8 Customer Reviews
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Balletone: Beyond Balletone |
 Excellent! Shannon Fable is Fabulous! |
| I studied dance (mostly ballet & jazz) throughout most of my grammar/high school and college years and, in the 18 years since, have greatly enjoyed dance-oriented workouts (aerobics, step, Body Jam, Group Groove, Zumba) along with weight-training (Body Pump, Power) and boot camp-type fitness classes. Over the past few years, I was searching & praying for a program that would incorporate the grace and fluidity of classical dance and also provide an excellent workout. Just over a month ago, I was overjoyed to have discovered this in Balletone! This video was my first experience with Balletone. Then, last weekend, just a few short weeks after first watching & performing this video, I attended an instructor training led by Shannon Fable. As I mentioned above, she is FABULOUS!
With at least 15 years of experience in the fitness industry, along with dance and gymnastics training from her youth through college, Shannon is an excellent instructor and cheerleader! Shannon’s passion for this program is delightfully apparent. As CEO of Balletone for the last several years, she has helped shape its format to be more open to/ enjoyed by those who do NOT have a dance background. Rather than their traditional French names, dance-inspired movements are referred to by more understandable descriptions (i.e. “Dip” instead of “Fondu” and “Find The Knee” instead of “Passé”.) As well, the movement patterns are structured to be clear for those who may not yet be familiar with them. Shannon rightly highlighted, “You don’t have to be a dancer to train like one!” Also, Shannon emphasized that this is NOT about achieving perfection … it is about savoring the motions while also building core control, coordination, and confidence in yourself. Shannon is down-to-earth, humorous, and approachable. She helps us feel at ease while also helping us fortify our faith in our abilities.
At the beginning of the video, Shannon clearly but succinctly articulates what the viewer can expect from the program overall, as well as the format of this specific exercise session. She reviews the class design/ structure (number of sections/ movement patterns to be presented), the types of benefits to be gained (core strength, muscular endurance, balance, and flexibility), and the proper posture/ body alignment. This video class will help leave you more “lengthened, strengthened, and energized!” It is “a workout that leaves no muscle untouched!”
Please note: This is a “low impact, yet variable intensity” workout. It may start “slowly” (i.e. a foot warm-up) … but this is by design! Being that the entire workout is designed to be done barefoot, it is necessary to not only warm up your feet, but to also take a moment to ensure that you are balanced/ centered before building on the movements. The activity DOES ramp-up and, as Shannon aptly notes, is “deceptively challenging” :). The movement patterns are, overall, more slow and deliberate than your usual fast & furious workout. But, again, this is intentional … the accentuation of the slower movements requires your muscles to control the deceleration and acceleration of your body’s motion: shifting, bending, stretching, reaching/ lunging, pointing/ tapping/ leg-lifting from side to side or front to back. It’s amazing how this increases your heart rate and gets you sweating! (In the few days after performing this workout for the first time, I felt a healthy soreness in muscle areas usually not affected by my regular workouts.)
Shannon always introduces the movement patterns at a slower pace before bringing them to full tempo in order to allow you to acclimate yourself to them/ get your balance. She then repeats the movements a number of times as you learn how to better perform them (while your heart rate increases) … encouraging you all the way! She also helps you to focus on one particular aspect of the movement pattern (say, the “Up” of the “Find The Knee” movement [with arms high overhead] … as if someone were going to take a snapshot of you at that very moment and you wanted to pose for it). This helps the viewer to concentrate on only that one aspect of the overall movement pattern, so we don’t have to worry about trying to master all of the movements at once. Then, as we build our familiarity with the entire movement pattern, we can push ourselves in other aspects of it. It is manageable/ not-at-all overwhelming because it is presented so clearly and simply.
As mentioned by a fellow participant in the instructor training class I took with Shannon last weekend, no matter what your fitness level – novice or fitness professional with decades of experience – this is an excellent workout! (The fellow participant who noted this had years of experience as an instructor, whereas I have never before taught a class … but I am hoping, perhaps, now to start doing so. :)
This Balletone workout will continue to challenge you as it helps to shape/tone your muscles, gently increase your flexibility & coordination, and increase your personal resolve/ confidence in being able to master new movements. I love it, and I think you will too! :) - posted by Kathleen on 2/18/2011 |
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 Very Enjoyable |
| When I previewed this workout I thought it looked deceptively simple and it would be a more intense balance and toning workout that it might appear. When I did it, I found I was right. What I didn't anticipate was how much of a cardio workout it was too. The Intermediate rating is spot on.
