Prima Princessa's TutuZone

Here's What I Think

Thanks for the great review. We love hearing what you think!

from Saturday, September 27, 2008

Prima Princessa DVD - A review and giveaway

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this DVD to review for my girls. They love dancing, so I thought that they would really enjoy this.

This DVD was created by two moms, Mary Kate Mellow and Stephanie Troeller. They have no prior movie making experience but teamed up to make this due to their daughters' love of dance.

This is a short DVD shows 4 scenes of

Swan

Lake

and in between acts, the scene returns to a bunch of little girls dancing and teaches some basic ballet steps.

For more information check out http://www.PrimaPrincessa.com.


Here's What I Think:

This is a great DVD. It held my girls' attention pretty well - especially my 3 year old's. She liked the scenes in between acts when the basic ballet steps were taught. She got up off the chair and tried to dance along. This DVD is also not too long which is perfect for my girls that don't always have the best attention span. I think it's a great way to teach younger children about the ballet without being complicated.

"Prima Princessa" is available for purchase here. It would make a perfect Christmas gift for the tiny ballerina in your life.

Posted by Laura at 6:31 AM 9 comments

Labels: prima princessa, swan lake

Deadlines and Diapers

Thanks to Pauline for her recent review of our DVD on "Deadlines and Diapers". Pauline blogs about life as a freelance writer and mother on this outstanding blog. - Prima Princessa Productions- ballet DVDs for kids

Product review: Prima Princessa presents Swan Lake

I know that most of my reviews, okay, all of my reviews, have moved on over to Berrie Sweet Picks. Mostly because I wanted to make sure that contests and giveaways did not take over this blog. But every now and then I do get a business owner asking me if I'd like to review their product here on Deadlines and Diapers.

I have been known to say "no" in the past, but I liked this one, so I was happy to make an exception.

Okay, if you aren't new here, you already known that Buttercup loves music and is just learning how to bop to the music. She's almost 16 months, and I would bet my life that music is going to be a BIG part of hers when she is older.

I was a little skeptical of the Prima Princessa presents Swan Lake DVD that was sent to me, only because I wasn't sure if it was going to actually hold Buttercup's attention. But then I popped it in, and just because I wanted to amuse myself I also put a tutu on her, and we sat down to learn about Swan Lake.

Prima Princessa is a fairy ballerina (the best kind, right?) who transports a group of pre-school girls to see Swan Lake, as performed by the Paris Opera Ballet. Not only does Prima Princessa narrate the story, she also magically transports the girls back home in between acts so they can dress up in their own tutus and learn simple ballet steps. What you see is really a group of little girls having a lot of fun pretending, but that's really the point, isn't it?

First, let me tell you that the moms behind this little number are absolute geniuses! The DVD was created to help introduce 2-6 yr olds to the world of Ballet in a fun and educational way, and they hit their mark. The bonus is that by watching it with Buttercup, now I actually understand what's going on!

I love ballet, mind you, but I was about as educated on the difference between a plie and a jette as I was on the difference between Odelle and Odette! Now that I know, it all makes a whole lot more sense.

Now, Buttercup is younger than the recommended age, but she did dance to the music and always stopped what she was doing to see the little girls practicing the steps they learned while giggling like crazy. I can see already that this DVD is going to have a very long lifespan in out house and am looking forward to watching this single DVD blossom into a very successful series....

Mamanista!

Thanks to Mamanista for the review! Mamanista is 'dedicated to bringing you the fabulously chic and irresitably practical'. -Prima Princessa Productions - creating ballet DVD for kids

Prima Princessa Ballerina

"Prima Princessa is a cheerful cartoon fairy who wants to share her love of ballet with your child.  She floats, flitters, and glides through a condensed version of Swan Lake, performed by the Paris Opera Ballet. Interspersed with the dancing are clips of preschool girls learning dance steps, young students from the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center rehearsing, and toys and animals dancing about. My toddler especially enjoys the critters, exclaiming, "That's Funny! Flamingo dancing!"

