Please note that I wrote this review about 4 years ago; I've copied and pasted it as originally written. At the time of the review I had done it 2-3 times.

Although there was much I loved about this workout, I eventually passed it on because it was sitting on my shelf unused, which was such a shame for such a lovely workout. I just ended up not being a fusion type of gal, for whatever reason. This was probably the hardest workout for me to part with when I divested my collection of its fusion section.

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General workout breakdown: After about a 5 min. warm up, there are approximately 35 min. of ballet-, Pilates-, and yoga-inspired toning and stretching, with 15 min. of additional stretching and strength movements for a total of 55 minutes. The moves alternate between standing and floor and focus primarily on the lower body and abs.

Level: I’d recommend this to a mid-intermediate to high-intermediate/low advanced exerciser. I personally find this challenging (oh, those side planks!), although it’s more doable now than it was when I got it a year ago. I’m at a low intermediate level of yoga and Pilates and a mid- to high intermediate level of cardio and weights. I have over two years of experiences with Pilates and almost three with yoga, but my strength and especially my flexibility are still limited. In addition, I took ballet and other dance classes for a combined total of 10-12 years when I was younger. All of these disciplines come in handy when tackling this workout. I would think it would be difficult without any prior dance experience, and the yoga and Pilates (or similar disciplines) are also central to the workout.

Class: 6 women of various ages join Kari. The class members don’t appear to be dancers yet complete the moves gracefully.

Music / Set / Production Notes: The pleasant instrumental music complements workout very well. I actually like the music. (Janis uses some selections for her Dynamic Stretch, if you’re looking to find a clip.) The interior set has bright, energizing colors: azure blues, reds and pinks, a little orange. The class appears to be on carpet. The picture and sound quality are very good, and I found the camera angles helpful.

Equipment: mat (or equivalent) or just cushy surface. All exercisers are barefoot.

Comments: You do need a little space for this. You should be able to move your arms and legs around freely while standing and while on the floor. You’ll want to be able to spread out horizontally with no problems.
No modifications are shown, although Kari mentions a couple in passing (e.g. “You can always stay here and work up to this move”).

DVD Notes: The DVD lets you skip the introduction and choose two shortened workouts: Strength & Flexibility Emphasis for 16 min., Standing & Balance Emphasis for 12 min.

Conclusion: I like Kari, the idea of this workout, the music, and those red velvet pants so much that I can’t seem to part with this DVD, even though I don’t do it much at all. Even though this program is challenging, particularly if you still need to work on flexibility and strength like I do, it’s so flowing and enjoyable that, although I struggle to complete every move (much less do it as gracefully as Kari), I feel great and ten feet tall after finishing. There isn’t really anything else like this. It’s not quite Pilates, not quite yoga, not quite dance, but a smooth mixture of all three disciplines and a little something more. For that reason, I can never quite figure out how to work it into my rotation. It works my muscles too much to be a rest day workout, yet it’s too relaxing and not enough strength-oriented to be a regular strength workout.

Instructor Comments:
Kari’s cueing is precise and accurate, although not always plentiful, and her technique and form are superb and graceful. Kari’s on screen persona is warm and encouraging but never too chatty. She works both sides evenly and intends for you to mirror her movements.

KathAL79