Overall, I like this workout, but I don't love it as I do some of Kari's other videos. The intensity is solidly intermediate and I prefer more of a cardiovascular challenge. And there's just a little too much time spent teaching for my taste. With that said, the qualities that disappoint me in Classic Step might be the very qualities that make this tape a beloved favorite for someone who is seeking an intermediate level tape that slowly eases you into complex, interesting choreography.

Kari and Jay have good chemistry together and they're very likeable on their own. They alternate teaching the 4 combos. The warm-up combo is also the first combo of the whole routine. Jay teaches the warm-up combo, a fun little combination using turn-straddles, shuffles, stomps and a little "skate and slide" move on the step. He does some dynamic stretching, then does the warm-up another time. Next, Kari steps in with a very basic combo using basic steps, L steps, a reverse V step, knee ups and a pivot. This combo didn't thrill me and the individual elements were repeated way too many times. Jay comes back for a combo with a fun little variation of a triple repeater, a jumping V step and some pendulums. Kari really shines in the last combo, which is the best of all with a lot of hip shaking, shuffling and little kicky steps. After each combo is taught at its most sophisticated level, you run through the whole routine from the top. They layer the combos so they start fairly simple and they keep introducing variations until they're more complex. For some reason, I mess up a lot during the "simpler" variations, but I'm on the money when we finally do the tougher variation.

Kari leads the cool down, a simple toe, leg kick out and swing behind with a dancy feel to it. Then Jay does the stretch, which is very nice, very thorough.

This is a "shorty" workout. Fifty-two minutes total. If you skipped the stretch, it's more like 45 minutes. The intensity is intermediate. The music is good. I recognized a song that I don't like on Cardio Kicks, but it's speeded up on Classic Step and I liked it a lot better at the faster speed.

Daphne M