Video Fitness

CIA 4004

This video, available from Collage Video, is all step divided into three sections. The first, is Jammin Step. Taught by Laura Aloise, it is very funky. It took me a couple of times to get all the moves, but once I did, it was a blast. Laura recommends that you use a 6 inch step - you'll definitely be more comfortable.

The second section, step taught by Dorrie Gregoire, is a challenging step routine that is pretty intense. By the second time that I did the video I had this seciton down pretty well.

The third section, taught by Debbie Ellenberg, is pretty complicated. I attempted this section twice, and I never really got all the moves. I recommend that before you try this section you watch Debbie once all the way through; it will leave you less frustrated.

This video is a good mix of styles from three different instructors - one funky, the other pretty intense, and the third was very hard to follow (in my opinion). If you are an instructor, you should get a lot of good moves from this tape.

Kathy Lapinski

My personal rule is to do a video three times before I review it. Sorry, not this one. Life's too short. I only did part of each segment on this one, and have absolutely no desire to do any of them again.

Laura's routine is supposed to be "jammin'" but I found it stupid and boring. Dorrie (with powerful new step combos) and Debbie (with combos that move) were just boring. I apologize if this review sounds overly negative, but I just see no reason why this was ever made into a video in the first place. This is from the 4000 CIA series, and it reminds me of why I didn't like the early CIA tapes. They've gotten a lot better since then.

Annie S.

At our local coffee shop they call a decaf cappucino with skim milk a "Why Bother". This is I how I felt about this tape. Why bother? Learning this tape just didn't seem to be worth it. It looked hard, but wasn't. Too much marching in place while the instructors taught new steps. Spent a lot of time "teaching" some easy steps, and then when the steps were put into the combos, used what seemed to be completely different steps. The cueing was not very good, in fact some of it was downright frustrating. Instead of cueing a straddle, the instructors cued, "half way over, all the way over." This was very confusing, I thought that straddles were pretty universal. (they certainly oculd use some lessons from Kari Anderson) A couple additional pet peeves were triggered. I hate being talked down to. I'm in my living room doing a video tape, what else am I going to do while marching in place but listen? No need to keep telling me like I was dumb. The other pet peeve is adding a couple of unusual arm movements and calling a routine "funk". I'm sorry but these women were stiff, they didn't have the loose, fun, fluidity I consider funk. This tape wasn't horrible, but it wasn't worth the effort. For this much work I require either fun, or a heart pounding workout. I felt I had to warn people before I exchanged this tape.

Instructor comments:

Lynn
12/29/97

This was my first experience with a CIA video, and I was thoroughly unimpressed. It took quite awhile before VF reader reviews convinced me to try some of the newer CIAs, and I'm glad I did because some of them are among my favorites. Anyway, my experience with CIA 4004 is exactly like Lynn's and Annies--I didn't even make it through once. I was totally bored, and the cuing left something to be desired.

To all who may be contemplating this video, I'd advice sticking to the more popular CIAs, though this one seems destined to make the rounds of the video exchange in perpetuity...

Wendy Niemi Kremer
1/26/98


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