Move your body

Rating ***

What’s it about? The era when dance workout shows were extremely popular and Jane Fonda was a household name is passe. But Travel & Living,after donning a new avatar as TLC,has launched as one of its new offerings on primetime,Shimmy,a show which helps get fit through belly dancing moves. Of course,in the bargain,you get to learn a new dance form.

The show starts with a five-minute warm-up session and is followed by nearly 20 minutes of instructions that take you through the various belly dancing moves for a workout of abs,hips,arms and legs to some slow Arabic,belly dancing music.

Who’s in it? While Kim Pechet — a yoga and fitness instructor who is by now a celebrity because of the American edition of the show — has designed Shimmy,a voice-over with a host of pretty ladies with perfect abs and clearly trained in belly dancing,take you through the workout.

What’s hot? Each move is demonstrated slowly and clearly and then repeated at least thrice,which allows one time to follow it even at a clumsy pace. The half-hour workout packs in a lot,and teaches in detail the various belly dancing steps,from the neck movements to the Lebanese hip-circle,Turkish figure-eight and twist to snake arms,rather than just a quick adrenaline pumping session.

After the 20-minute exercise routine is a jam session where the pace of the music has been increased and all the steps are included in a choreographed style.

What’s not? Shimmy will work for you only if you like to dance and enjoy learning new dance forms. And those who are used to an adrenaline-pumping workout may be disappointed too. The warm-up routine at the beginning of the show has the potential to put you off — it is slow,boring and seems inadequate. Besides,the music is slow and doesn’t help much in case one needs to pep up to get in the mood to dance.

Should you be watching it? If you like to dance,you will find yourself following the video and attempting the moves unconsciously even while you watch it. Even if fitness isn’t what you are aiming for,you can end up learning a sensuous dance form.