This is an older tape but no less innovative in terms of choreography! Christi begins with yet another unique warm-up (I was first introduced to Christi in CIA 7002 and purchased 5004 shortly thereafter.) with lots of dancy, fun moves, including a unique shuffle interspersed with rhythmic limbering and static stretching. Christi's warmups feel like part of the aerobics. She just sucks you in from the get-go.

The step segment is first in this video, and it's only 22 minutes long. She begins it by introducing 3 count turn steps and keeps adding on from there: over the tops, reverse t-steps, hamstring curl straddles with a hop turn, L-steps, kicks, mambos and pivots, all sequenced into a fun, dancy routine and cued impeccably well.

Section two is hi/lo - my favorite part of the video! Christi has the very best hi/lo choreography I've ever seen in all my years of doing and teaching aerobics. Although her choreography is very complex, she concentrates on what I feel are the two most important components of a successful class (apart from good cuing): challenging both the mind and the legs while keeping the arm movements simple, but not boring. There is nothing more discouraging than learning a complex move, finally getting the legs, and then having to add in an equally complex arm sequence. Heart rates drop and frustration levels rise. Not with Christi! She puts the fun back into hi/lo aerobics.

The cooldown is funky and although it's fun, I am usually way too tired to do it all the way through (10 minutes) so cooldown on my own.

The final two segments is a slide/resistance workout which I won't review because I don't have a slide, and a "stylized" step section with Debbie David. This is the most bizarre step aerobics I have ever seen. Debbie could use a major cuing clue, and her rhythm is sometimes off-phrase. She also has a few completely ridiculous arm movements like "t-cup" and "wash your face". I only watched part of this segment but did not participate which is a good thing because it's probably very hard to step and laugh hysterically at the same time. At one point Debbie tells us to "unwind", and I told her I was going to rewind instead, and promptly did so.

Despite Debbie's segment, buy this tape! Christi's presence makes it worth every penny you spend.

Instructor Comments:
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!!! This is my second "commentary" about Christi. Need I say more?

Roberta Kagno