
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 18, 1992                   TAG: 9203180121
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By VALLI HERMAN LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES                                LENGTH: Short

DOLLED UP TO WORK OUT WITH BARBIE

Way back in the old, old, olden days of the 1960s, young girls put a few 45s on a cheap record player, kicked off their shoes and staged impromptu dance parties in the bedroom.

Technology and the explosive impact of one, uh, woman, changed all that.

Now, little girls can pop in a video and dance to the moves of Barbie, that bit of perfection in plastic and pink.

Next month, Buena Vista Home Video will release "Dance! Workout With Barbie," a 30-minute dance program that, with the help of Claymation, gives the doll life.

But the perpetually buoyant one doesn't bounce all through the video. No. Her special friend, a human named Kim, instructs a team of girls from 7 to 11 years old in the techniques of modern dancing.

The video was designed after a trend spotted by the experts at Buena Vista (a division of the Walt Disney Co.) and Mattel Inc.

"One of the most popular activities for little girls is for them to imitate [singer-dancer] Paula Abdul," said a Buena Vista spokeswoman. "This is to teach them the latest dance steps Paula Abdul would do."

Barbie sure isn't built like Abdul, but her special friend Kim does give a reasonable performance. The companies don't have more Barbie video projects in mind, but one can never rule out "Barbie Does Your Taxes."

The $19.99 video will be on shelves after April 10 in mass merchandise stores.

by CNB