Ballet Boot Camp Stretch

Jessica Sherwood
Year Released: 2007

Categories: Athletic Stretch , Ballet/Barre


Stretching and relaxation are important aspects of my workout regime. I say “stretching and relaxation” because, to me, they are inter-related; I can’t feel that I have had a good stretching session unless I also feel relaxed and refreshed.

This is why I listed Ballet Boot Camp Stretch for sale on eBay minutes after completing the DVD; it is the least relaxing stretching DVD I have ever tried. DeniseR has already provided a breakdown of the DVD, so I will just add a few impressions.

The first segment begins to the strains of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite which seems like an odd choice of music. I suppose it suits the “ballet” theme, but it’s hardly a soothing or relaxing piece. Instructor Jessica Sherwood begins the first section, a series of moves to warm up the neck, by snapping her fingers to an inaudible beat. Between the finger snapping and Tchaikovsky, I felt as though I had suddenly been transported to a rehearsal session for my Broadway debut — but not in a good way.

Thankfully, Jessica eased up on the finger-snapping, but I was already irritated by the time we moved to the next section. The workout continues with various yoga- and Pilates-inspired stretch and strengthening exercises, but then Jessica threw in some crunches. There are many yoga and Pilates exercises which stretch the body while strengthening the core, so crunches are an uninspired choice here.

Jessica concludes the workout with a full split and pigeon pose without mentioning any modifications or safety precautions for people who lack the flexibility to perform these exercises. After these intense stretches, I was expecting a gentle full-body stretch to conclude the workout, but it ended abruptly.

Another less-than-soothing aspect of this DVD is Jessica Sherwood’s raspy voice. She sounded as though she had a very sore throat, which progressively worsened as the workout continued. By the end, I wanted to put her to bed with a hot toddy.

In conclusion, while this DVD does provide a thorough stretch, it left me feeling more irritated than relaxed. I would only recommend it to hard-core Jessica Sherwood fans.

Ratings out of five:
Production values ***

Workout design ***

Instruction **

Relaxation factor *

Music *
Meets expectations **

Overall **½

Instructor Comments:
As indicated in my review, Jessica doesn't provide any modifications or suggestions for the more intense stretches, and given her sore-sounding throat, I think she should have postponed filming the workout,

RedPanda

02/13/2011