Holiday gift picks: Dance Magazine staffers make it easier

Dance Magazine, Nov, 2003 by Wendy Perron, Allan Ulrich, Heather Wisner, D. Woodhull, Daniel Ari

West Side Story Deluxe One of the greatest musicals of all time is now available in a special edition DVD Collector Set. Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story (1961), with its jazz-inflected choreography depicting racial tension, is keenly relevant today. The lead Shark couple, George Chakiris and Rita Moreno, heat up the screen with their glorious, sexy mambo at the gym. The restless rhythms of the music get under your skin, and the lyrics are smart and funny. Natalie Wood as Maria is luminous in the old, silver-screen style, but when she dances a reverie on the rooftop, she trips (visible only to the eyes of a dancer). And look for Eliot Feld as an eager, vulnerable Baby John, the youngest member of the Jets. By today's standards, the fight scenes, with switchblades as the only lethal element, might seem quaint. But the story packs an emotional wallop. This two-disc edition comes with an hour of behind-the-scenes documentation, a photo book, and a copy of the original script. See www.mgm.com/westsidestory.--WENDY PERRON

The Ballet Book: Learning and Appreciating the Secrets of Dance, photographs by Nancy Ellison; text by Hanna Rubin, New York: Universe. 2003. 224 pages, illustrations. $45. ISBN: 0-78930869-X. $30, paper. ISBN: 0-7893-0865-7. Sustenance for the starry-eyed, this handsome guide serves as a substantial introduction to ballet for budding ballerinas and ballerinos. Rubin's lucid text lays out the preparations, perils, and pleasures of a career in dance, all complemented by sumptuous visual illustrations. Ellison's telling photographs of members of American Ballet Theatre suggest, rather idealistically, the glorious late in store for youngsters who keep at those lessons. Although not all of them will grow up to be an Angel Corella or a Julie Kent, there's no harm in presenting role models at their shimmering finest.--ALLAN ULRICH

Furnish a studio or home with the Sit-A-Round". It uses an inflated vinyl ball as a seat to encourage spinal alignment and active sitting. With a design based on the health principles of The Alexander Technique[TM], the Sit-A-Round, developed by former dancer and teacher June Ekman and designer Larry Wilson, includes office-chair features such as height adjustment, swivel, and casters. To order, visit www.ballchair.com.--DANIEL ARI

Twister Moves, a variation on the original Twister game by Milton Bradley has elements of Dance Dance Revolution and Simon Says. It comes with three pop music CDs; male and female DJs call out instructions for foot and hand movements, which become a kind of dance combination; the trick is to keep track of which DJ is calling out left and right sides of the body as you move your feet around the different colored circles and make a series of hand motions. Hilarity naturally ensues as participants try to follow dance routines (there are more than 100) with names like "Jumpin' Ducks" of "Twisted Cha Cha Cha." The last person to successfully complete a routine all the way through wins a round: total score is based on how many rounds participants successfully complete. For 1-4 players, ages 8 and up.--HEATHER WISNER

Invite a dancer friend, companion, or even your mother to share a safe but lively Pilates session with Healthy to the Core, Mat Level 1, produced by the Pilates Certification Center. This twenty-seven-minute video/ DVD is accompanied by music and includes twenty movements clearly demonstrated by two teachers. One teacher executes the movement fully while the other demonstrates the modified movement. This workout emphasizes the principles of core training and breathing technique essential to Pilates. Originally created by PCC's Blythe McNamara as a tool for certification training, the workout encompasses levels from beginner to advanced. Read more and order at www.pilatescertificationcenter.com. $29.95.--D. WOODHULL

German grandmothers would approve: The Kneipp company relies on the time-honored therapeutic properties of plants and herbs in its personal care products--bath salts and shower gels, lotions and creams, soaks and sprays--all of which are infused with aromatic essential oils. The Valeriana officinalis (sometimes dubbed "nature's Valium") in the mildly floral-smelling Valerian and Hops Herbal Bath (3.4 fl. oz., suggested retail price $17) has been known to relieve tension and promote sleep; the arnica flower, long used as an astringent, is meant to cool and soothe skin, and the Arnica Cooling Leg Gel (3.4 fl. oz., suggested retail price $17.50-$20) and Spray (3.4 fl. oz., suggested retail price $13.50) do have a refreshing effect on fatigued and overheated limbs, particularly if you rub them deeply into the skin for several minutes.--HEATHER WISNER