Product Description

Jean Butler knows Irish dance. As the original star of Riverdance, she took Irish dancing to a new level showing just how exciting it can be. Suitable for those just beginning to explore Irish dance to the more accomplished dancer, Jean Butler's Irish Dance is a series of techniques and exercises created by Jean herself. Now you can dance with Jean at home or in the classroom as she shares the methods she developed over the years and honed through endless hours of practice. Using the special menu features you can even create and program your own personal routines. Unique to the DVD is a stunning new dance performance, entitled Blue by Jean Butler, an explosive group jam session to the music of U2, and a behind-the-scenes look at one of Jean's Workshops. Jean takes a holistic view of dancing and stresses the importance of looking after body and mind. Dance with Jean and enjoy becoming the best dancer you can be. Featuring music by Kila and specially commissioned music by Rossa O Snodaigh.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7863 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-06-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Customer Reviews

This DVD is SO helpful and fun
This DVD has virtually everything you need to learn Irish dance as an amateur, or practice as a serious dancer. You learn the most basic movements by themselves, then in the context of dance, with lots of close ups and explanations so that you can back it up and practice a single move as many times as you need. For those who already have a good handle on Irish dance, or who have practiced the simple moves enough to master them, there is a full performance that you should be able to watch and imitate if you're at that level. There's even a section in which Jean demonstrates each foot position and movement by itself in case the move or even just the vocabulary is difficult for you. The music is also great, and on top of all that, it's an intense workout with a few "core stability" (serious ab work) moves included to aid with performance as well as appearance. A+

It's what I needed
I absolutely hate practicing technique on my own at home. We do drills in class and we're supposed to do them at home as well, but it's hard to get motivated, and if there's no one else around me doing the drills, I tend to slack off and not push as hard as I should. So this dvd works for me because I can watch good dancers doing the drills correctly, and I can practice along and imitate them. I also like that she stops to stretch throughout the workouts, that is something that I definately need to do more. And I also particularly liked the warm-up section, it kind of reminded me of a Richard Simmons workout routine, only not so irritating :) The dvd also has a nice feature where you can turn off the commentary and just do the exercises with the music and watch the dancers.

Now Anyone Can Become an Irish Dancer!
Don't get me wrong, though. This requires practice. Serious practice. As an absolute beginner in Irish Dance, the first thing I discovered when trying this DVD was that what looked difficult to watch was actually TEN times more difficult to do! The first time I tried this program, I was dismayed to find that I couldn't progress beyond the "Point Pull Back" exercise. However, I practiced a bit each day, for several weeks. Now, I've nailed, not only "Point Pull Back," but also the jumps. It's true, though, that this DVD was not designed with the absolute beginner in mind: the 20-year-old girl who never set foot in an Irish Dance class. But that doesn't mean that she, or anyone else, can't still do it. Besides offering numerous extras , this phenominal program allows the dancer to create their own routine of up to twelve exercises. What does that mean? That means, if you want to practice nothing but "Clickwork," you can select "Chickwork" up to twelve times (which winds up to be about an hour, as one "Clickwork" session is five minutes). And, if you don't like the Warm Up, you can skip it altogether and do "Clickwork," "Fast Trebles," "Jumps," whatever! The possibilities are endless! Personally, I can't even manage "Slow Trebles" just yet. With time and practice, however, I know I'll one day be able to Irish Dance with the best of them! This DVD is perfect for those (like me) who haven't been dancing since they were three, but still want to get on the bandwagon. By the time you've mastered this program, you will be able to convincingly assert that you've been dancing since age three! Regardless of your level, though, this DVD is an invaluable resource. I'd give it a ten if I could!