Intense Step

Dawn Pappas
Year Released: 1996

Categories: Step Aerobics


If there is one redeeming quality about this video, it is the music. It is fantastic! I think it is by Musicflex. The set and the production appear to be somewhat low-budget. This in and of itself does not make it a bad video (I have a number of videos that don't have the most exciting set or the best film quality), but along with the other shortcomings of this video it makes me have no desire to do this video again. As has been mentioned, there is no rhyme or reason to the choreography, and very little cueing. I gave this one two chances, but I probably shouldn't have wasted my time. I haven't disliked a video so much for quite awhile. The moves were uninteresting, unsafe (although to be fair, there is an exerciser who shows a low-impact alternative, and she seems to be the only one exercising safely), and thrown together haphazardly. The toning section for the upper body consists of pushups. The lower body is all tablework with a weight behind the knee for some of it. The ab section is uninspired. I'm going to have a difficult time believing magazine ratings of videos from now on, since this one received favorable reviews according to Collage. I'm glad that I got this one from the exchange (I'll admit I was curious about it), because I wouldn't have wanted to pay for it. It's back on the exchange, but if there are no takers I'll probably keep it so that I can have it as an example of a BAD video!

Instructor Comments:
Dawn Pappas is not on my list of favorite instructors. She yells out cues a little too loudly and she whoops too much for a video that isn't even fun to do (I prefer a more effective, subtle approach). Her cueing leaves much to be desired. She looked a bit awkward doing some of the moves in this video.

Kristin Aziz

04/16/1999