I purchased the Dance, Stand, Run DVD & book from an online Christian Book retailer. But I thought I should leave a review here as I couldn't find a review of the DVD anywhere prior to purchasing it. This review is only for the video study.

The content and the subject matter of this study are good. Very good. The issues lie not in the content but in presentation and layout.

I've been following Jess Connolly on Instagram for awhile now but I've never read or watched anything by her previous to this. Though I have listened to her being interviewed on several podcasts. Jess seems to be at her most relatable when speaking off the cuff. It's in those moments that I feel like her message really shines.

Normally, I'm a fan of video bible studies. Some of my favorites have been from Ann Voskamp, Lysa Terkeurst and Sheila Walsh. To be fair I believe this is the first DVD bible study that Jess Connolly has done. She certainly shows a lot of promise. Her presentation and speaking style are very reminiscent of Jennie Allen. When presenting, both have a tendency to speak in heightened and excited tones. Some people interpret that as showing passion for the subject matter and others (like myself) may feel like it comes off a bit too rehearsed and disingenuous. To be clear - I do not believe that either of these women are disingenuous. There's just something about that sort of "speechifying" that I personally don't vibe with.

Prior to purchasing this dvd study I had never heard Jess Connolly give a speech. So, I was unaware of her style. If you've seen her give a lecture before or if you're a fan of Jennie Allen then I think you'll enjoy Jess's approach as well.

There was something else in this video study that didn't really work for me. There were staged conversations between Jess and some girlfriends addressing various topics.....A sort of faux bible study get together. While I understand the thought process behind including "conversations" like these - I don't think they were successful in accomplishing their intentions. The conversations were simply too contrived and they came off that way. I think that the content would have been better served without these staged interactions.

On the other hand, I think it would've worked really well if they had included real conversations between Jess and a group of women about the subject matter. Remember earlier, when I said that Jess shines when being interviewed for podcasts...? I think if someone just placed a camera in front of her during those unrehearsed casual conversations that we would really get something special.

With all of that being said, I am excited to see how her video study journey evolves. At this point Ann Voskamp produces some of my favorite video content, but that wasn't always the case. Her presentation style has evolved over the years as her confidence level has risen. Given time, I hope that Jess will find a way to balance her passion with her presentation.