figure, yes, very graceful movements, yes - but slender and delicate no. Her thighs could not only crack walnuts - but could crack a walnut DESK! With a little self-tan and a tiny bikini, she could compete for body-building, I'm actually serious here.
2) I have to say this - since I volunteered at a fire station I probably (unfortunately) know more about soft-core pron than most women... I am willing to swear blind that the production company mixing the music does mostly soft-core pron. It was so disconcerting, and distracting - in the first section there was even the classic 70s pron "bow-wow" every now and then. With that ocean background, contact-paper "wood" platform, and fake cultured voiceover - it really was set up like soft-core pron.
3) Gulan's voiceover is freakin' annoying. I know she's trying to sound soft, musical, warm, and classy - but it sounds unnatural and forced. And she has a VERY weird, distracting habit of "warming" nearly every line (the only explanation I could find for the weirdness), so that it sounds like she's making a dirty innuendo; my mental image is of her constantly wiggling her eyebrows and winking creepily. What the heck?? This really adds to the creepy soft-core pron feeling of this video.
4) As to the actual exercise - the segment was too long, and impossible for anyone other than a dedicated gym-rat or ballerina to follow. It was very discouraging to me. She just never stops, and never gives you even a second's rest, and rather than switching muscles just sticks with the same ones, nonstop. Yes I know I have a remote, but I think a good choreographer builds exercise programs in segments, and switches muscle groups.
5) Her instructions tend to give important info a little too late to be helpful - not until the very end of the last leg of moves where she's casually lifting her leg to her ears (ok, I'm exaggerating) does she mention that it doesn't matter if you only lift it an inch, practice will increase flexibility, yada yada. My pulled groin would have appreciated that little tidbit a bit earlier! :)
My verdict:
If you really want to do ballet conditioning, and are willing to kill yourself every day until you can actually follow her moves, go for it. If you want to have a reasonably paced, uplifting workout session, go elsewhere. You'll end up discouraged and feeling inadequate, instead of proud of your hard work. And maybe a little creeped out and dirty.
Whereas I've put in Tracey Mallett every day, this is only the second time I've put in this DVD... and probably not too many more times. Ebay here I come!
Description of Element: Ballet Conditioning
Ballet Dancers always have slender bodies that are both strong and lean with lovely proportion and gorgeous body lines. One of the greatest secrets to a dancer's body is ballet conditioning which focuses on all muscle groups. In this unique program your muscles will work smoothly in unison to create a long streamlined silhouette with flat abs a lean lower body and beautifully defined curves. Moving gracefully and fluidly through this series of exercises you will strengthen and stretch your way to a dancers body. Elise Gulan has over 18 years in dance education including Ballet Pointe Tap and Jazz. She was a principal soloist for the Virginia Ballet Company where she danced for seven years appearing in productions such as Copelia Swan Lake and Nutcracker Suite. She brought her love of expression through movement to her new career as a certified personal trainer and instructor of Yoga Core Fusion® and Core Energy Flow®. Elise enjoys helping her students to find their inner strength and to energize their joy of life through physical and mental fitness.Element is proud to support the Arbor Day Foundation. For every four ElementDVDs purchased a tree will be planted (up to 20000 trees annually). In addition to generating oxygen trees provide air pollution control and decrease atmospheric carbon dioxide levels thereby reducing global warming. www.arborday.org.
Bestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Element: Pilates Weight Loss for BeginnersTeam Marketing; Release date: 2008-09-09; DVD
Best price: $6.44
Price in other shops:
Tracey Mallett-The Booty Barre-Total New BodyRelease date: 2010-11-24; DVD
Best price: $13.80
Price in other shops:
Ballet 101 - A Beginner's Class, DVDRelease date: 2004-08-21; DVD
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops:
Dance with Julianne: Cardio BallroomTeam Marketing; Release date: 2009-12-15; DVD
Best price: $4.92
Price in other shops:
Exhale: Core Fusion - Body SculptTeam Marketing; Release date: 2008-12-02; DVD
Best price: $7.23
Price in other shops:
Ballet BodyRelease date: 2009-10-22; DVD
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops:
Ballet Class for BeginnersBALLET CLASS FOR BEGINNERS; Release date: 2004-08-31; DVD
Best price: $7.19
Price in other shops:
Artist Not Provided - New York City Ballet: The Complete Workout, Vol. 1 and 2Uni; Release date: 2006-11-07; DVD
Best price: $17.99
Price in other shops:
Ballet Beautiful Classic 60-Minute Workout by Mary Helen BowersPublished: 2011; DVD
Best price: $18.99
Xtend Barre: Lean & ChiseledAcorn; Release date: 2011-04-05; DVD
Best price: $9.69
Price in other shops: