Please note that I wrote this review about 5 years ago; I've copied and pasted it as originally written. At the time of the review I had done it several times since acquiring it a year earlier. I kept it for a little while longer but eventually passed it on, as I prefer to keep my weights and Pilates sessions separate plus just don't do ballet workouts any more.

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General workout breakdown: The video has four distinct segments: the warm-up, the Pilates matwork, the ballet segment, and the yoga segment. Michelle and Tracy recommend doing portions of this video if you don’t have time to do all four at once, although I’ve done all every time I’ve done this video. (I then add on some upper body work, such as segments from Jennifer Kries’ Precision Pilates or Lara Hudson’s 10 Minute Solution Pilates, to make this a total body workout in about an hour.)
The workout begins with about 8 minutes of movement, stretching, and modified sun salutations. You then move to the floor for about 18 minutes of Pilates-inspired floorwork. Next you stand for about 12 minutes of ballet “barre” moves. Finally there are about 8 minutes of yoga moves. The workout takes about 45 minutes to complete.
This workout focuses on the abs and lower body with minimal upper body work.

Workout Level: I’d recommend this to a low to mid-intermediate exerciser due to the importance of proper form in getting the most out of each exercise. Someone with experience in Pilates, ballet, and yoga but who considers themselves a beginner may find this challenging at first but should be able to work up to it easily. Someone more advanced probably won’t find this challenging enough. Familiarity with Pilates principles is helpful, as Michelle and Tracy do not offer enough explanation of technique for this to be an instructional Pilates video. On the other hand, I think someone with limited ballet experience and even limited yoga experience could find this workout approachable.

Class: Michelle and Tracy each perform every move, with one sometimes offering modifications.

Music / Set / Production Notes: The instrumental music changes with each section; for example, it is “tribal” during the yoga segment. The home-like interior set is brightly lit, with hardwood floors and large but dark frosted glass windows at the back and some plants in containers. Overall the production values appear good to me.

Equipment Needed: mat for Pilates segment, chair for ballet segment (which you should be able to hold onto comfortably while standing). Tracy and Michelle recommend socks for the ballet portion if you’re on carpet; otherwise the workout is done barefoot. (Last time I put on my Bloch split sole sneakers, and they worked well.)

Comments: You do not need a lot of space for this workout. You should be able to lie down with both your arms and legs extended; when you’re standing, if you can kick forward and back or take two steps to each side without running into anything, you’ll have enough space.
The Pilates segment does not represent the traditional order of exercises. I believe Michelle and Tracy alter some moves or even devise exercises of their own. Don’t be afraid if you haven’t ever done ballet or yoga, though. The ballet segment is basic standing barre work (plies, tendus, degages, etc.). Since I had years of ballet and have done the NYC Ballet Workouts off and on over the past couple of years, I can perform the exercises without the aid of the chair, which is used for balance. However, those who need the extra stabilization should use the chair, and you’ll need it to do some stretches at the end. The yoga portion uses some combinations and poses I haven’t seen before; again, I think Michelle and Tracy do their own take on yoga. That portion should not intimidate people who steer clear of yoga for whatever reason: Tracy doesn’t use any names for moves or make any statements that would make you uncomfortable.

DVD Notes: The DVD lets you choose chapters (which cover segments rather than individual exercises); I use this to skip the Breakthru Pilates intro and the workout intro, but you could use it to do just the yoga segment, for example.

Conclusion: I’m keeping this one for now. I recently pulled it out with my New York City Ballets for a good “it’s too hot to do Cathe” week. The ballet portion is so simple and straightforward that it’s the main reason I keep the workout.
I have to skip over the triceps push-ups segments due to a childhood elbow injury that prevents me from doing that move comfortably; however, I seem to be about the only one with this problem.
Of the three Breakthru Pilates programs, this is the only one with ballet and yoga portions. It was the second one done, so the overall production is significantly better than the first (Core Conditioning).
FYI, similar workouts combining Pilates, yoga, and ballet include Denise Austin’s Power Zone (Mind Body Soul) and Jennifer Kries’ Precision Pilates.

Instructor Comments:
Michelle and Tracy obviously have a good rapport; they do swap comments from time to time, usually sticking to the workout (e.g. “Oh, I feel it now!” type of asides). They are both serious about Pilates and fitness in general. They alternate leading segments. I think Michelle is good with imagery, and Tracy is good at describing form in non-imagery terms. Michelle is more graceful while Tracy is more athletic. Both sides of the body are worked evenly, and the two instructors intend for you to mirror their movements.

KathAL79