Jean Butler's Irish Dance Master Class Reviews

• This DVD is SO helpful and fun

  
  By A1WQL5ALDYJIZC on 2005-12-02
  This DVD has virtually everything you need to learn Irish dance as an amateur, or practice as a serious dancer. You learn the most basic movements by themselves, then in the context of dance, with lots of close ups and explanations so that you can back it up and practice a single move as many times as you need. For those who already have a good handle on Irish dance, or who have practiced the simple moves enough to master them, there is a full performance that you should be able to watch and imitate if you're at that level. There's even a section in which Jean demonstrates each foot position and movement by itself in case the move or even just the vocabulary is difficult for you. The music is also great, and on top of all that, it's an intense workout with a few "core stability" (serious ab work) moves included to aid with performance as well as appearance. A+
  
  

• Now Anyone Can Become an Irish Dancer!

  
  By A37WZAXA9MFIFH on 2006-04-09
  Don't get me wrong, though. This requires practice. Serious practice. As an absolute beginner in Irish Dance, the first thing I discovered when trying this DVD was that what looked difficult to watch was actually TEN times more difficult to do! The first time I tried this program, I was dismayed to find that I couldn't progress beyond the "Point Pull Back" exercise. However, I practiced a bit each day, for several weeks. Now, I've nailed, not only "Point Pull Back," but also the jumps. It's true, though, that this DVD was not designed with the absolute beginner in mind: the 20-year-old girl who never set foot in an Irish Dance class. But that doesn't mean that she, or anyone else, can't still do it. Besides offering numerous extras , this phenominal program allows the dancer to create their own routine of up to twelve exercises. What does that mean? That means, if you want to practice nothing but "Clickwork," you can select "Chickwork" up to twelve times (which winds up to be about an hour, as one "Clickwork" session is five minutes). And, if you don't like the Warm Up, you can skip it altogether and do "Clickwork," "Fast Trebles," "Jumps," whatever! The possibilities are endless! Personally, I can't even manage "Slow Trebles" just yet. With time and practice, however, I know I'll one day be able to Irish Dance with the best of them! This DVD is perfect for those (like me) who haven't been dancing since they were three, but still want to get on the bandwagon. By the time you've mastered this program, you will be able to convincingly assert that you've been dancing since age three! Regardless of your level, though, this DVD is an invaluable resource. I'd give it a ten if I could!
  
  

• It's what I needed

  
  By AGDYMOZ5GWPDS on 2005-12-27
  I absolutely hate practicing technique on my own at home. We do drills in class and we're supposed to do them at home as well, but it's hard to get motivated, and if there's no one else around me doing the drills, I tend to slack off and not push as hard as I should. So this dvd works for me because I can watch good dancers doing the drills correctly, and I can practice along and imitate them. I also like that she stops to stretch throughout the workouts, that is something that I definately need to do more. And I also particularly liked the warm-up section, it kind of reminded me of a Richard Simmons workout routine, only not so irritating :) The dvd also has a nice feature where you can turn off the commentary and just do the exercises with the music and watch the dancers.
  
  

• Jean Butler, holds true to the spirit of irish dance

  
  By A1R897S1O90UL9 on 2005-07-22
  As an irish dancer, I am always on the look out to improve my dance and movements. Jean Butler, provides the ultamit video for this!
  You can use one of her work outs, or you can build your own. The music is great and keeps you going during some of the more diffcult work outs ( like the jump section).
  The brilliant part of this video is the fact that you can creat your own workout, which allows you to tailor it to your needs. Plus you won't get bored doing it.Really helps break up a prctice routine quite nicley.
  It is also brilliant for any stage of dancer, from beginers to open, there is something for you.
  There is a glossary section that is a huge help when trying to figure out how to do some foot work. Plus as any irish dancer knows everyone calls one step a differnt name, rally's are a prime example of this.
  Jean puts an emphanises on warming up, cool down stretching. Which is so important and often over looked at times in dance class. She also has some great core stability workouts that kill your abs! Her interview with some dancers from Dublin is really cute too!
  It is stated taht this is also good for someone who really hasn't had any irish dance training. I would find it a bit hard for people who don't know the sport, or the basic steps to keep up with some of the work outs.
  Jean has also thrown in some of her new dances, which is fine, they are okay, more modern then irish, but brilliant none the less.
  If you are a irish dancer and you are looking for a good way to practice and improve your technic then this is the DVD for you. It is well worth your money!!
  My teacher noticed a differnce and I am sure yours will too!
  
