I waited until I did this tape twice so that I could give a fair assessment of it. I am probably in the minority but the first time through, I got all the moves but didn't find the tape to be particularly fun. The second time through, I pretty much had the same feeling.

The tape is a warm-up, three combos and a cool-down. One of the combos incorporates part of the warm-up into it, but gives it more intensity; I wasn't crazy about this section in the warm-up so wasn't happy to see it repeated. It contains a step up and kick facing front and I find that I always feel like my foot will hit the step on the way up, so I just subbed knee-ups instead. There is no TIFTing until the very end, when the three combos are spliced together right and left and you run through the whole thing twice.

If you are a seasoned stepper who loves complex choreography, you'll find that the choreography is here but without the flow necessary to make it feel like fluid movement, even dancing. This feels like a lot of complex moves (and some fun ones, like the step hop repeater) just strung together. I never could remember what was coming next because one move did not easily flow into another, as in other tapes. There is one move in particular -- a backward shuffle on the step -- that is tremendously awkward at the place it's in. I've since done this move in two other tapes and it's a fun one, but only when it's properly placed into the workout. Without naming names, I find that other instructors with dancier tapes choreograph so that you barely have to think; your feet just know where to go because each move logically follows from the last. With this tape, I felt like I had to memorize what came next.

I also feel like that some of the moves are too complex to be done at the speed with which they are done; you really have to watch your feet or you could fall right off your step. I actually did once.

Cathe's tapes have always felt more athletic to me than dancy, and I think this is where she really excels -- at tough, athletic workouts with some interesting choreography. This dancy thing just doesn't seem to be her style. I'll hang onto this one to do occasionally because it is, as usual, a good solid workout, but it won't be a favorite. Grade: B-

Instructor Comments:
Cathe's cueing seems to be off on this tape; many times, she's not cueing a move until you should already be doing it and then it's too late. Maybe her cueing has always been that way, but because this tape has so many moves packed in to each combo, you really need the cueing to be right on target.

Donna Kahwaty