NOTE: I received this DVD as part of a set to review for the web site Metapsychology Online Reviews.

British native Nicky McGinty had a background as a dancer and choreographer before she trained in India to become a certified yoga instructor. She has studied in various styles of yoga, including Kundalini, Ashtanga, Jivamukti, and Vinyasa Flow. In this DVD, McGinty instructs alone in a large indoor studio via voiceover. Although the DVD case says that there are six 10-minute routines, the lengths of the practices actually vary more significantly as noted on the Main Menu:

Play All (60 mins.)
Swan Lake: Arms (10 mins.)
Firebird: Core, Belly and Back (10 mins.)
The Nutcracker: Hips, Butt and Inner Thighs (15 mins.)
Coppelia: Legs, Ankles and Feet (16 mins.)
Cinderella/Dance Expression (7 mins.)
Sleeping Beauty: Stretch and Relax (6 mins.)

By the title, I expected the first section to be an arms workout; instead it is more of a gentle warm-up, with some arms moves (arm circles, floor dips, and "press ups" aka push-ups) thrown in for approximately the final three minutes. The core segment includes pelvic tilts, bicycles, scissors, seated dips, full situps, side twists, more push-ups (plank) with knee dips, locust/swimming, and cat/cow. For the Nutcracker, McGinty begins working on all-fours for a series of hydrant-style leg lifts. She also performs a side-lying series for the inner thighs, including lifts and bicycles. The next section is standing and uses a chair for work from a ballet first position as well as balance work. For the Cinderella routine, many of the moves are similar, but they are more free-flowing and performed without use of the chair. There are also additional exercises such as arabesque, attitude, pliés, relevés, slow knees, and sways. For the final stretch, McGinty starts standing in a crouch and then moves into cat/cow stretches. She finishes with lying hamstring work and a brief final stretch.

I generally enjoy ballet workouts, but this one felt too uneven to me--sometimes more like Pilates, sometimes too slow, etc. McGinty is pleasant enough and instructs well; I simply did not click with her in this workout.

Beth C (aka toaster)