  

• Pinnacle of Dance Instruction

  
  By A1NR6THMWS2JZO on 2005-10-13
  Jean Butler is the queen of Irish Dance Instruction. Her grace and style are legendary and this is a good opportunity to learn from the best. Demonstrations are demanding but clear, and there's a nice performance as an added bonus.
  
  It's one of the few drawbacks of Amazon that reviewers like my fellow Texan below can post such useless observations.
  
  
• From An Experienced Irish Dancer
  By AQLUXSS4848GD on 2006-10-09
  I come from the same school of thought as Jean, and this DVD really is geared to dancers like me- familiar with novice concepts of Irish dance and really looking for a DVD to strengthen your basics as your train in the highest levels of competition. That said, I won't discourage any interested dancer from trying this programme out. There really is something on it for everyone, if you have the patience. The glossary has some great examples of more traditional movements and I'm sure if you hit "replay" enough times almost anybody can get even the most difficult parts. If you find this masterclass too challenging, don't be discouraged. Keep at it. I'd say anybody can do at least half of Jean's workout with no problem, and it IS a workout.
  
  I have incorporated much of this workout into my own classes as an assistant teacher, and into my daily routine as I'm training. I love pullng it out and watching the Bonus bits- "her royal waggeldy toes" and "blue" in addition to the work out. Jean is an amazingly graceful dancer and is very inspiring to watch. In the cut-throat world of competitive dance I live in it is wonderful to have something beautiful and fun to keep you going when you get tired of all the pressure. Jean knows what Irish dance is about, and combines her unique perspective with her extensive knowledge to create a flexible program for novice through championship dancers looking to hone their skills or just have fun.
  
  
• WOW!
  By on 2005-06-21
  These Movie is full of excitment and energy! It's a great great movie for all ages and levels of Irish dance. It helps with all the techniqe and more! This movie is any Irish dancers (like myself), a dream come true!!!!! :)
  
  
• Comprehensive instructional Irish Dance DVD
  By A2BL54QCB07I79 on 2006-06-26
  Jean Butler demonstrates her craft very well in this DVD, and no, it is not just pointing your toes and jumping as one of the previous reviewers said. I was worried about buying it because of this review, but I have watched the entire DVD and found that many soft shoe and hard shoe steps are taught. The DVD masterclass portion goes a bit fast for someone who has never done any Irish Dancing, but the glossary that is included makes the masterclass portion doable for the nondancer. The DVD is also 100 minutes long, which is a lot longer than most instructional dance DVDs-a great feature. In addition, the feature which allows you to program your own routines is very helpful, and I wish more dance DVDs did this because repetition and practice are the only way to ever get better at dancing. Bravo to Jean Butler for an excellent DVD, I hope she makes another one!
  
  
• Excellent - even for a spastic klutz!
  By A223UJ9MON2Y8N on 2007-11-12
  I have read the reviews of this DVD and I found them to be mixed, but I purchased this DVD anyway because I have always wanted to learn Irish Dance. I am 30 years old, I have never had a dance lesson in my life, and there are no Irish Dance classes where I live. I found this DVD to be excellent! Jean Butler has divided up the steps and techniques into individual DVD chapters, so you can learn as you go. You also can spend as much time as you need on any technique. This is a DVD you have to commit to. If you hope to learn Irish dance within the 100 minutes of DVD time, then you will probably be dissappointed unless you are already very adept at the craft. If you are like me, and you have no previous experience, then you will be working very hard to master each individual section, but it is very doable. I spend over a week just improving on one technique, and that is just what you have to do with this DVD. You have to treat it as though you were going to Irish dance class. It takes baby steps to learn to walk, and that is just what you have to do here. Jean shows you what to do, but then it is up to you to practice until you can do it well. There is everything on this DVD: from soft shoe (or barefoot, if you prefer) dancing, up to the very advanced hard shoe techniques. I am no where near ready for the hard shoes, but I hope to work to that point. Also, this DVD has excellent warm-up and core excercises. I thought I was in fairly descent shape until I started some of the core exercises, and then I realized I had a lot of improvment to work on - which this DVD encourages. Just seeing Jean and the other professionals break into their routines is enough to encourage me to keep pressing through the techniques and the exercises. I would recommend this DVD to anyone interested in this dance. And if you are like me, and do not have the benefit of Irish dance classes being taught in your community, this DVD brings those classes to you, and what better teacher could you possibly have than Jean Butler?
  
