Power Dance Mix

Charlotte Williams
Year Released: 1993

Categories: Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance



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Power Dance Mix, a CIA production available for only $15, is the same length as Funk It Up, but is definitely more my speed (advanced). After a brisk warmup of basic funk steps, there are four 10+ minute segments: funk, low impact, hi-lo, and hip-hop. Each segment is a different combo, with no final run-through. The funk segment is my favorite; Charlotte's funky waltz and funky boogaloo get this party started right! The next two segments consist of cha-chas, pivots and other aerobic standards jazzed up with dancy, sometimes complex rhythms and arm movements. The final segment, hip-hop, is a lot like the old Fitness Pros hip-hop routines: heavy, syncopated marching, booty-shaking, arm-pumping and rapid jacks (a non-carpeted floor helps). A big plus is that this workout doesn't require a lot of room. I like this tape a lot, but it does have a few annoying technical shortcomings. The sound is awfully low; I have to crank up the TV almost to the max to hear the music. And the camerawork is careless even for early CIA. There are a couple of points where they're doing an especially complicated step like the "aerobic cha-cha", where the camera suddenly cuts off everyone's legs, and at one point Charlotte appears to almost collide head-on with the camera! But if you can overlook these gaffes, PDM is challenging and lots of fun for the advanced funkster. Some of the music is recycled from, of all things, Kathy Smith's Weight Loss Workout. Grade: A

Sue B

08/08/1997