By encouraging activity along with an interest in the arts, this sweet video answers one of my biggest concerns about educational DVDs for children. Instead of vegging-out, my little girl wants to jete, pirouette, and pas de chat along with Prima Princessa and her adorable friends.

Presenting ballet in a way that is lighthearted and yet authentic, Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake is more of an introduction to dance appreciation, than a way to teach perfect technique.  Just be prepared for the inevitable requests for tutu and ballet lessons............" more

The Bon Bon Gazette

Thanks to The Bon Bon Gazette for this fabulous review. If anyone out there really thinks that SAHMs are just sitting around eating Bon Bons, they should check out this blog and see how hard we all do work! Now for the review....... - Prima Princessa Production - kids ballet DVDs

"My 3 1/2 year old daughter loves to dance. Tutus, Leotards, Tights, Slippers - she can't get enough. When she was just 2 years old she would see the dancers on reality TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and try to imitate their moves and dance along. I knew at that moment that I needed to get her into dance class - and that I did. All week long she looks forward to going to dance and the minute class ends she can't wait until the next time she goes back. When I was given the opportunity for her to try out this Prima Princessa DVD, I was so excited for her. We waited until her older brother was off at school so she could enjoy it in all of its girly tutu-lovin' splendor. This was one of those moments that I truly LOVE being the mama of a girly girl.  

Prima Princessa was developed by Mary Kate Mellow and Stephanie Troeller - both stay-at-home-moms of dance-loving girls from NJ (like me!). They recognized the need for age appropriate ballet DVDs for children and when they didn't find what they were looking for, they decided to make their own. I love it! They even have a blog called TuTuZone - check it out.

Prima Princessa brings real performances of Swan Lake by the Paris Opera Ballet right into your living room and more! I watched with awe as my 3 year old was captivated by the dancers and even followed along with the complicated plot of Swan Lake. Just when I thought she was about to lose her focus and attention the DVD changed to little girls in tutus learning how to do a pirouette. It reminded me a bit of the popular Baby Einstein movies that my kids loved when they were younger, except aimed for the preschool/dancing audience. My tiny ballerina Belle loved watching the other children on the screen and danced right along with them. Before I knew it she had dressed herself in one of her favorite leotards, her slippers, a tiara, and fairy wings and it was back to Swan Lake.

Prima Princessa includes 4 short acts from Swan Lake with intermissions. The intermissions are footage of little girls in tutus learning some basic dance steps & having a blast dancing around. I love that she got right up and danced along and didn't just sit there watching. This DVD held my daughter's attention the entire 40 minutes. I don't know what she loves watching more - the other little dancing girls that are just like her or the fancy Paris Opera Ballet dancers that she aspires to be- she loves it all. What a perfect gift the Prima Princessa DVD makes for a little girl who loves to dance.

For more information please visit www.PrimaPrincessa.com

5 Minutes For Mom

Thanks Erica for review our "Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake" on 5 Minutes for Mom. We love this site. It was founded by 2 twin sisters, both work-at-home moms.

“ '5 Minutes for Mom' is all about bringing the best stuff to moms and promoting moms. Fortunately those two goals work nicely together since moms are usually the ones creating the best stuff. So by promoting them, we achieve our goal of bring you all the best. Win - Win!, " writes one of the founders. I could not agree more with her sentiments! - Mary Kate of Prima Princessa Productions

And now for the review:

Win Prima Princessa For Your Tiny Dancer

Written by Erica

"Do you have a tiny dancer in your home? I must admit, watching my tutu adorned daughter leap, spin and dance around the living room, brings the biggest smile to my face. Stephanie Troller and Mary Kate Mellow, two moms with no prior filmmaking experience and inspired by their daughters’ love of dancing, created the enjoyable kids DVD, 'Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake'.

Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake is a 40-minute DVD for children 2-8, starring an animated fairy ballerina who magically transports a group of little girls to see the Paris Opera Ballet perform select segments of Swan Lake. The show is cleverly abbreviated and narrated to appeal to young children.

Between acts, the children return home to learn simple ballet steps, which are playfully shown mixed into colorful montages of toys, animals, children and young dancers from the School of American Ballet, the official academy of the New York City Ballet. It is ranked the #1 Kids ballet DVD on Amazon.com.

My favorite part of the DVD is the narration during the scenes of Swan Lake. I am not as well versed in the field of humanities as I should be. And up until watching Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake, I had not heard the story of Swan Lake before. The DVD allowed my daughter and I to become immersed in the ballet and also understand the story that was being portrayed.

At the end of each act, my daughter was on her feet practicing various ballet steps like pirouette, jeté and grand battement.

Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake brings world-class ballet into your living room in a format that is educational, culturally enriching and fun.

If you would like a chance to win one of two copies for your tiny dancer, please leave a comment below. We will announce our winners on October 11th. The winning copies can be shipped to both US and Canadian addresses.

Make sure to keep your eyes peeled to the Prima Princessa web site, as some exciting projects are in the works, including the releases of Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker as well as two Prima Princessa Swan Lake books.

Good Luck!"

Mama Sparkles Review

Thanks for the great review from Mama Sparkles! Your blog is awesome. -Prima Princessa Productions- hot spot for kids ballet dvds

"Having been a ballerina for most of my life, I've always been surprised at the lack of ballet videos and DVDs for children. There just wasn't much selection out there, like nobody had even thought to make one - until now.

Prima Princessa presents Swan Lake is exactly the kind of show I would have loved to have watched as a little girl. The DVD features the animated fairy ballerina, Prima Princessa, and serves as an introduction to the ballet. A group of preschool girls are shown scenes from the ballet Swan Lake while the fairy narrates the story. In between acts, the girls are shown simple ballet steps by way of toys, animals, children and young dancers. Your little ones at home are encouraged to try them out and join the fun!

This DVD works on so many levels. First, I love how the scenes from Swan Lake are performed by the renowned Paris Opera Ballet. As one of the top companies in the world, there's nobody better to illustrate this beautiful ballet. I also really enjoyed the narration of the story; usually I don't like to watch ballet that's narrated because I feel like it takes away from my enjoyment of the dancing. In this case, however, the narration is simple, to the point, and actually enhanced my viewing experience. Also, the preschool girls are adorable as they dance and twirl in their pretty costumes. The ballet steps are demonstrated by students from the School of American Ballet, another excellent choice. If you're going to learn ballet, may as well learn from the best!

I showed this DVD to my friend's three year old girls, as I wanted to see a reaction to it other than my one year old son's (although he loves it when I dance for him - he thinks it's hilarious.) Swan Lake kept the girls' interest the whole time, and they loved dancing along with the pre-school girls, especially to do the pirouettes (turns.)

I highly recommend this DVD, even if there are no ballerinas in your house. It's a wonderful introduction to the art form, it teaches French vocabulary, and gets the kids moving! To purchase Prima Princessa, go here. For more information, and to watch a clip of the DVD check out the Prima Princessa website."

Forgetful One Review

Forgetfulone, thanks for the memorable review! We love your blog! - Prima Princessa Productions

"In this charming presentation of Swan Lake, Prima Princessa is the darling, animated, fairy ballerina who narrates the adventure of a live ballet performance for a group of young girls. Between scenes, the girls get to dress up in pretty tutus and learn simple ballet steps. Prima Princessa narrates in such a way that, while the ballet is sophisticated, young girls will understand. It's a fresh and fun introduction to the world of classical ballet that your little girl is sure to love.

The script was written by two moms, Stephanie Troeller and Mary Kate Mellow, with inspiration from their own dancing daughters. The DVD combines animation, professional dance, and ballet instruction into a 40 minute, entertaining movie."