  
• It takes time
  By AXTHYKADJW6X2 on 2006-07-24
  I have taken 6 years of American tap and making a change to Irish dance is not easy. I think that Irish dance takes alot, AlOT of pacience. I focused on the soft shoe dancing first and it is really fun and a great workout. Jean Butler demostrates the steps barefoot, which is great because its much easier to see every movement. For someone who has never taken any kind of dance class, it is going to take alot of time. None should expect to go through the dvd once and be ready to perform in Riverdance. I recommend getting some type of tap shoe before starting the taps section. My old taps are too small so I tried it barefoot and you really won't get the feel of the rytmn until you have tap shoes. If you have little or none experience this dvd is great to play around with and have fun with. I really enjoy it.
  
  
• Almost perfect but not for everybody
  By A2XCVKGYBQD9FT on 2007-06-04
  I am an adult advanced level irish dancer and I love this DVD. I use it all summer when we are on break from class to drill the basics and stay sharp. The combinations are challenging and fun. All the dancers who are demonstrating are technically fabulous, each with their own style which is fun to see. The music is really nice. A refreshing change from our normal accordian etc.... But a word of caution. This is NOT for beginner dancers! This would be so frusterating to try to use as a beginner because Jean does not spend any time teaching the combinations or explaining the steps themselves. You just have to follow along. Sometimes it is hard to see exactly what the dancer's feet are doing because of the black shoes black floor and black pants combination. The glossary at the end goes in to more instruction of basic moves used in the DVD, but in my opinion still falls short of the kind of guidence a beginner needs. There is no section on leaps or on pointe work (Block, toe, overtoes, whatever you call them) which I think was probably wise since these moves, epecially pointe, can cause injury if you don't know what you are doing. A good investment for the intermediate and above dancer.
  
  
• Very Helpful
  By A2DOVTIZA6ZZOY on 2006-05-26
  I've never danced at in my entire life, but I found this to be very helpful. She explains the moves slowly at first and then does it at a fast pace. Naturally, if you don't have any dance experience, you will need to repeat a section many times. For example, I couldn't get passed the ""point pull back" section for about a week and a half, but now I've gotten pretty good at it. What I found really helpful was that you can play the same section over and over again until you've gotten over it and if something seems too fast, even if she explains it slowly, you can use the slow motion fastfowarding on your dvd. The glossary is also very helpful, where she explains the vocabulary and different moves in detail, for example, all five jumps, which can be very hard to do. I think this DVD is very good for beginners but it may be helpful for people who have had alot of experience and just want to practice.
  
  
• well rounded irish dancing dvd
  By A3QHODBIJPL68P on 2007-08-10
  I just finished watching this dvd once through and am so excited to get started. I love how anyone can use this dvd whether novice or pro. The glossary is my favorite. It goes through each of the twenty something steps SLOW. Once you get better at it there is a whole routine about 30 minutes. Very fun! I enjoy the stretching which includes pilates, yoga, and dance specific stretches that are more extensive than you get on a lot of the other work out videos. There's bonus entertainment footage too. It has my vote.
  
  
• Jean Butler is amazing
  By A1YPHBKQR8IBI8 on 2007-08-17
  Really great workout and awesome technique tips. It has more hardshoe instrution but is still great for the softshoe beginner. I highly recomend this DVD.
  
