Lisa Nunziella

Series -- Dance With Lisa

Category --- Cardio

Breakdown: warmup(5), stretch(6), cardio(24), cooldown(3), stretch(2) = 40 minutes (12min at end for breakdown of moves)
Equipment -- none

I really liked it! I worked up a lite sweat but it would have been more sweat if I didn't have to stop to see what they were doing. It is like Collage says a "true dance aerobics program". I should have viewed a couple more times first or watched the tutorial at the end. There are no athletic aerobics moves like ham curl or double step touches. Lisa does not switch sides for most moves like the basic with knee hop it is done only on the left side. You really shake your hips in this video especially in the hip swivel! The only complaints I have is that she doesn't breakdown the basic salsa move at the end tutorial which I think is really necessary for true Salsa first timers. Your toe has to point up at certain times while your heel hits the floor and she does not say this (like a heel dig). The other is that they could have picked WAY better Salsa music (Jesse is on percussions in the start and at the end, but the same Salsa song plays over and over again). Anyway I still enjoyed it because I know the basic Salsa moves since I am Puerto Rican and it is hip shaking FUN!

Here is the break down:

Step Before warmup:
Basic, side step, basic, back step, basic, cumbia (crossing back), basic, shimmy,basic, shimmy, basic.

WU: Faster Pace
Basic, side step, back step, cumbia, shimmy, side step, front step

ST: Regular stretches with some fun shaking hips stretches!

Cardio:
Basic, circle, swivel, shuffle, double hops, full turns, crossing over, basic hop with left knee lifted, side cross front, quarter turns, moving step touches, jump cross & flick, double tap slide both with & without arms, back slide shimmy.

Cooldown: Same as beginning stretches with added leg stretches

In the cardio section Lisa breaks down all the steps by putting the basic step in between like one would do in regular aerobics with marching in place. Then after she goes through all the steps she says "We're going to work the choregraphy" which is basically TIFTT three or four times (can't remember).
I think once you learn the steps you can put on some great Salsa music like Jerry Rivera while the tape is muted!

Instructor comments: Lisa is sooo teeny tiny! Boy does that girl have a set of great abs on her! She says the type of Salsa she is gonna teach is a 2 beat authentic mambo style that her mom taught her in NY. She and the other dancers use those dancers' sneakers in black.The back of the tape cover says that there will be more Dance With Lisa tapes soon and I can't wait! In the beginning of the tape it shows flashes of her dancing something else and looks like she might have a hip hop funk tape also! Her website is www.dancewithlisa.com

Gladys
4/5/03

This video is a must for the intermediate-advanced (and advanced beginner) latin dance enthusiasts. This is salsa in it's truest form, danced in latin clubs from New York to Puerto Rico.

The set is a basic dance studio with a couple instruments on the floor. For the warmup, there's a guy on the congas. Lisa dances with 2 backup dancers, and they seem to be having fun.

The video started off with the basic mambo step, move on beat 2 of the congas..rt foot forward on 2, and left foot back on 6. Salsa is 8 beats for each move.

Then after a slow, long warmup she proceeds with some jazzy dance stretches for the arms, back, waist, hips, and legs.

Next is the routine, there's no instruction but she'll tell you what move's next. First, you do the basic step, then the circle step, then the side lunge step, basic step with a double hop (on beat 7 & 8). then the crossover (side to side move, like the cumbia step), then basic hop (hop while push arms in front for the 5th beat in between the basic step rhythm).
I cannot remember the rest of the choreography/routine. It was tons of fun! If you enjoy dancing and learning steps you can use in real life (after this routine all you need is a partner on the dance floor, one suggestion is using a partner to dance with once you got the moves).
My HR got up to 80-85% and over that..So what you put into a workout, is what you get.
The good news is that at the end of the workout, after the cooldown (which is the same as the jazz warmup), she breaks down all the moves with careful instruction.

I depend on good dance workouts for fitness and fun so this one is 4 stars!!!

Instructor comments: Good instruction, energetic and she really seems to enjoy dancing.

Chulisima

3/14/03

This is a fantastic workout. I have recently embarked on a quest to move better, dance better, feel more comfortable in my skin - and this is my foray into Salsa workouts.

The music is performed by a drummer (live). Lisa goes through and teaches many different salsa steps - so I feel like one of those dancing people in 'Born Romantic'.

I feel like I'm really *learning* salsa.

There is a good deal of taking it from the top - but that's kind of what i expect from a dance video.

Some of the moves were plyo - but not much - but I did feel like I was in my 'fat burning zone'. My reason for doing the workout wasn't to get a super cardio or strength workout - it was to learn salsa and to learn to just move freely. This dvd more than fit the bill.

Lisa has a special section on the dvd where you can have her explain (and practice) the various steps in more detail.

I really appreciated that.

A+

Instructor comments: Lisa is wonderful. She is beautiful and fit in that special dancers way, and she is very encouraging and has a great instruction style.

Leela

12/10/03

Red Hot Salsa

Lisa Nunziella

This is a review for Red Hot Salsa. I did this for the first time yesterday and it was a lot of fun.
She starts you off with a warm-up of the basic mambo step and has you move it in different directions, forward, backward, crossovers etc. You then stop for a dynamic stretch to loosen your shoulders, legs and hips. Then it's on to the workout.
The workout consists of a routine that she teaches you one move at a time. She has you do the move a few times, then does a basic mambo twice and then has you do the move again. As the combo progresses, you add each new move onto it. At the end of the workout you move through the entire routine 3 times before you move onto the cooldown.
The cooldown consists of the same dynamic stretching done at the beginning of the video and then you do some static stretching at the end.
Lisa has two female background exercisers with her and they are all wearing black.
Collage rates the choreo as complex but I got it the first time through with almost no mistakes. After the workout, she has a section where she breaks all the moves down since there is no slowing down in the workout. I had a good sweat going but did not find myself breathing real hard, I don't wear a hrm so I don't know how intense it was but from perceived exertion I'd give it a 5 or 6, not too hard, not too easy. There is very little jumping in this video, it is mostly low-impact.
The only thing that might bother someone about this video is the TIFTTing. She has you tiftt every time you learn a new move through the whole tape so if you don't like tiftt you probably won't enjoy this tape. I didn't mind and I had a lot of fun.
There is also no whooping in this video. All in all, I'd give it a B+. I know I'll be doing this one again.

Instructor comments: She is a very good instructor. She gives clear cueing and uses hand signals also. She has a clear voice and really seems to enjoy dancing. I liked her a lot.

kathy12

Feb 1,2004