Dance yourself fit with “Step Up” the official dance workout

By Editor1SYS | January 5, 2011 2 Comments

RRP 19.99

Calling all music video and film fanatics who need to “Step-up” their fitness regime – get ready to dance your way to an awesome body with STEP UP THE OFFICIAL DANCE WORKOUT inspired by the hugely popular STEP UP movies released by Universal Pictures (UK).

Plus get some dancing tips and a sneak peek at a dancer’s diet – see how the pros do it!!

Box office smash hit, STEP UP, has sold over TWO MILLION DVD copies todate and has an army of street dance devotees in every corner of the world.

STEP UP THE DANCE OUT is the first fitness DVD from the perfectly toned STEP UP franchise and promises to shift those excess Xmas pounds to all the latest street sounds.

For those ‘B-Fab’ (born from a boombox) dancers who hate the gym but love to hit the dance floor, STEP UP THE DANCE OUT brings both to the comfort of people’s living rooms. Fans can have fun and dance themselves fit while learning the coolest routines filmed in awesome locations just like the movies.

BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT finalist, Tobias Mead, features in STEP UP THE DANCE OUT with his crew of the countrys hottest hip hop dancers whose dancing credentials include working with a host of A-list superstars. From American idols such as Rihanna, Kanye West, Madonna, Black Eyed Peas, Nelly Furtado and Mariah Carey to X Factor heroes Alexandra Burke, JLS, Leona Lewis, Olly Murs, Diana Vickers and Joe McElderry, STEP UP THE DANCE OUT showcases the latest moves from the movies and pop videos.

With killer tracks from top artists including Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado, TPain, Run DMC, Chingy and Ciara featuring Missy Elliot, there is a pace and dancing style to suit everybody. Each of the six main dance sections are broken down into easy-to-learn moves so that fans can pick up the skills and learn the swagger and skills of street dance step-by-step and shape up.

Kicking off the action with a Walkthru section, the STEP UP DANCE OUT crew showcase the basic steps no street-styler can be without. Three short teaching sections follow, which take wannabe street dancers through the step sequence at half tempo. Moving up a gear the Steps Combined section turns up the pace to full tempo, laying down some killer moves. Finally, at the end of each section The Dance Out combines all the previous steps at full tempo so dancers can really show off their awesome new street moves.

Sections

Studio Warm Up A walk through of some basic steps to warm up those muscles

Club Nu Flo Crewmember, Smiles, walks through some of the smoothest moves from this cool street dance style

Street Urban House Crewmember, Taylor, lays down some killer moves and really tests dancers skills

Audition Dance Crewmember, Missy, shares her slick and sexy style and teaches some of the hottest moves from the coolest dance videos

Nu Wave Hip Hop Crewmember, S-Jay, showcases the freshest moves around

Top Rocking After Dark Crewmember, Matt, pushes street dance skills to the limit

Ultimate Club Showcase Link all the moves together with a couple of new steps thrown in

Throw Down Chill Warm down and stretch out aching muscles

Bonus feature

Includes an exclusive freestyle routine and battle from Britain’s Got Talent Finalist Tobias Mead

Behind-the-scenes with the crew

STEP UP THE DANCE OUT is available from 27th December 2010 from all good retailers.

ALSO AVAILABLE: Step Up 3 and Step Up 3D on DVD and Blu-ray are released on 29th November from Universal Pictures (UK).

TOBIAS MEADS DANCE FITNESS TIPS, “HOW TO STREET DANCE & DANCERS NUTRITION GUIDE

Tobias Mead, Britain’s Got Talent Finalist and dancer on Step Up The Official Dance Workout, shares his advice on dancing ˜top tips”, ˜how-to” street dance and a nutritious dancers diet. 

