This tape is not for those who are frustrated by complex choreography, but if you're willing to work at it, the result is a tape that you'll keep coming back to for years. Even without all the moves, it's FUN, FUN, FUN!!! For frame of reference, I pick up 99% of Christi's tapes on the first time through. Nonetheless, it took me a bit to master the hi/lo and some of the trickier step steps in Patrick's CIA 9001, but the routines looked so fun that I kept at it. Now that I can do the whole thing expertly, it's a tape that I keep returning to again and again; I can't say that about many. I'm finding this tape maybe even a little tougher to learn than 9001. On the step, I have most of it -- maybe just a couple of moves that aren't perfected. The hi/lo is much tougher but after two times through, I have all the base moves; I just need to get comfortable enough with them to work on those directional changes. It also seems that the first two combos are the easiest to learn and the last two -- particularly the last one -- is the toughest of all. In the hi/lo, Patrick does not TIFT, and never combines more than two combos at a time.

I know that many people complain about Patrick's tendency to do a lot of step touches while he teaches the next move and as someone noted, he did start out much better in this tape before reverting to his old habits. But just to see, I did a few random heart rate checks during some of the step touches and found that I was still within my THR, albeit at a lower level so that didn't totally bother me. I think that it becomes more frustrating the first few times you do the tape because you are not able to give it your all during each section because you don't know the moves yet. Once you can, your heart rate will remain elevated more often. With the step, it's not as much an issue because you can always do knee ups or ham curls instead of basics.

I guess I wanted to write my thoughts on 9906 so that people would not be scared off this video because of its complexity. It is one of my favorites and I know I will never tire of it, just like I never tire of 9001. Like 9001, the choreography is so fresh; there is just not another instructor like Patrick Goudeau. He just has a way with moves that makes the time fly. I know I don't look nearly as graceful as he does, but I can imagine! Admitted, his cueing is not the best but for my money, his routines are; they're worth every second they take to learn.

Donna K.