In the early days of my fitness journey, I can recall some of the first Beachbody programs that I have seen advertisements for online: Body Gospel (a cheesy sounding faith-based home workout program), Slim in 6 (which I have seen people uploading the VHS versions on YouTube), and most importantly, Yoga Booty Ballet. I can recall watching the infomercial for this program and a few VHS uploads on YouTube (which were taken down) before I even considered trying it out for myself. When I found some DVDs for Yoga Booty Ballet and its spin-off program, Yoga Booty Ballet Live at a Half Price Books location in Frisco, I knew I had to get these for my DVD collection. Now that I think about it, the nostalgia that I have for Yoga Booty Ballet is hitting me harder than it did in the past. The promise of combining dance, yoga, and ballet in the title seemed like an innovative way to lose weight and tone up at the same time. 

Before I begin this review, I have made a fanmade calendar (will be released soon) combining all of the workouts in the Classic Goddess series and YBB Live. It’s divided into two phases with most of the workouts being repeated for each of the four weeks. “Body Sculpting: Bollywood Style” has been replaced with the Sculpt workout for each odd numbered week, and Abdominals & Core Strength for each even-numbered week because my other Classic Goddess DVD has been programmed with the default option to select the Sculpt workout before Abdominals & Core Strength. I have two titles from the Classic Goddess series and two titles from YBB Live, with a total of nine workouts spread across six discs. The four workouts that I currently own from YBB Live will be reviewed seperately from the Classic Goddess series because it’s considered to be a spin-off program. 

Beginner – The Rehearsal & Guided Meditation

Before diving into the many routines featured in Yoga Booty Ballet, this segment offers an introduction to the important techniques that serves as the cornerstone to all of the workouts in the series. This 15-minute section of the first DVD that I own focuses on alignment of the mind and body, preparing a positive mindset for the journey ahead. 

Gillian Marloth and Teigh McDonough are the creators of the Yoga Booty Ballet program, which originally started in 1998. The classes are usually taught at their fitness studio, Swerve, in Los Angeles. Soon after the program started to gain popularity, it was called “a total body blast” by Shape Magazine. They have been friends for over 10 years, and have been working with celebrities and students taking classes at Swerve.

When viewing “The Rehearsal,” they reccomend that you watch this video at least 4 times and practice along with the included exercises before beginning the program. Each workout starts off with sitting in a cross-legged position and rubbing the hands together to generate some excitement. Now we bring our hands to anjali mudra, which is a symbolic gesture of offering, peacefulness, and respect. 

After that’s over, we set an intention in the given mudra. It can be anything from a workout goal, a physical/spiritual desire, or even a positive image of yourself. Gillian and Teigh usually say their intention out loud before repeating it silently to themselves.

An example of an intention would sound like this:

“I am now using my body to my highest potential.”

Several breathing techniques and mantras are introduced throughout the YBB and YBB Live workouts. One of the most important breathing techniques used is called the ujjayi breath, which is a slow and controlled nose breath. They do this at the start of the session and the end of the session to help calm the mind and clear out any stress. 

Gillian and Teigh both demonstrate some more of their signature techniques like the tripod fingertips (“a suction cup energy” as they call it), the shoulder loop (which engages the muscles of the upper back), alignment of the pelvis, and the tail scoop (tuck). They give pointers on the do’s and dont’s of proper form, and ways that you can integrate these techniques into the program. 

Most of the YBB workouts are usually done barefoot, which allows you to strengthen the muscles of the feet. However, in the weightlifting sections, they recommend that you wear shoes. Starting with YBB: Basic, the Classic Goddess workouts all feature this disclaimer: “Please consult with your doctor if you have any current problems with your feet or ankles or have a history of any such problems. Your doctor can advise you of whether or not to wear athletic shoes during the described barefoot sessions.” 

The most important part when cultivating a proper mindset for this program is do what feels right for your own body. So take breaks when you need it, back off on any moves that are uncomfortable, and follow your instincts. In the end, “The Rehearsal” is an ideal way to connect with the present moment and set up a strong foundation for the journey ahead. 

Total Toning Basics

This is the very first Yoga Booty Ballet workout that I have ever done, and this is where the program starts to ramp up. Here, we are introduced to a series of fundamental exercises that are designed to build up muscular endurance, firm up the muscles of the abs, buns, and thighs, enhance flexibility, and incorporates many important techniques that are exclusive to the program. It starts off in the same way as “The Rehearsal,” but the intention that Teigh leads us sounds like this: 

“Today I expand my ideals in body, mind, and spirit.”

Shortly after we set our intention, the workout starts with a dynamic warm-up that features some of Gillian and Teigh’s signature moves that will assist with getting the body ready for the rest of the sections. Carrie, Andy, and an unknown blonde woman (which I call Sharon because her real name is not mentioned) are some of the students featured in the Classic Goddess series.  At the end of the warm-up, I have noticed that some moves like “stir the pot” are repeated in other workouts as well. 

“If there is balance in your body, it is reflected in your life.”

In the ballet section, Gillian and Teigh start in first position and use some ballet terminology to introduce their unique booty-sculpting moves that improves balance and coordination. These moves are always done with a turned-out foot so you can really target those glutes, and are incorporated in short circuits with some variations so that it prevents a possible workout plateau from forming. Plus, you’re also engaging your abs the entire time!