  
• ERIC FARMER, AND IRISH DANCER FROM MISSISSIPPI WRITES:
  By AYUU7HNUTOF9U on 2005-08-25
  THIS D.V.D. OF MISS BUTLER'S IS GREAT FOR ANYONE WANTING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AND TUNE HIS OR HER TECHNIQUE IN IRISH STEP DANCING. I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THE "GLOSSARY" OF STEPS MISS BUTLER OFFER'S WHICH SHOWS HER DEMONSTRATING AND DEFINING ALL OF THE BASIC OR MOST-USED MOVES THAT ONE NEEDS TO KNOW AND WILL COME ACROSS IN ANY GIVEN IRISH STEP ROUTINE. USING THESE, ONE CAN CREATE HIS OR HER OWN ROUTINE.
  THIS D.V.D IS ALSO A COMPLETE CARDIO-VASCULAR WORKOUT PROGRAM INCLUDING STRETCHES, WORM-UPS AND COOL-DOWNS FOR DANCERS. FOR ANYONE, DANCER OR NO, WHO'S TIRED OF SIMPLY JOGGING OR GETTING ON A STATIONARY BIKE, WHY NOT GET IN SHAPE, BURN FAT, AND LEARN IRISH DANCING ALL AT THE SAME TIME?! ENJOY YOUR WORKOUT FOR A CHANGE! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE A SERIOUS IRISH DANCER, BUT YOU MIGHT JUST GET TO BE ONE AFTER THIS D.V.D.
  
  
• Not for a beginner.
  By A3L1BNBV4SS1H8 on 2007-03-19
  I bought this DVD for my daughter and I who have been taking Irish Dance classes for a year from an extremely reputable touring dance group. I thought this DVD would reinforce what we have been learning. However, it didn't reinforce even one step at the beginning level. It seems like it would be great when you get to the hard-shoe level. However, we are both still working with Ghillies (soft-shoe) and I didn't see her teach one dance step that we have learned in a basic Reel.
  
  I was also a bit disappointed in the music. I was expecting traditional pipes and just couldn't seem to get into... what at times seemed like Asian music that didn't fit the dance.
  
  If you are a dancer that is more advanced than we are, then this might be great. However, if you are a novice like we are, then I would look into purchasing some of the DVDs that are offered on some of the Irish dance and piping websites.
  
  
• DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY
  By A1UB447NYCM1E on 2005-10-07
  This DVD is terrible & BORING! I was looking for a more coreographed routine and this is pointing your toe & jumping. The instruction is minimal. It was a waste of my money. If anyone wants mine I'll sell it to you for half price. Definetely do not buy if you are a beginner & if you are advanced you will be bored to tears.
  
  
• Very Fun!
  By A1YROG3WJUVAHW on 2006-09-28
  This DVD is a great thing for anyone intersted in Irish dance! As a complete beginner to it all, I have found it very useful, even though it was actually made for helping prior dancers practice. When you don't know what a term is that she says, you can go to the Glossary, and there you can get an explanation. You also can string a bunch of lessons together so you can practice them easily. The only thing that could be better for me is if I could have a real teacher!
  
  
• Four stars for performance...Two for Instruction
  By A28V8W2GWHANCL on 2006-10-04
  The grace that the dancers have is absolutely beautiful and very nice throughout. The concepts of the execises are pretty easy to catch on to if you watch it a few times and continue to try, no matter how impossible it seems. Dancing takes time and this is not a quick fix designed to make you look like them within the first week, even months.
  
  However, I found that so many of the exercises are done without the viewer being informed of when or where to breath. This can get tedious, especially if you are trying to learn from the DVD. The dancers job is to make it look like what they're doing is normal, everyday breathing. They succeed but that doesn't help us new people figure out where we'd be breathing so we can even work on it. For that reason, I don't like the instruction. Some of the exercises are hard to follow, especially if you're just starting. This is definately not a beginner's DVD. Unfortunately, I've tried a few DVDs but if you don't have some basic knowledge of this dance and have already worked your legs out to be just like theirs, you're not going to find most Irish dance videos helpful. In classroom instruction seems to be the best route.
  
