The Charge

Samba, cha cha and jive your way to a dancer's body.

The Case

From the popular Dance Off the Inches franchise, the latest entry in dance-themed fitness, or rather, "a flashy program designed to trick your lazy ass into participating in a grueling aerobic workout." With ballroom dance shows all the rage, this kind of DVD makes sense and if you're into grooving your way to a lean torso, I'll give you the short of it: check this out.

Your host for the festivities is Kristina Milova, a ballroom dancer (that's what the disc case says), with a sunny disposition and a near limitless, mutant-like supply of kinetic energy. She puts her metabolism to excellent use here, breaking down the three dance routines—that would be the aforementioned samba, cha cha and jive—with ease and clarity. As is the prescription for these workouts, she's bolstered by two backup dancers, both of whom sport the same "Gee this is the greatest moment of my life!" expression. (You know what I'd like to see on one of these fitness programs? The backup participants grimacing in abject agony like you'll be.)

The 43-minute program is divided into three 15(ish)-minute segments, which you can chapter skip to if you please, each focusing on one dance. With each successive routine, the muscle exertion seems to increase, capping with the jive, the most active of the workouts. The final few minutes are dedicated to an easygoing cool-down. A helpful 18-minute step guide is also included, which should give you the toolkit to jump right into the program proper.

Risk of Me Pulling a Ligament or Worse: Imminent.

The DVD is full frame and 2.0 stereo—par for the course.

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