Spotlight on Step It Up Jewish Dance Game

In case you missed the coolest new product to hit the market when it debuted this past Chanukah, Step It Up Jewish Dance Game combines the fun of the popular arcade game with some of Jewish music’s greatest hits, all in the privacy of your own home.

My first encounter with Step It Up was at a family Chanukah party, where there were two dance mats hooked up to the computer.  The premise of the game is simple.  As the music plays on your home computer, arrows pointing up, down, right and left float towards the top of the screen.  As the arrows hit a designated spot at the top of the screen, you step on the coordinating arrow on the dance mat.  Time it right and you score points.  Miss the arrow and well…you don’t.

Sounds simple, no?  Playing the game at that party gave me an opportunity to see not only how the game worked but also to lose miserably when playing against assorted family members, most of whom are too young to get their learner’s permits.  But I was hooked and not too much later, a box containing our own copy of Step It Up and a dance pad showed up at my house and we have all spent hours enjoying it.

What makes Step It Up so appealing to such a wide demographic is that the possibilities are almost endless.  There are sixty songs, thirteen levels of difficulty and so many different dance routines that there is always something new to try.

I confess.  I am still working on trying to master the easiest level, though my kids have moved on to more challenging workouts and they try not to laugh at me too much when I play.  I will get there one day.  Meanwhile we have all spent hours enjoying the great pairing of my favorite music with aerobic exercise that seems more like fun than like exercise.

Want more info?  Check out stepitup123.com