Product Description

Studio: Stratostream Release Date: 08/28/2007 Run time: 45 minutes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3734 in DVD
• Brand: STRATOSTREAM
• Released on: 2007-09-25
• 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: 60 minutes

About the Actor
Quenia Ribeiro is a dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Quenia has performed across her native Brazil, in the US, and also in Greece. She is a frequent presence on television, featured in dance appearances and interviews about samba broadcast on Globo, Telemundo, Univision, and Fox television.

As an instructor Quenia is in demand and a constant presence at several of the finest dance schools in New York, including open classes at The Ailey Extension in New York City. She also teaches dance to children and teens in programs presented by the New York City Public Schools.

Customer Reviews

Wow! Wow! Wow!
I have to say right at the top that this is a great dance workout. It is energetic; the music is hot and you will sweat. You can see a clip of the dvd at the worlddancenewyork web site. What you can expect:

Setting: Quenia and 2 dancers with 5 drummers behind her. She has to talk quite loudly because the drummers are right behind her and any one who has been in a live drumming samba class knows that the drums are pretty loud. The video quality is good. The sound could have been louder. I had to turn my tv up quite loud to get the pounding beat of samba reggae.

Choreography: There is a really nice warm-up before the workouts. In workout 1, she goes over each step many times and does add on and goes from the top. The 1st workout goes over the entire routine once at the end; however by that time you have gone over the routine many many times from the top. I was sweating and had to stop and drink some water.
Workout 2 is just the choreography at a much faster pace with no instruction. She does it 2x through. The last section of the dvd is the bateria playing as it would do in a real class where the students dance in front of the bateria. By that time I was so tired all I could do was wiggle from side to side. My only complaint is that it would have been nice if the 2 background dancers had started free style dancing, like in a regular class. There is no cool down.

One caveat, don't skip the welcome section. It starts with the bateria and then Quenia dances on stage doing part of the choreography and free style. In my opinion, this litte section should have been at the end of dvd when the bateria is playing. So if you have the energy, after the bateria section, you may want to play part of the welcome section again and dance with Quenia.

Overall: I loved, loved this dvd. Will do it again! It is a great aerobic workout. Will probably add a cool down next time. Get this dvd. You will love it!

Samba Reggae is my top fav workout dvd hands down
This is without a doubt one of my favorite workout DVD's hands down.

Pluses
1) Quenia Ribero is amazing. Her moves are fantastic. Her energy is inspiring. Background dancers know the routine and are really good. Especially, the one on the right. Keep an eye out for her.

2) This is a huge improvement from her Dance Today: Samba video. In this video she explains very well that her left is your right. She also breaks down the moves much better and there is less down time between moves.

3) I like that there is a warm up.

4) The routine is fun. I haven't counted but I think it has like 15+ moves. Much better than some tapes I have that teach you only like 6.


Minuses

1) I thought they could have repeated the full routine at the end of section one at least 3-4 times completely before moving to section 2.

2) The workout is intense. I wish there was a cool down section. But maybe they sacrificed that to include a longer workout so ...

3) Awaiting her 3rd dvd :( when is it coming?


Helpful hints
1) This work out will use every muscle in your body. Don't skip the warm up. Do a cool down on your own when you finish (even though there is not one on the tape to relax after you finish).

2) When she explains the moves. Don't just stand their and watch. Keep marching in place so you don't lose your heart rate.

3) If the moves seem to complicated keep going. After practicing a few times you'll build muscle memory and be moving like a pro in no time.

4) I didn't get all the moves down until the 3rd 4th time I did this DVD. The explanation was good but my body wouldn't comply. But it gave
me something to look forward to conquering the next time so I appreciated the challenge.

4) Fair warning. This tapes makes a lot of other workout DVDs seem boring. I've done it a least three times a week for the last 2 months. (More than any other tape I own except 1)

Quenia is Dynamite!
The samba Quenia Ribeiro teaches us in this sensational DVD was birthed in Salvador, Bahia, and has deep African roots. It has found the perfect interpreter in Quenia, who dances with dazzling speed, strength and control. What Baryshnikov is to ballet, Quenia is to samba. Watch her and be amazed!

After Quenia and her Grupo Ribeiro give us a "Welcome," Quenia shows us some "Basic Steps," and then we get a terrific "Warm-up," which is slow and powerful. We next move to the "Workouts:"

In "Workout #1" Quenia shows us a set of steps, repeats them and then adds on the next set of steps, until we have a lengthy combination that gives new meaning to the word aerobic. Quenia says it's "a great way to exercise and burn calories," and have lots of fun too! If you don't have the necessary natural abilities (sense of rhythm, agility, etc.), muscular strength and tip top aerobic conditioning you may have trouble keeping up, but do what you can, and enjoy it.

In "Workout #2" the pace is picked up, and it's continuous, with the kind of energy that would leave some of our million dollar athletes panting in the dust. After the "Workouts," we meet the fabulous 5 man Grupo Ribeiro led by Nick Birmelin and dancers Ana and Nao.

Quenia is one of the most dynamic performers you'll ever see, and she will motivate you to try this fire-in-the-soul/fire-in-the-soles-of-the-feet dancing, expand your horizons, and learn from the best. Challenge yourself and the rewards will be worth it!