FUN, FUN, FUN! Everything about this video is fun. For starters, it is a club setting with a live band playing Latin music. Just listening to this music makes you want to get up and dance! Kathy's team of dancers are all wearing cute dancewear instead of the usual athletic gear. And everyone genuinely seems to be having a good time. Kathy teaches actual Latin dance steps - salsa, meringue, and cha cha, mixing them up with a few more aerobic moves, such as (just a few) squats and lunges. The workout starts with an interesting, dance-based warmup (figure 8 lunges, rib cage isolations). Then the workout is divided into different "blocks" - salsa, meringue, cha cha - end of workout one. Workout two has slow meringue (including a few macarena moves) fast meringue, salsa, a cha cha cooldown, and final stretch. (41 minutes total if you do both workouts.) For beginners, I would recommend doing the first workout following Kathy's moves. As you progress, you could continue adding on a block at a time. Intermediates should do both workouts (the whole 41 minutes) and maybe follow Clara's moves (the dark haired dancer in black beside Kathy). Clara keeps to the basics, but adds a few more flourishes - note her hand positions, arm movements, and hip swivels. And for a more advanced intermediate workout (and the way I use this tape) do the whole workout and really cut loose with arm, hip, and shoulder movements. There's a blonde girl just behind Kathy wearing a white tank top you can get inspiration from. If you don't mind cutting loose and swiveling those hips, you can work up quite a sweat!

Other things I like about this video:

1.It's very low impact. I have found very few low impact videos that can make me sweat! 2. You gain a very good understanding of these basic latin moves. (There's even a bonus section at the end showing how to put these moves together to dance with a partner.) This would be a good tape to try before trying some of the other Latin tapes out there, such as Ritmos Latinos.

Small Caveats: A few of the pivots are a little difficult to do on a carpeted floor, but after a few tries, I found my own modification. Kathy and her dancers even demonstrate a few of the moves on a blue carpeted floor, so really this is just a small problem.

Also, this tape would probably not be a favorite for those super-advanced-cardio freaks who are looking for high powered workouts. And those who feel uncomfortable swinging and swiveling their hips might also want to bypass this one - there's a lot of hip action, and unless you feel comfortable cutting loose a little you won't build up the intensity.

Instructor Comments:
Wonderful instructor. Cues very clearly - you never get "lost." Gives you form pointers that really help. Low key but obviously having a good time.

Catherine