This starts with an hour of high/low by Greg Twombly. A class participant, Kirsten ___, teaches a portion of the class as well. This is fun and the time goes by fast. Greg is the "star," but Kirsten is pretty good, too. I think her cueing is slightly late sometimes, but I didn't get frustrated trying to learn the routine or anything.

Next Ann Marie Saldi and Louise Boland co-teach "high/low with step." I like these ladies! They're friendly, fun, and excellent at cueing and teaching. This class is a combination of floor and step. They start off by telling you you'll use the step only 25% of the time, and the other 75% is high/low. While I enjoy this workout, I found the step to be almost a nuisance. It seemed to be in the way a lot when doing the floor routines. I probably won't do this routine much in the future, but I would be delighted to see the two instructors again on another video.

Grade B+.

Instructor Comments:

I've had this tape for some time and haven't used it very often because I'm not a huge step fanatic, but I've gained a whole new appreciation for it since the CIA 9002 fiasco. This is SO much better! Shannon Anderson Bohn starts off with one of my favorite step warmups, then goes on to an intermediate/advanced, dancy step workout that includes lunges, pendulums, pivots and other old favorites, all cued very well. Paul McKean then brings out a routine that's even more powerful than the one on 5005. It can be tricky to learn because Paul tries to avoid tapping between steps, plus he's so cute that I sometimes lose my concentration! :) But he cues and leads us through it with precision that's totally absent from 9002. Beverly Todd is next with a vertical step routine that shows lots of neat variations like turn-straddle-lunges and a leg-swinging L-step. Shannon finishes off with a cooldown, abs using a body bar, and stretch. (There is no "body sculpting" unlike what the box description says.) This is definitely the best multi-segment step tape from CIA. Advanced steppers will be challenged, yet even intermediates will be encouraged to learn from these pros, instead of wanting to kick the TV over in frustration. Grade: A+

Shannon and Paul, who are also on 5005, are two of my favorite CIA instructors. Shannon's fun and perky without being whoopy or annoying, and Paul still likes to shout "Control!" Beverly isn't quite as long on charisma, but all three instructors cue well and are easy to follow.

Sue B