I was probably among first in line to order Christi's three new videos, and as a hi-lo enthusiast, I expected Happy Hour to become worn out the fastest. But while all three videos are terrific, Stepping Zone has become my newest dancing addiction. I think it's because, while Christi's amazing gift for floor choreography was evident even in 5004, her step choreography has made the greatest strides - from the relatively basic 5004, to the mind-boggling moves of 9801 and Stepping Zone.

But enough of the art critic talk - Stepping Zone ROCKS! I love each and every combo, but my favorite is where you skip across the step diagonally, do a mambo, cha-cha turn and another mambo. It's like gliding on air. The warmup combo is used throughout the workout, which is great because it gives my mind a much-needed break. Having to remember everything at the end stretches my brain to its limit! If you love to turn, you can be a whirling dervish throughout this workout as Christi adds spins to everything. Or you can leave the turns out till you get the basic steps down (though it would help if one exerciser was non-spinning, like on Franny's videos). One small word of warning, if you have carpet, some of the turns may be risky, especially the one at the very end where you turn-step, spin around and immediately jump up onto the step. I could feel an ankle twist waiting to happen, so I leave out that spin. Just listen to your instinct and do what feels right.

I was able to pick this up much faster than 9801's step, but I don't know if that's because it's actually easier or I'm just so in harmony with Christi after doing her videos for 3 years. One thing's for sure, this is NOT a zone-out workout; it requires a high level of concentration. And like usual, you have to keep an eye on Christi as she does her "Did you see what I did?" antics. IMO the intensity is a tad higher than 9801; it's not Interval Max, but that's not the purpose here. Another Hall of Famer from DC's Dancing Queen!

Sue B