Reit House Moves

I’m reviewing this workout after doing it a few times.

General workout breakdown: This 38-min. dancified floor (or hi/lo) aerobics workout contains a short cardio workout followed by a bonus block of more challenging choreography. As is common with Evolution videos, this is aimed primarily at instructors (for example, Christiane explains that she always begins with easy choreography, and she also says the bonus is a treat for those with the video, as it’s not something you’d probably want to teach to classes), but except for the fact that it lacks a cool-down this is easily used as a work-along video.

There is a warm-up (~7 min.) of basic aerobics moves (e.g. step touch, v-step, grapevine, knee lift, toe tap) that are given the Reit House Moves spin (e.g. a little bit of a twist in the leg, a ball change, a hip shake, a bounce, a lean forward). Christiane then teaches several blocks of choreography in add-on style, layering changes on top of basic aerobics moves, with only a few moments of filler steps (e.g. step touch) while setting up the next move or run through. The blocks are asymmetrical (that is, you don’t learn the block on the other lead leg). There are 2 rounds of true TIFTing (taking it from the top, or running through all combos together) at the end; Christiane does back up and pick up the previous combo when you’re just learning a new combo and once you’ve just finished it, however.

Christiane adds on a bonus block that’s definitely a step up in complexity and intensity (7 min.). Unlike the vast majority of the main routine, moves in this segment are taught first at half speed, then at tempo.

Level: I’d recommend this to intermediate exercisers or so comfortable with moderately complex choreography. I consider myself an intermediate + to intermediate / advanced in cardio, and I have little trouble with all but the most complex (or poorly cued) choreography. I find this video not particularly intense for me, but I have a hard time getting my funk on (I’d love to say I lack dancing genes, but many of my ancestors came from the same country from which Christiane hails, so there goes that defense). If I were to put some serious effort into this and find my groove, this would be a solid workout for me. As I do it now, it’s about a Leslie (Sansone) level of intensity - enough to get my heartrate elevated, but not enough to do more than break a light sweat under normal conditions.

Class: 1 woman and 1 man (Robert Steinbacher, another Evolution instructor) join Christiane, who instructs live. Fortunately the usual Evolution habit of pinning microphones on background exercisers does not manifest itself here.

Music: upbeat music, mostly instrumental, although there are a few vocals. It’s better than average, but if you have many Evolutions you’ve probably heard much of it before.

Christiane mentions that the music isn’t particularly fast, at 128 bpm.

Set: the kind of bare bones warehouse setting of the past few Evolution filmings, with screens and TV monitors with the spinning E along the back wall and lights (mostly in green) ringing the dance floor.

Production: clear picture and sound, with Christiane’s voice and the music both clearly audible. There are a few close-ups that are too close for my tastes and a few that show faces when you need to see feet, but this isn’t bad by Evolution standards. I could do without the quick cutaways to the black screen at the end of a few blocks, especially since this isn’t done consistently.

Equipment: sneakers that can pivot (if you’re having trouble and don’t have mats down, Bloch, Capezio, and other dancewear companies make split sole or dance sneakers / dansneakers, or you can put a piece of slick tape over the toe box of an old pair of crosstrainers).

Space Requirements: You should be able to take a couple of steps to each side as well as front and back. This is relatively compact in comparison to most dance and/or Evolution videos I’ve tried.

DVD Notes: This DVD comes in both PAL and NTSC (that is, Region 1, as in US & friends) formats, with one format on one side and the other on the other side.

The main menu choices are Play All, Select Chapter (Evolution Presenters Montage, Christiane Introduction, Base Moves 2 House Moves, March 4 fwd, Tap tap ball change, Tap behind, Shoulder, 2x side lunge, Twist out in, Kick ball change, Armline combo, From the top, Especially for you combo, and Christiane Outro), and Bonus Features (Christiane interview, How to make an Evolution video?, Behind the scenes, Bonus blocks from Tom Woll, David van de Velde, and Madonna Grimes - these are chaptered separately, and Evolution aerobic & dance previews).

Comments: Just as an FYI, the bonus block of choreography appears in its entirety on Movin"It: Aerobic & Dance Showdown 3.

For the most part the impact here is low, although you have the choice to add some hops plus there’s a few ball changes and pas de bourrees. There are some pivots, but really there’s only 2 full turns and 2 pivots plus a few quarter turns in the final routine, which isn’t bad at all in comparison to other Evolution videos.