 

Tobias Mead’s Top Dance Fitness Tips

Mix it up when doing any form of exercise it’s important to keep things varied to stay motivated. Street dance is a great way of keeping it fresh – try the routines from STEP UP: THE OFFICIAL DANCE WORKOUT for a really varied workout. Look good and you’ll feel good too. Dress the part, and wear running shoes that give you a bounce in your step so that you can move in style and perform some fancy footwork 

 

Give yourself a full mind and body workout. Dancing not only strengthens and tones the body, increases stamina and flexibility and improves balance and posture, but also increases confidence and focus

 

Find your own style – street dance is about freestyling and doing your own thing. Attitude, confidence and improvisation are key. Once you’ve perfected the moves from STEP UP: THE OFFICIAL DANCE WORKOUT you can really add your own stamp to the routines

 

Teach yourself. I learnt by watching Michael Jackson videos along with dancers Salah, David Elswhere and Robert Hoffman – it’s important to be inspired by other talents and use them to create your own style 

 

When it comes to exercise, frequency is more beneficial than duration. Work out in short bursts – running through each of the routines on STEP UP: THE OFFICIAL DANCE WORKOUT will raise your heartbeat and get the adrenaline pumping! 

 

Reward yourself when you’ve put yourself through a good workout you deserve a break or a treat

 

How To Street Dance With Tobias Mead

Street dance is all about attitude and confidence, using your own creativity to free style and invent inspirational dance moves. 

Learning to street dance can be self-taught, take me for example, I learnt by dancing around in my bedroom watching Michael Jackson videos and taking inspiration from dancers Salah, David Elswhere and Robert Hoffman to create my own style! 

To get you started, here are a few basic street dance moves that can be found in nearly every street dance routine, just add attitude and improvisation and your on your way to becoming a street dancer!

 

1. Popping – this move takes place when there are “pops” or “hits” within the music and can be created in three different moves, either Animation, Tutting or Botting.

• Animation is when you move with sudden, jerky movements making each motion appear to be made from several individual movements. Think a frame by frame cartoon and you’ve just done your first street dance move!
• Tutting is when you use your upper body to create angles and geometric shapes
• Botting, known as the robot is your chance to freestyle to the beats in the music

 

2. When there is a break in music you will go into the dance movement breaking (b-boying) known, as break dancing, which is made up of four main components Toprock, Downrock, Power moves and Freezes.

• Toprock moves are performed while the dancer is standing and usually draw from other aspects of street dance
• Downrock (also called footwork) moves focus more on the movements of the lower body and usually involve the dancer using one or both arms on the ground to support his or herself
• Power moves are the more acrobatic types of hip hop moves that require a fair amount of strength and skill to perform
• Freezes are dramatic poses held to match the beat of the music. A freeze performed at the end of a song is called a suicide

 

3. Locking consists of fast, exaggerated movements followed by “locking” the body into a position for a few seconds. 

Conclusion:Once you know these three moves you’ll be able to start improvising and putting your own spin on them to create inspirational dance routines. This will all come with practice and before long you’ll be addicted to this sport.

 

You can learn more street dance moves with Step Up The Dance Workout DVD out 27th December.

 

Dancers Food Plan

 

Every dancer should follow a healthy diet. The body performs at its best when filled with the proper fuel. Dancing requires lots of energy, so dancers must consume enough calories to keep up with physical demands. A dancer’s diet should consist of a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, and adequate fluids.

 

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates (starches) should compose about 50-65% of a dancer’s diet. Carbs are found in foods such as cereal, pasta, bagels, breads and baked potatoes.

 

Proteins: Proteins are important for building and repairing muscles. Proteins should comprise about 12-15% of a dancer’s diet. Good sources of protein include lean meats, poultry, beans, legumes and tofu.

 

Fats: Many dancers worry about gaining weight, and therefore, strictly limit their fat intake. However, a diet too low in fat can impair performance and may cause serious health consequences for the dancer. A dancer’s diet should be composed of about 20-30% fat. Aim to eat foods low in saturated fats, such as avocadoes, nuts and seafood.

 

Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamins and minerals play important roles in the body, such as energy production and cell formation. To obtain all important vitamins and minerals, dancers should eat at least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day and choose whole grain breads and cereals. A multivitamin is suggested for those who do not consume an adequate variety of nutritious foods.

 

Fluids: Water is required to regulate body temperature, maintain circulation, maintain salt and electrolyte balance, and remove wastes. Fluids are lost through sweat created by the body’s unique cooling system. Because it is possible to lose large amounts of water before becoming thirsty, dancers should remember to drink small amounts of fluids before, during and after workouts.