Dance Lovers: Waltz Advanced

Waltz, Advanced, Lampert 4+

By the time we started this disk, we’d done the Lampert Ballroom series, plus their beginner Waltz and intermediate Waltz disks. Much of this “advanced” disk seems too familiar; we kept asking ourselves, “Don’t we already know this?” In fact, we did, but they try here to add some extra flourishes to the end of things; to extend a known pattern into another known pattern; to put new names to familiar ideas, and so forth. That’s OK, but what’s lacking here, finally, is work on “the look” of the dance. Mr. Lampert walks, as usual, through the instruction, yet it’s about time to start demonstrating and stressing some rise and fall, some body sways, some musicality, and to show more about lead and follow to really be “advanced” instruction. (I know it’s “American Style” Waltz, but American dancers can waltz better than this.) The steps are fine - these are very good, popular, and valuable patterns - but how you do them really isn’t improved on with this disk and that’s what makes them finally “sizzle” on the floor. Long story short: the look and feel of the moves isn’t the same if you just step them out… Sigh. Bottom line: you’ll save a ton of money here if you WILL practice stepping out the many moves, but you’ll need to get some personal (private lesson) instruction on how to lead, follow, travel, and move with real style to finally put it all nicely together. This disk will help you a lot, but you’ll need more than this DVD to wind up really happy with your dancing. On the bright side, you’ll need less personal instruction than you might have. That’s worth $$$.