  Not good for me since I can't get into a classroom. Enjoy the DVD anyway. It has some good stuff on it.
  
  
• Great "Instruction" Video
  By A17LE7K11OTS82 on 2005-09-20
  This ia a great video for anyone wanting to learn how to Irish Dance or is looking for a good exercise video. Not enough actual dance sequences to suit me, but the instruction is good and it's great to watch these wonderful dancers.
  
  
• Liked it alot
  By on 2005-12-02
  I really liked this DVD .I just wish it was longer. I loved the teaching of technique. I used this DVD then watched riverdance and saw many things she taught on her DVD .
  
  
• What Were They Thinking?
  By AHLOTP972KE1R on 2007-09-14
  The the instruction and performances on this DVD could not be better. Unfortuantely, somebody decided to dress everyone in BLACK clothes to dance with a black background!! It makes it almost impossible to view.
  
  
• Not good for beginners
  By APC2U1SGCHL14 on 2006-04-25
  It seems that this is the ONLY video out there to try and learn Irish Dance. I'm sure it's great if you already know how to dance, but as an absolute beginner, it just wasn't helpful for me and my friends.
  
  
• Dancing Daughter Loves This Classic
  By A3EO0WA7R3LVBQ on 2007-03-22
  My 16-year old Irish dancing daughter thinks that this is a great video. She is able to pick up steps from the instruction & is inspired by the dancing. For the rest of the family, Jean Butler dancing is a joy to watch.
  
  
• Jean Butler's Irish Dance
  By AI6RE6PR5TIEM on 2007-05-31
  As a non-dancer it was difficult the first few times. The tape is obviously geared toward experienced dancers. After a dozen attempts I still can't complete the whole DVD properly. I do have a lot of fun with what I can do. If you're a non-dancer with paitcience, go for it. Keep in mind it is a dance tape not a workout tape.
  
  
• Great supplemental to your Irish dance classes!
  By A1TI5JTI10QU2V on 2007-02-22
  I just got this video and I am loving it :) I've been practicing at home on my own trying to get my butterflies,rocks,twists,clicks, etc in the best shape as possible, but it's always nice to have a routine you can do to re-enforce the things you learn in class. This video may move fast for those new to Irish dance, and it is absolutely no substitute for lessons from someone certified to teach Irish Dance (T.C.R.G.)- it seems really good for novices and prizewinners to polish their technique!
  
  
• Hard but fun
  By A2BP79IMSMPDCE on 2007-02-23
  Fun DVD. Nice that you can program your own routine. It is a little bit hard to figure out the moves by yourself without previous experience. I have just a small amount of previous Irish dance experience, and it's tough for me to follow her feet. But it's a good challenge. I just have to use my pause and slow-motion buttons on the remote a lot. It can be a good workout (when my kids let me spend time with it), and I really enjoy the toning benefits (especially from the core-stability section).
  
  
• Jean Butler's Irish Dance Master Class
  By A1LXO48HJNNTEE on 2007-11-17
  I bought this for my granddaughter, I personally did not look at it. My granddaughter is completely satisfied with it.
  And as always one can't say enough about the service provided by AMAZON
  
  
• Master Class
  By A2RWQL33C3DHN0 on 2007-12-04
  I've viewed this DVD numerous times and have been able to progress quite well in technique. Ms. Butler is exceptionally accomplished and a pleasure to watch. As some reviewers have noted, the instruction is not especially basic or beginner-oriented. But I think it's worth noting that this is, per its title, a Master Class, which implies (at least to me) some small level of experience on the part of the students.
  
  
• Not a beginner dance instruction
  By A247NEUKEW4AHQ on 2008-02-22
  If you know the basic steps of the Irish dance, then this is a fun way to practice as if you where part of a dance troup. This deffinately is not for a person who has never done an Irish or Scottish dance. Much to fast, each step is not broken down for the beginner.
  
  

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