‘Strictly Come Dancing’ dance stars Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite have teamed up with six time world champion swimmer Mark Foster, a former Strictly contestant and an expert in fitness and conditioning, to produce a unique dance and fitness programme – ‘FitSteps’.

They have combined, for the first time, the best known and most popular Latin and Ballroom dances with proven fitness techniques, to develop a dance/fitness programme that is capable of delivering fast fitness results, with a heap of fun thrown in!

Just look at what some of the lucky people who’ve already had the chance to try FitSteps have been saying:

• ‘It was like a dream I really enjoyed it’
• ‘It was fab! Good and easy to follow’
• ‘YES! YES!’
• ‘Absolutely give it a go; you’ll love it!!’
• ‘You should go because it is amazing’
• Do it and you feel like you’re on STRICTLY!!
• It was brilliant! Fun and fitness combined.
• A workout that doesn’t feel like it, it’s so much fun!!
• Great fun, great music and a great workout, without even realising it.
• Great workout, fun, and makes you feel like a star!!!

And for anyone who’s thinking, ‘But I can’t dance’ or ‘I don’t have anyone to dance with’, there’s no excuse – you don’t have to able to dance and you don’t need a partner! You just have to want to get fit and have fun.

So, if you’re ready to take to the floor and FitSteps your way to a new you, all you need to do is be at the Eton Wick Village Hall on Tuesday 4^th February at 8.30pm or Wednesday 5^th February at 10am where Antony Holeksa (an accredited FitSteps Instructor) from LearnToDance, will be waiting to put you through your FitSteps paces! Get there early, there’s going to be a rush!

For more information you can contact Antony on 07736 272225, email us at info@want-to-dance.co.uk, or check out our website at www.want-to-dance.co.uk/fitsteps.

Classes are £5 per person or £45 for 10 sessions.

Tuesday 8.30pm-9.15pm
Wednesday 10am-10.45am

LearnToDance is a Ballroom and Latin American Dance School run by husband and wife team Antony & Emma-Louise Holeksa and has been running since 2006.  Classes for all levels and ages, and personal tuition, take place throughout the week, as well as dance breaks and private events.

The post Fitness that’s ‘Strictly’ fun comes to Eton Wick with Learn To Dance appeared first on Learn To Dance.

There are currently no planned Zumba classes to replace them, however Antony will be starting brand new FitSteps classes from Tuesday 4th February.

Our brand new FitSteps classes start from Tuesday 4th February at The Eton Wick Village Hall, Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, SL4 6LT.

Created by Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, FitSteps® takes the very best of Ballroom and Latin, mixes it with the latest, proven ways to get fit FAST and deliver the most exciting, fun, fabulous fitness experience you’ve ever had.

These classes are a great way to learn and practice actual Ballroom and Latin American dance steps that wouldn’t look out of place on the floor of Strictly Come Dancing!  Add to that the fitness aspect and before you know it you’re getting fit whilst having fun.

Classes are £5 per session or 10 sessions for £45.

Tuesday 8.30pm-9.15pm
Wednesday 10am-10.45am

FitSteps Testimonials

You can sign up for our FitSteps classes using the following link Sign Me Up

The post Last Zumba Gold Class appeared first on Learn To Dance.

In this issue

• Over 50s Tenpin Bowling
• No More Friday Zumba Classes
• Viennese Waltz Workshop & Social
• FREE Zumba Session this Saturday
• Learn Sequence Dancing Workshop
• Wednesday Zumba Gold Moving to Maidenhead
• Foxtrot Master Class
• Great Yarmouth trip
• No Dancing Sunday 10th March
• Anton & Erin 15th March
• Beginner Waltz Workshop
• Easter Break
• April Exams
• Vincent & Flavia ‘Midnight Tango’ 1st May
• Private Lessons available.

You can see our latest newsletter at http://want-to-dance.co.uk/newsletter/20130220 or check you inbox!

To sign up for our newsletter please visit http://want-to-dance.co.uk/news and fill in the online form.

The post Learn To Dance Newsletter 20th February 2013 appeared first on Learn To Dance.

