All World Dance: Videos

Zumba Fitness 2 Due in November, Video Dance Game Outperforms for Majesco

June 14, 2011 · allworlddancevideos

Zumba Fitness Game

Zumba Fitness Game [Source: Amazon]

Update: Zumba Fitness 2 is now available!

Yes, we've now posted more about Zumba than any other dance product, company or event but, no, All World Dance is not going to become the Zumba Fitness Channel! However, my growing interest in dance and movement games as part of the dance boom, in such games as the current breakout sector of the video game market and in the Zumba phenomenon itself are all intersecting in this post.

Zumba Fitness, the video dance game, was first released in November 2010 and is available for the Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Game company Majesco reported yesterday that they have sold over 2 million copies of the game worldwide and that it's now the strongest video game in the dance-fitness category. This incredible success seems to have startled many game industy analysts, who have been sceptical about the category itself, perhaps because they've been too busy playing first-person shooter games and snearing at dance shows on tv to recognize that there's currently a worldwide dance boom in progress. Doh!

Majesco CEO, Jesse Sutton stated:

"We experienced another strong quarter, driven by the phenomenal success of Zumba Fitness. Zumba Fitness continues to sell well, nearly seven months after its launch, and is also off to a great start in Europe [with particularly strong sales in the UK."

Plus, they announced plans to launch Zumba 2 for Wii in November with an additional platform to be added in 2012. Zumba 2 will feature "more than 30 hot new music tracks, electrifying choreography, a huge variety of new dance styles and brand new arenas."

Sounds like King Beto's empire will continue to expand!

Official Site: Zumba Fitness Game

Available at Amazon:
Zumba Fitness for Wii ~ Kinect ~ Playstation 3
Zumba Fitness 2 for Wii
Zumba Fitness Belts for Wii

Breakdance + Yoga = BuddhaXtreme aka BuddhaX

June 14, 2011 · allworlddancevideos

BuddhaX Founder Ari Kassman

BuddhaX Founder Ari Kassman [Photo: Ian Carlos Crawford]

BuddhaXtreme is a new fitness and lifestyle system out of New York developed by Ari Kassman that combines breakdancing and yoga for what is probably a pretty intense workout. Given the hybrid nature of both practices, it's not really as crazy as it may sound!

BuddhaX Practitioner

BuddhaX Teacher ATS of Rock Steady Crew [Photo: Ian Carlos Crawford]

Kassman credits an exchange with Crazy Legs, an early practitioner of breakdancing, for the basic concept of BuddhaX:

"If you're doing either [breakdance or yoga], you're down on the ground, balancing your body and twisting into contortions. 'I can't believe we'd never put this together before,' says Kassman, who joined up with Crazy Legs to incorporate breaking elements into a series of 10 vinyasa-inspired sequences. The result is a 'breakflow' that forms the basis for BuddhaXtreme (or BuddhaX for short), a program Kassman launched in New York this year."

BuddhaX – Energy Up! [Source:Energy Up!]

Kassman clarifies that BuddhaX is not a dance class but works more like a yoga class with breakdance moves as transitions. DJ Premier, a legendary New York dj, has created music for the new discipline. You can get a sense of how all this comes together in the above video of a guest class for Energy Up! taught by founder Ari Kassman and ATS of the Rock Steady Crew, one of the team of BuddhaXtreme teachers.

I could see this being a huge hit among fitness enthusiasts and folks looking for a more upbeat form of yoga.

Official Site: BuddhaXtreme

Zumba Fitness Fanatics’ World Record Attempts

June 14, 2011 · allworlddancevideos

Prep Video for Upcoming World's Largest Zumba Class Attempt
[Source: Genesee County Parks]

I saw news that folks associated with Philadelphia's ODUNDE Festival were planning to break the world record for largest Zumba class over the weekend. Haven't seen any follow-up news so I'm guessing they didn't make it. But, during the process of checking things out, I discovered that breaking world records has become part of the Zumba subculture.

Columbia SC Sets the World Record for Zumba
[Source: World Records Academy]

In February folks in Columbia, South Carolina set a world record for world's largest Zumba class with 1136 participants that was then broken in Clemson, South Carolina with 1294 participants.

I'm not sure who actually holds the current Guinness-certified world's record for largest class but that seems to be the focus of most attempts to set a Zumba world record.

However, Zumba advocates in Norwich, Norfolk, UK recently set a record for longest Zumba class by going nonstop for 12 hours. That's a long time!

Clearly Zumba inspires some hardcore devotion.

Official Site: Zumba Fitness

Leedmees: Upcoming Kinect Motion Game

June 14, 2011 · allworlddancevideos

E3 2011 Trailer: Leedmees [Source: Konami]

Here's a peculiar looking Kinect Xbox 360 motion game from Konami currently called Leedmees, though that title may change by its release later this summer:

"Your body is the controller is in this whimsical and dreamlike game. Guide the Leedmees, a mysterious population of small and creatures, home, using your limbs and head as bridges and walkways. Lift them up, toss them about, and slip them past treacherous obstacles, but be careful and don't let them get hurt! Lose too many of them and the game will be over."

Here's more info on Leedmees which might actually be quite a bit of fun!

Manny Mendoza Launches DFW Dance Blog Covering Dance in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area

June 14, 2011 · allworlddancevideos

Manny Mendoza

Manny Mendoza in Action! [Source: DFW Dance Blog]

Manuel “Manny” Mendoza, who writes about dance in Dallas among other topics, recently launched DFW Dance Blog. While he will be focusing on dance in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, his travels to such events as the American Dance Festival will mean occasional broader coverage.

Best of luck, Manny!

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