Product Description

An eclectic blend of street jazz, hip-hop, and funk, all mixed into one! Street fusion consists of a warm-up and 3 dance routines varying in style and technique. The warm up is broken down into 3 sections - Stretches, Isolations and Basic Footwork - and is designed to prepare your body to dance, get the blood flowing, and get you ready to groove! From there, you'll have 3 dance routines to choose from: 1. In The Mix: A funky blend of jazz and hip-hop, all in one fun routine; 2. Smooth It Out: A smooth groove with challenging accents and dynamics; 3. Hittin It: A choreography full of challenging sequences that require you to hit it. So grab your sneakers and let's hit the dance floor...for Karen Gayle's STREET FUSION!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11735 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-07-24
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 60 minutes

Review
So this is the same Karen Gayle that did the set of Deanté Dance dvds that I did not like, at all. Here she is the real Karen Gayle, not a watered down version of herself. I'm not really a hip hop person but the moves look funky, the music is good and the energy is high. Here's what you can expect. Setting: Sound stage with a curtain in the back. 4-5 dancers with Karen out front, all dressed in hip hop attire. Music: Hip hop instrumental. Like I said I'm not a hip hop music fan, I just bought the dvd for variety in my exercise routine. DVD Layout: The entire running time on the dvd is 120 minutes. The dvd has a 20 minute warm-up, starting with stretching, isolations from head to waist; foot work and rhythm work. Good section. Next you can choose from 3 routines, Beginning, Intermediate and advanced. Each section has a learn the steps and performance sections. The beginners routine is repeated 2x at the end. The intermediate rountine is repeated 3 times at the end and the advanced routine is repeated 4x. At the end of the dvd is a section called performance where it goes from one routine to the next. There is no cool down. The first routine is simple. The second routine is a mix of smooth moves and hit it moves. The third routine is like you would see on P. Diddy's Making the Band show, or on So you think you can dance on Fox. Karen is very patient and goes over the steps over and over again. --amazon.com

About the Actor
Originally from Toronto, Karen began her training at the Claude Watson School for the Arts and received her degree from Ryerson University. After moving to New York, she continued her studies at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. Currently she is a dance faculty member at Steps on Broadway, The New Dance Group and Ballet Hispanico. She teaches students of all levels and ages and has had the opportunity to guest teach and choreograph in several countries including Mexico, Bolivia, Canada, and Italy. She has choreographed various projects for both the stage and screen and continues to showcase her work through a variety of venues. Karen is also the choreographer and host of Deante Dance, a series of modern dance based fitness videos. Karen believes in merging technique with style and using rhythm and dynamics to accent musicality. Her classes include an eclectic mix of street jazz and hip-hop, blending technique with style and soul.

Customer Reviews

Jazzy and Fun
Karen Gayle with her enviable agility, solid technique and creativity, has put together a DVD of the latest in dance styles, a blend of modern jazz and hip hop, that is a blast from start to finish. After the "Welcome," there's a "Warm-up" that includes marvelous stretches, isolations and footwork, and does well on its own, if used as a short daily workout to strengthen and tone your body.

There are 3 "Dance Routines," labeled Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Though there is not that much difference in their level of difficulty in the actual steps, there's quite a bit to remember in the choreography, and there's the jazzy and fun style to assimilate. The routines are broken down step by step first, and then are danced continuously with music to practice until you get it right. Finally there's a "Demo" of Karen and her 4 dancers (Jessi, Liz, Radhia and Kiyomi), giving it there all and wowing us with their moves. Music is by Jay T. Jenkins and Mervyn Theodopolis Jr., Daryl "D. Roe" Monroe, and Ray Johnson.

Slim, leggy and beautiful, Karen Gayle is a superb dancer (watching her, I can't help thinking how much the great Bob Fosse would have loved her to dance for him!) and she knows how to impart her knowledge, and choreograph interesting pieces, making this DVD a valuable addition to your dance instruction library!