LITTLE ROCK — Title: Zayna Gold Presents Boston Body Barre
What’s the goal:
“Change your body forever.”
Who’s it for?
Women who do not have any pain and would like to get some.
What do they want from me?
Eighteen thousand tiny pulses - pulses while sitting, pulses while standing, pulses while stretching.
Who demonstrates?
Boston Body Pilates studio(s) owner Zayna Gold and four slender women who have long hair, pretty skin and very nice teeth.
Format:
Total running time is about 54 minutes, divided into four chapters and not counting an intro and “Cast Testimonials,” which is a 3-minute credits reel.
The chapters include 24 minutes of pulses, pelvic tucks, plies and hamstring lifts while standing “At the Barre”; 4 minutes of stepping, reaching and prancing in place while holding a ball for a “Cardio Blast”; standing shoulder-blade pulsing with a stretchband and cute hip swings for a 4 1/2-minute “Upper Body Sculpt”; and 20 minutes “On the Mat,” which includes pulsing hip bridges and triceps dips but is mostly abdominal pulses with your lower back flexed and resting on the playground ball.
Necessary gear:
mat, inflatable “playground” ball, stretchband, portable personal ballet barre or a chair.
Floor space required:
enough for the mat and your barre (or chair).
Can I do it barefoot?
The background demonstrators do, but Gold wears shoes.
Bonus features:
Four of the backups are identified by name and also speak to the camera about how they adore Body Barre.
Music style:
late 20th-century Euro disco electronica techno hip-hop Muzak on Ecstasy. The credits proudly list every title and every artist, most of which can be downloaded from Jamendo.com.
Distraction factors:
Cleavage.
The presenter’s voice is ...
so insinuating and suggestively vampy it might be camp (in other words, a humorous parody). And it made me laugh, a lot.
Her tone is confiding, like a VIP hostess in a cocktail lounge. Whether or not that inspires confidence in her authority, it sells her jokes:
“Open the chest proudly,” she deadpans.
“It just gets worse, I’m sorry.”
“You’re going to feel so good after doing this 10, 20, 30 times ....”
And “Can I tell you what I find so exciting? Every year if your butt is more toned than the year before, how motivating is that?”
Developer’s credentials:
Note that this is not a ballet workout. Gold and her husband, Clark Elefteriadis, own five Boston Body outlets in Massachusetts. She has taught group fitness classes and Pilates since 1982; she’s certified by Power Pilates and trains Pilates instructors. She has two adult sons.
Price:
$19.95.
ActiveStyle, Pages 27 on 05/28/2012