Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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74 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TOP OF THE CLASS!!, 20 Nov 2007
At last, a dance manual that trips the light fantastic between all those overly simplistic beginners' dance books out there and the heavy-duty technical tomes (such as Alex Moore's 'Ballroom Dancing')! Anton's book is truly for the dance aficionado in that it combines interesting background information about each dance covered (foxtrot, rumba, waltz, cha cha cha, tango, paso doble, quickstep, samba, Viennese waltz, jive), together with detailed tuition through each dance step. Each step is illustrated by a photo of the correct position, with close-ups on the footwork. Anton's dance partner for the ballroom dances is his actual dance partner Erin Boag, and for the latin dances he has paired up with Flavia Cacace (who normally dances with Vincent Simone). This is echoed on the 45-minute DVD, which coaches you through the waltz, the quickstep, the cha cha cha and the jive (some of the hardest dances to master!). I found the DVD a refreshing change from a lot of other cringe-making dance DVDs on the market (notably the ones by Brendan Cole & Natasha Kaplinsky and Len Goodman's - sorry Len, you are lovely, but not everyone can dance to Cockney rhyming slang!). Anton's tuition is very natural, and even though he can't resist the odd cheesy remark about his gorgeous dance partners, you really feel as though he is giving you a live class in each dance. I loved the music selection on the DVD too, especially the Dean Martin classic 'Sway' for the cha cha cha and 'My Baby Just Cares for Me' for the jive. The archive photography and illustrations that feature in the book all combine to make this a really classy package. Amazon's £9.99 pricing is brilliant, as this book is worth every penny of its £19.99 RRP. Whether you're a die-hard Anton du Beke fan or simply a lover of ballroom and latin, this is a must-have purchase!!
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51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant for beginners (and anyone who likes dancing), 27 Nov 2007
As a couple starting to learn Ballroom and Latin (2 lessons so far) this book and DVD combo is very easy to follow. The book covers 10 dances step by step (literally - with a photo of each step and description).
Every dance starts with the basic steps and then builds from there to show and explain the extra moves.
The DVD has Anton taking you through the Waltz, Quickstep, Cha Cha Cha and the Jive (partnering Erin for the ballroom dances and Flavia for the Latin).
The instruction is clear, step-by-step, laced with humour and very easy to follow even for a "two-left feet" beginner like me! We managed to learn and make a decent go of the basic Jive just from following and practicing the DVD tuition for an hour.
Anton comes across very well with clear explanations, humour, useful extra tips and a complete lack of superiority or smugness.
My in-laws (who have been dancing for a very long time) were so impressed they want a copy for Christmas.
Excellent value and highly recommended.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Buy for the DVD, not the Book, 7 Sep 2008
The DVD is a joy. Really first rate instruction. Lovely music. Easy to follow.
The book is much less useful. He simplifies too much, not by being simple, but just by missing out too much information. The step-by-step instructions say nothing about direction (turn)or timing, and this is just cutting too many corners. The best parts of the book are those that give general information about the history and development of each dance, and the pictures are useful to ilustrate particular positions (but the text doesn't really to tell you how to get there).
I'm a great fan of Anton, and both his partners (Erin Boag and Flavia Cacace) are well worth watching, particularly Flavia. She has Latin motion to die for, and any beginner who REALLY watches how she shapes her moves and uses her feet will not go far wrong in acquiring a good style of their own.
Very highly recommended, particularly at the well-discounted price, but by no means without major faults as a piece of writing.
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