I enjoy this workout a great deal. Shannon is a very good instructor, friendly and with good clear cues. She makes you feel as if she is in the room working out with you. She even manages to make me feel as if I'm moving gracefully - and I was the only 5 year old asked to repeat the beginners ballet class as I moved so awkwardly!
My only quibble is that I felt I couldn't put as much effort into some of the power moves because of the pace, but that might change once I'm more familiar with the routines. - posted by Barbara on 10/15/2010 |
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| Boring |
| I bought this based on all the great reviews. I guess I'm missing what's so great about it. I keep going back and forth between 2 and 3 stars, mainly because I like the instructor a lot and she queues well. I just felt like, starting with the warmup, this just dragged on and on and on. I thought I'd scream if I had to repeat the same moves again. I worked up a sweat, and my heartrate did increase during the toning sections (not the "cardio" so much). I guess if you can tolerate the repetitiveness, this is a good workout. - posted by Jamie on 8/20/2010 |
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| Great low impact choice |
| I am really enjoying this ballet workout. I consider myself an intermediate/advance exerciser. Since I no longer can do high impact cardio due to knee issues, I have been exploring lower impact workouts. I ordered this along with the Cardio Barre workout and although it is slower in pace, I still was able to work up a sweat. My only negative is the cool down - I was hoping for some creative stretching as I am a fan of yoga as well. It's not a huge calorie burner, but a true intermediate workout. Like Pilates, there's something about Ballet that makes you feel at least an inch taller after. I am putting into my weekly rotation. - posted by Gina on 5/22/2010 |
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| Must Have for the Barre/Ballet Lover! |
| I love barre/ballet work. They are effective but graceful and "ladylike." I really like this one! It's super simple to follow. Includes some balance work (not really balance "challenge") which I love! (I love balance work!) Shannon is becoming one of my favorite instructors. She seems like someone you would be friends with. She seems smart and friendly and she cues well. Of her two Balletone workouts, this one has the better production. Both are good, but I'm partial to this one. The chaptering is pretty good, but you'll probably find yourself doing all of it. And, it seems gentle, but yet my heart rate made a nice hop. One unique feature of this workout was that it began with some foot exercisers. - posted by Laura on 11/21/2008 |
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| Best Collage Workout Ever! |
| As an intermediate exerciser, I found this low-impact workout to be an excellent sweat-inducer and heart-pumper -- very exhilarating, especially when you go the distance to lift your leg off the floor on all balances and include the allegro section when all is repeated. Since it is done center floor without a barre, those without ballet experience will probably need to keep the foot on the floor until their balance is found though Shannon explains throughout her warm-up drills where on your foot you need to balance. She is an exellent and succinct instructor with no useless commentary. The only caveat is that the "cardio" section is a mis-nomer other than the fact that you do move across the floor. I got much more of a cardio workout in the toning section! This workout and Cathe's Kick Max toning have really strengthened my legs! Thanx to Shannon and Balletone -- I want more! - posted by Christine on 9/4/2008 |
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| Refreshingly Wonderful! |
| This was a wonderful workout! If you really articulate each move and use full range of motion and extension, you will really feel it in your muscles. It had a lovely flow and I actually felt myself working up a sweat, although not truly cardio. You feel graceful and lengthened and worked out in a unique way. The instructor was terrific...professional, clear with her instruction and cueing, personable and friendly. I look forward to more similar workouts from this instructor. Great workout to add in for variation to your exercise routine. - posted by Shelley on 8/8/2008 |
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| I shouldn't have hesitated |
| I was eagerly awaiting reviews on this workout; growing impatient, I finally oredered it. My hesitation was because I already had Element Ballet, Attitude Ballet, Reach, Callanetics, CardioCallanetics and the Bar Method- all of which I love and each of which is different in its' own way. I was concerned that I would just be duplicating something I already had. NOT! Love this workout. Each of the 4 balance segments grows and is repeated later in the workout. I loved the grace and movement of the 2 cardio segments and then you really get put through your paces with 'Allegro' which revists all of the above. All women need these movements for grace and balance. It did elevate my heart rate and I glowed. Lest anyone be scared off by the "ballet" aspect of this workout, you need to know that when I took ballet lessons as a small girl the instuctor suggested to my mother that she save her money for something at which I was more likely to succeed! - posted by Margaret on 5/14/2008 |