Product Description

Studio: Stratostream Release Date: 07/31/2007 Run time: 60 minutes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7325 in DVD
• Brand: STRATOSTREAM
• Released on: 2007-07-31
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 120 minutes

About the Actor
Originally from Toronto, Karen began her training at the Claude Watson School for the Arts and received her degree from Ryerson University. After moving to New York, she continued her studies at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center.

Currently she is a dance faculty member at Steps on Broadway, The New Dance Group and Ballet Hispanico. She teaches students of all levels and ages and has had the opportunity to guest teach and choreograph in several countries including Mexico, Bolivia, Canada, and Italy.

She has choreographed various projects for both the stage and screen and continues to showcase her work through a variety of venues.

Karen is also the choreographer and host of Deante Dance, a series of modern dance based fitness videos. Karen believes in merging technique with style and using rhythm and dynamics to accent musicality.

Her classes include an eclectic mix of street jazz and hip-hop, blending technique with style and soul.

Customer Reviews

All things are possible!
I ventured into a diverse ambit of dance with this program, but I am never close minded about
learning and experimenting with dance.
Warm up is lengthy with yoga-like flow, plenty of lunging and stretching to get you limber. This is fast paced so it is a real warm-up.
There are also isolation exercises, chest, hip, head rolls, and body waves. I found them similar to belly dance isolations, more rigid and accented to complement the style.. I do feel the head rolls should be a little softer to prevent injury.
In the beginner section I have to admit I was somewhat frustrated. The body is in full motion so get ready for hip bumps, and figure 8s, pivoting of the feet. The footwork is taught very fast paced but has lots of repetition. There is an array in moves, at times I felt the choreography transposes from aerobic to martial arts class .There are eleven lengthy combinations but the agility that I had stored up came through and though I am a few paces behind, I may catch up with plenty of repetition.
The second segment has8 combinations. This was fun and I found it more enjoyable than the beginner segment. I enjoyed the groove, funk, pivots, turns, elaborate arm and footwork, and full body undulations and because I belly dance, isolation is not a problem. I placed most of my energy into this segment. Combinations are lengthy and detailed, fast paced, but there is plenty of time to put them together, and again the routine repeats several times at the end.
The third segment has 8 combinations articulating arms, more body waves and staccato moves and traveling. Again, fast paced and more intricate arm and footwork. By now it appears the choreography becomes very challenging with these moves but not unrealistic to achieve.
At the end of each segment this energetic, and pleasant young lady takes you into her realm of dance with her great group as they perform each routine several times to draw you in. The music is catchy and makes it easy to venture into. Her humor and confidence stays with you as encouragement to finish out the program. Her moves are well defined, so it is not a maze to venture through the dance and visually easy to decipher the moves. I do feel the choreography is designed for the young generation but a good challenge for those of us young at heart.
Upon completion of the program, you will discover in amazement, all things are possible! Though demanding, this program is intricately put together and can be achieved with determination and will reward you with a dance in vogue.

Not what I expected
I will try to be as objective as possible although my conclusions are based on my expectations. I expected a DVD that would substitute my hip-hop class for the days I can't attend it. Something that will make me sweat and have me learn new choreography, on top of some funky music. Well, this DVD didn't deliver any of these three things. The warm-up is slow (lots of explanation in stead of just getting into it), really basic, and it will not make you break a sweat (it lasts about 15 minutes). The three routines are okay, but because of the low production value and generic beats, I really didn't want to stick with it long enough to learn it. And frankly, everybody who teaches choreography from the TV should know that a back shot is absolutely obligatory in order not to be confused and have to translate the movements in the opposite direction. A big reason why I didn't stick with the choreography also.

If you only want to learn some choreography, have a lot of patience, and don't mind dancing only to beats, then this will work for you.

Jazzy and Fun
Karen Gayle with her enviable agility, solid technique and creativity, has put together a DVD of the latest in dance styles, a blend of modern jazz and hip hop, that is a blast from start to finish. After the "Welcome," there's a "Warm-up" that includes marvelous stretches, isolations and footwork, and does well on its own, if used as a short daily workout to strengthen and tone your body.

There are 3 "Dance Routines," labeled Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Though there is not that much difference in their level of difficulty in the actual steps, there's quite a bit to remember in the choreography, and there's the jazzy and fun style to assimilate. The routines are broken down step by step first, and then are danced continuously with music to practice until you get it right. Finally there's a "Demo" of Karen and her 4 dancers (Jessi, Liz, Radhia and Kiyomi), giving it there all and wowing us with their moves. Music is by Jay T. Jenkins and Mervyn Theodopolis Jr., Daryl "D. Roe" Monroe, and Ray Johnson.

Slim, leggy and beautiful, Karen Gayle is a superb dancer (watching her, I can't help thinking how much the great Bob Fosse would have loved her to dance for him!) and she knows how to impart her knowledge, and choreograph interesting pieces, making this DVD a valuable addition to your dance instruction library!