The cardio-sculpting section of the workout utilizes light hand weights (Teigh uses 2 pound weights and I used 5 pound weights) to firm up many major muscle groups. If you’re just getting started, you can use some soup cans in place of the weights if you don’t have a pair, or drop the weights entirely as Teigh suggests here. I must admit that Gillian and Teigh love doing plie squats with some slight variations on the arms, and they move from side to side when targeting the upper body. There’s many shots of the girls’ muscles that emphasize the muscles that you’re working here, but they are not too graphic to the point that it feels awkward to look at. 

“The foundation of our lives is our breath.”

In the yoga section, they don’t use a mat for their practice but the disclaimer says that you can use one here. Gillian narrates all of the yoga sections in the series, and alternates between the Sanskrit and English names of the poses. The poses featured in this section are accessible to beginners yet offer an ample challenge for intermediate and advanced practitioners. To me, this section is challenging with the exception of a crazy show-off move where they do a downward dog position with a leg lift, and then you bring that knee to touch the nose (or as far as you’re able to).

It should be noted that in the abdominal section, you will need to have a squishy ball (or a pillow as Gillian suggests at the beginning of the segment). It’s basically a sequence of variations for traditional crunches and kegel exercises with a Pilates flair to it. They use the mat for the floor work, and most of the exercises here feature some new terminology for the positions of the squishy ball, as explained here:

Position 1: the ball is placed between the inner thighs at the highest part of the knee joint.

Position 2: the ball is placed between the pelvic floor muscles.

Position 3: the ball is placed directly underneath both legs in a tabletop position. 

Finally, it ends with a brief cooldown to round it all out, and they finish with two mudras to represent self-love, receptivity, and positive expectations. 

Advanced Fat Burning

For those who are ready to take it to the next level, this workout combines dance, intense ballet sculpting, and hatha yoga to help you aspire towards your highest potential. Some of the mudras here are different from the previous workout, and we set our intention in sankalpa mudra. Their intention here is: “Today I express strength, creativity, and joy.” In this cross-legged position, they circle the torso and practice another breathing exercise that is similar to another one from the Abdominals and Core Strength workout, which I will get to in the next review. 

Another brief warm-up is done after setting the intention, and leads into the cardio-dance section. This part of the workout is designed to elevate your heart rate, increase stamina, and have fun while doing the choreography. The only downside here is that they don’t give any pointers on proper form while doing the moves, and they move at a fast pace when explaining how to do them. Most of the moves in this segment are signature moves, yet aren’t repeated enough times so you can memorize them easily. In spite of the section’s faults, I thought that this section was fun for the most part. 

“With willingness, we transform into the next best version of ourselves.”

The ballet section is much longer than before, and they have an African-American girl named Leah doing some of the moves with a bar to assist with balance, but you can use a chair as Gillian suggests. Differing from the basic workout, Gillian and Teigh mix up the ballet section with new moves to keep things fresh, and to intensify this section, they include longer circuits and pulses to really target the lower body. The upper body is poised the entire time, but this and the turn out from the foot are some great examples of muscular ballet that they demonstrate here. 

“Delight in the joy of accomplishment.”

In addition, the hatha yoga section rounds things out with some intense but restorative yoga poses. The poses have a focus on surrendering to grace and connecting to your body as a whole, which is one of the many little things that I love about yoga in general. If you need some support, Teigh suggests using a pillow or a rolled-up blanket underneath your pelvic floor because they utilize a lot of forward bends and twists.

At last, the cooldown is done in the same location as the basic workout, albeit with different stretches. While lying down, Gillian has us take the goddess pose before moving on to the star pose, and doing these will help center your mind after the workout is over. Besides, I think that my mind is wandering while lying down in star pose…

“Remain centered…”

“Breathe… Focus…”

“As the stars have taught me…”

“I am one with life, I am one with now.” *

*this is a reference to an infamous quote from Trauma Center: New Blood.

Oh! Sorry to intervene. I realized that the workout is over. Gillian and Teigh are now seated at the pond where we originally set our intention, and they use the same mantras to finish off the workout.

As I reflect on my journey with Yoga Booty Ballet, I am amazed by the program’s unique blend of ballet conditioning, cardio-dance, and overall toning. Each session felt like a holistic workout in and within of itself, while still catering to all fitness levels. In my opinion, there could be some improvements to the yoga sections of this program, as the integration of props can make it easier for those who are less flexible.

This first review is just the beginning. Stay tuned as I explore more exciting workouts from the series, including those from YBB Live. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, there’s always something in this program to inspire you and motivate you to become the sexy goddess in training that you were meant to be.

Rating (Part 1) –

Instructor(s): 10/10

Set: 9/10

Outfits: 9/10

Music: 8/10

Production Value: 10/10

Overall Benefits: 8/10

Exertion: 7/10

Ease of Movement: 10/10

Audio/Visual Modifications: 4/10

Special Features: N/A

Use of Equipment: 6/10

Total Score: 81

Intensity Level: Moderate Intensity

Impact: Mixed Impact