It's really pathetic that it took me almost 7 years to write a review for this tape. I feel like a tree falling in the woods -- does this review make a sound since no one in the world (except Annie S., maybe, who has every tape on God's green earth) has done it or even remembers it. (And that's a compliment, Annie!)

This tape was the one that really got me on the road to fitness. I mean, I started out with Gin Miller's Step Reebok, like everyone else in the world, but Barry's tape was my first "real" step tape, in the sense that I did not use it to learn how to step. When I bought this tape, I think it was my first foray into the Collage Video catalogue and the first time I'd bought a tape to learn learn new choreography and have fun. And what a choice it was.

This is a solid, intermediate tape, though it can become low-advanced if you use an 8" step. The moves may seem antiquated now, but they really are fun if you take into account that the world hadn't seen the likes of the complexity of Christi Taylor or even high-end Cathe Friedrich at the time. You do a fairly basic sequence of left/right steps with some angular cheerleady type arm moves. You also do the cabbage patch (remember that?!) He then picks up the pace with grapevines around the step. The tape progresses slowly but surely, and by the time you get to the 4th section, you're straddling, pivoting, and turning off the end of your step. The last combo is the most dancy, and it has some quick foot moves. They will challenge the seasoned veteran. And it's dancy, and stylized, and smooth. Fun, fun! He has a breakdown section at the end of the tape, which is such a thoughtful useful concept. Too bad it's not employed more today.

Barry is a good instructor. He cues well, gives form pointers, and banters with his background exercisers (who do "whoop" occasionally, by the way, for those whoop haters). Don't worry that the danciness overtakes the cardio part of the workout. He doesn't yammer and march in place while explaining moves. He throws in some "flava" by adding some dancy embellishments to standard moves, without breaking the tempo, and even there, he doesn't add a whole lot of "groove," just a little to make you want more! I don't have 2 Times the Funk, but you can see that dancy spirit somewhat cabined somewhat in this video, and I really wish he would've made it a little dancier. He can work it! I love to watch him dance.

One teeny negative -- Barry keeps pulling on his shorts throughout the video, and its obvious that he could use er, a larger (and looser) pair, if you know what I mean.

After this tape came out, I kept asking "When's Barry going to come out with a new tape?!" He's a former national aerobics champion with so much talent! The industry really should take notice and put this man to work! He's awesome.

Eulonda Skyles