Learning new choreography--ideas please

C

cyberfit

Cathlete
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-01 AT 01:27AM (Est)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-01 AT 01:25 AM (Est)[/font]

Hey Everybody,

I would appreciate opinions and suggestions on how to fit learning new choreography into my schedule. First off, let me tell you that I am choreo impaired and I just recently acquired the CTX Series on dvd. Last night, after much "rewinding", I tackled Step and Intervals. I think I've got it figured out for the most part, and it didn't seem too arduous. Tonight I decided to try All Step. Well, I found it a lot more difficult, choreo wise, to accomplish. I got the first combo, after multiple attempts, and I'm ok until I get to the grapvine on the step part...then I had to stop and stare at my television in disbelief. I'm a little bit worried about what the remaining aerobic workouts are like.

I really want to learn these routines because they look like great workouts and fun, but it's frustrating at the same time.
So, how do you all deal with learning new choreography. I am expecting the Rhythmic Step/IMax/MIC dvd and the PH/Body Max/MIS dvd to arrive this week. I'm familiar with Cathe's strength workouts, it's the cardio that's new to me. What have I've gotten myself into? Words of encouragement are greatly needed!
 
you dove in head first

;-) You brave person, you! LOL

You've got a great selection of Cathe's workouts...and you gotta love the DVD option! As far as encouragement....don't give up.

I'm not the best at learning new moves myself, so I completely understand your frustration. Possibly taking the cardio sections from BodyMax and MIC, which are older and tend to have a tad bit more of a breakdown in them..and tackle those first??? The CTX set is wonderful choreography and flows fast with little or no breakdown in the moves. IMHO, I think it's much easier for Cathe fans who have done her older tapes. Many of the combos are built around classic Cathe moves. That's not to discourage you to keep trying..it will come to you:).

The step combos in IMAX are fairly easy to learn too. The workout itself, done in it's entirety, is a killer. But for learning moves...it's great. Each aerobic/interval section repeats the combo 6 times. You end up with 10 great lessons on Cathe's style and combos.

As far as Rhythmic Step;-)...you might want to leave that for last hehehe...give it some time and she'll have you spinnin' and steppin' in no time.

If you have any pennies in your budget, you may want to consider the Cardio Hits DVD..it has great beginner Cathe step on it. OK...still advanced, but moves are broken down more and a little easier to get.

Have fun!

http://publish.hometown.aol.com/naconfer/images/clutzvfsig.jpg
 
Cyberfit:
Let me just tell you that I have pretty much ALL of Cathe's step tapes, and the HARDEST one for me learn out of the CTX series was the CTX All Step. So don't get too frustrated!

It takes alot of rewinding and alot of patience. First off, whenever I "learn" a tape, I purposely don't do it as my particular workout for that day. I end up not getting a good enough workout because of being confused with the steps and wind up just feeling frustrated. So I'll usually tack it on to the END of another workout.

My other key is that I normally work out on a 6" step. HOWEVER, when learning a tape, I just do a 4" step. Once I have the tape down, I move back up the step height. (It took quite a few weeks for me to move Rhythmic Step up to a 6" step!!!)

From re-reading your posting, it looks as though the CTX series is your FIRST attempt at Cathe's style. You might want to start off with her wedding tape or Step Heat, just to get "comfortable" with how she cues.

Anyway, don't get too frustrated. It may take awhile but once you get the steps down, they're so much fun!

Terri
 
Don't give up!! I had been stepping for years before I discovered Cathe and was literally close to tears the first time I popped one of her step tapes into the vcr. I thought I would never get the moves. A few things, some of which have already been mentioned really helped me...I always watched the tape all the way thru at least once before doing it. I also never planned on a new tape being my true cardio workout for that day due to all the rewinding I had to do. I'd usually use my day off from exercising to practice the moves, that way it was your "day off" and you felt no pressure by hitting the rewind button. Of the tapes you've chosen, I'd say CTX series was harder than meets the eye to learn. I also agree the IMax is a great mini "learn Cathe's moves" tape. You may also want to try doing the hi/lo portion of MIS as one of your true cardio days since I feel the choreography is basic and that way you're still sweating yet doing a new tape on the same day. I was doing Cathe's tapes for about 2 years before I tried Rhythmic Step....I thought I was a complete klutz!! It's a bit tricky, so I agree on waiting a bit to tackle that one. Though, now that I've got down the moves (with a few modifications)it's one of my favorites!

:)Stacy

P.S. That grapevine move on the step still leaves me dumbfounded...don't let it get you down, just substitute a different move and promise yourself you'll get back to it next time around!
 
This very well may be too simplistic an answer, but have you tried counting? Most little breakdowns happen in a 4 or 8 count. I am constantly counting 1234 in my head as I do patterns.
 
Thanks to all of you for the encouragement! CTX is my introduction to Cathe's choreography, maybe I should have started somewhere else, but I was anxious to build my dvd collection, and that seemed like the best place to start.

I think that I probably should try to learn these routines on my off days, but I'm very anxious to get the choreography down so I can get immediate use out of the series. I am by nature an impatient person (not a good personality profile for Cathe choreo-LOL), and I'm selling ALL of my vhs collection, so soon, I won't have a choice. After seeing what working out with a dvd player is like, for me, there's no going back.

At any rate, I have quickly become a Cathe addict. I like the suggestion that I get Cardio Classics...hehehe.
 
You need eyes in the back of your head or at least the ability to rotate your neck like an owl so you can keep the tv screen in sight.
 
Yep, you definately jumped into the deep end!

Of the DVDs you have on order, I would suggest working with the step portion of MIC or Body Max for a while. Actually, since these are half an hour (more or less) in length, you could actually use them to replace the cardio portions in CTX for a while, then follow with whatever weight sections you want to do. IMAX also has less complicated choreo, so try that too - you don't have to do the whole thing at once!

After a while you'll find you've developed a Cathe "vocabulary" so you'll know what she means when she says "over and back" or "A-step" or whatever, so that CTX will flow a lot better for you. And I agree with Terri - All Step is the trickiest one of the lot.

If you really want to continue doing CTX cardio, you can just leave All Step out - just add the shoulder work onto some other tape!

Good luck - it is frustrating at first, but really rewarding - once you have the patterns down, you really feel you can fly!

Sophie
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-31-01 AT 00:22AM (Est)[/font][p]More great ideas...thank you so much!

It would be tremendously helpful to have eyes in the back of my head--LOL!

I actually ordered the RS/IMAX/MIC dvd primarily for the IMAX workout, although I plan on learning the other routines eventually. Based on the description from this web site, it sounds as though it's not too difficult, choreography wise, yet it's a killer intensity interval workout. That's right up my alley! I had PH on vhs and sold it last week, hence my purchase of PH on dvd. As a bonus, I get BodyMax and MIS (I also sold MIS on vhs). Sounds as though BodyMax isn't terribly complex, so I'm optimistic.

I returned to Step and Intervals tonight and felt pretty comfortable with the steps. Now I have to work on the grace factor. I'm going to continue to do All Step just so I don't lose what I've already learned!

You have all been very supportive and I truly appreciate it.
 
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