Physical therapist Maura Casey is the instructress for these two exercise videos for seniors. Both titles use what is called a Thera-Band (included with each tape, this is essentially a large piece of elastic). Senior Swing combines a low-impact aerobic workout with a series of body tone-up exercises using the Thera-Band. The most noticeable quality about the tape is how out of sync the instructor and the instructees are, not just physically (arms waving in all different directions), but also emotionally. Casey stands with her back to the group, in front of the camera, smiling for all she's worth, while the seniors in the background have, with rare exceptions, somber faces. Add to this the fact that Casey appears to be looking at a monitor which seems to be placed left and up from center, so that she always seems to be looking somewhere off-camera. Chair Jazz, which duplicates many of the upper torso exercises, only performed while sitting in a chair, seems to be more favorable to the seniors, since smiles are much more frequent on this program. Neither the program content, nor the production values, therefore, are much to write home about, and public libraries would do better to pick up the double cassette package Exercise SeniorStyle (reviewed in our November 1989 issue), which covers the same material more professionally. The two Maura Casey tapes are not recommended. (Available from most distributors.)
Chair Jazz With Maura Casey; Maura Casey's Senior Swing
(1990) 35 m. $19.99. Maura Productions, Inc. Public performance rights included. Vol. 5, Issue 9
Chair Jazz With Maura Casey; Maura Casey's Senior Swing
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