In this issue

• Classes recommence this week
• Card payment charges reduced if paying in person
• Monday Zumba Gold
• New Zumba class
• No evening class Wednesday 9th Jan
• Jive workshop and first social of 2013
• Waltz Master Class
• Beginner Argentine Tango Workshop
• New ‘Learn Sequence Dancing’ workshop
• Final deadline for Great Yarmouth trip
• Strictly Keep Dancing Feb 9th
• Forget Me Not Ball Feb 16th
• Anton & Erin 15th March
• Easter Break
• April Exams
• Vincent & Flavia ‘Midnight Tango’ 1st May
• Private Lessons available.

You can see our latest newsletter at http://want-to-dance.co.uk/newsletter/20130104 or check you inbox!

To sign up for our newsletter please visit http://want-to-dance.co.uk/news and fill in the online form.

The post Learn To Dance Newsletter 4th January 2013 appeared first on Learn To Dance.

Strictly Blog; Thursday Zumba; Halloween themed social; Exam session Sunday; Blackpool Weekend deposits deadline; Argentine Tango Master Class; Ken Bateman Memorial Ball; Over 50’s Daytime Tenpin Bowling; Beginner Viennese Waltz Workshop; No dancing Wednesday 12th December; Social Events in 2013; Private Lessons available and up to end of year Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. p: 01753 360121m: 07736 272225e: info@want-to-dance.co.uk w: www.want-to-dance.co.uk Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Forward to a Friend Upcoming Social Events Next Social Our next social night is on Friday 26th October at Burnham Park Hall. The workshop on 26th will cover Rumba and costs £7.50 per person. Remember it’s £6 for the social (£5 if paid in advance) or £10 for both the workshop and social. Ken Bateman Memorial Ball Saturday 10th November The Centre, Slough. Black tie is appreciated, there is a licensed bar and a large free car park. A chance to come along for a good night of dancing, there will also be professional demonstrations of Ballroom and Latin American dancing. Tickets are £15 in advance or £20 on the door please let us know if you’re interested in coming along to guarantee a seat. Tenpin Bowling Our monthly daytime Tenpin Bowling visit will be on Thursday 15th November. We go to Absolute Tenpin in Slough and it’s £3 for 2 games of bowling including tea or coffee and runs 2pm-5pm. If you’re interested in coming along please let us know. Blackpool Dance Break 4th-6th January 2013 Weekend Break. On this trip we will be going to watch the Champions Of Tomorrow dance championship at Blackpool Winter Gardens. On the Sunday we then take you to Blackpool Tower where you can dance at the world famous Tower Ballroom. The break costs £200 for DB&B including coach transport from Eton Wick. A £25 per person deposit is required by 31st October, with the balance payable by 30th November. Strictly Come & Dance Charity Event 9th February 2013 Maidenhead Town Hall. Antony has agreed to defend his title in a charity competition in February, he’ll have 10 hours over 4 weeks to train a novice to perform at the Strictly inspired event and see if he can win for the second year. There’ll be judges marking the dances but the audience also get a vote so the more supporters we have the better! The winning couple will have at least £250 to donate to their charity of choice. Ticket prices TBC. Brendan Cole “License To Thrill” Saturday 16th February Basingstoke Anvil. We have an allocation of tickets for this show at £34.50 per person, if enough people are interested we will look into arranging transport. We need to confirm numbers with the theatre by 30th November. Great Yarmouth Dance Break 8th-10th March 2013 Weekend Break. This weekend will feature dance workshops and Q&A sessions by Special Guests Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe Prices shown are based on Full Board in a Standard Bungalow Accommodation, for Bungalow Plus and Hotel accommodation supplements apply. The break costs £199 per person, deposits of £30 per person are required by 16th December 2012, some single accommodation is available otherwise single supplements would apply. We will arrange transport for £50 per person. Anton & Erin “Go To Hollywood” Friday 15th March Reading Hexagon. We have an allocation of tickets for this show at £34.50 per person, if enough people are interested we will look into arranging transport. We need to confirm numbers with the theatre asap. Vincent & Flavia “Midnight Tango “ Wednesday 1st May Wycombe Swan. We have an allocation of tickets for this show at £23.00 per person, if enough people are interested we will look into arranging transport. Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis. Torquay Dance Break 6th May-10th May 2013 Midweek Break Next year’s break will cover Foxtrot & Samba. This break is aimed at those that already have some Ballroom and Latin American dance experience. £209 per person. Prices quoted are for dinner, bed and breakfast per person, and are based on 2 adults sharing standard double or twin bedded rooms. To book this break you need to contact the hotel directly which you can do by calling 01803 400 500 or emailing rooms@tlh.co.uk. International Ballroom Dance Championships Thursday 3rd October 2013. We have purchased our box tickets for next year (they sell out fast!). Should you wish to attend next year you can purchase tickets at this year’s price of £37.50pp until 30th November, £39pp after this date. Bournemouth Dance Break 11th-13th October 2013 Weekend Break. We will be hosting a weekend of Quickstep & Jive dancing at the Hotel Piccadilly , Bournemouth between Friday 11th and Sunday 13th October 2013. Some delights to look forward to include a bubbly reception, fun dance workshops, a gala dinner and ‘Guys & Molls’ themed ball on the Saturday night. The break costs £165 per person and you can book direct with the hotel by calling 01202 298024. In this issue: Strictly Blog; Thursday Zumba; Halloween themed social; Exam session Sunday; Blackpool Weekend deposits deadline; Argentine Tango Master Class; Ken Bateman Memorial Ball; Over 50’s Daytime Tenpin Bowling; Beginner Viennese Waltz Workshop; No dancing Wednesday 12th December; Social Events in 2013; Private Lessons available and up to end of year. Strictly is in full swing and we think it’s one of the strongest line-ups we’ve seen (especially in recent years). Remember you can read our blog to see Antony’s views on the show, as well as other dance-related musings. We’ve got a whole host of new Social Events over the next 12 months and they’re likely to be very popular so make sure you let us know as soon as possible if you wish to attend any of them, more details below or in the bar on the left. Christmas is soon approaching, don’t forget that we sell gift vouchers in denominations starting from £5; or how about something different for your annual Christmas party? We have experience of creating a ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ themed Christmas party, including training couples to compete for fun at the event, and can even arrange professional demonstrations. Contact us for more information Blackpool Dance Weekend Deposit Deadline Tuesday 31st October: Remember if you want to come on our Blackpool Dance Weekend the deadline for deposits is next Tuesday. You can see more details on our online events page. This is a great weekend, with an opportunity to spectate at a national level competition (Antony’s name should still be in the back of the programme as a past winner!); as well as an opportunity to dance in the world famous Blackpool Tower ballroom. Strictly Blog The 5th Judge: In case you haven’t been following it, our Strictly blog is in full swing; with Antony updating with his comments on the weekend’s action on a Monday morning. If you missed it you can read Antony’s take on Hollywood week, and our homepage is also updated regularly with the current news/blog posts. Please let us know if there’s anything else you’d like to see us talking about in the blog. Thursday Zumba Final Session Tomorrow: Unfortunately we have made the decision to drop our Thursday night Zumba classes after our 25th October session. We have not had a consistently sufficient number of students attending on a regular basis, and have been offered a private class elsewhere which fits into our schedule better. We apologise to those that attend and enjoy the Thursday class but hope you can make our Friday class at 6.30pm instead. There are plans to start a new class on a Monday evening (around 6.30pm) and we are just trying to find a suitable venue. If anyone knows somewhere suitable please let us know. Zombie Zumba Thursday 25th & Friday 26th September: Halloween is fast approaching and along with our Spooky Social we’ll be holding our ‘Thriller’ of a Zombie Zumba sessions. Remember there’s a £1 discount if you come dressed in costume. This week’s Zumba sessions take place on a Thursday at 6.10pm & a Friday at 6.30pm at Burnham Park Hall. Rumba Workshop & Halloween Social Friday 26th October: Our next social will take place on Friday 26th October and will be proceeded by a Rumba workshop. This will also be our Halloween Social so we recommend you dress appropriately (not compulsory)! Please remember that the Friday night workshops are generally not suitable for beginners as we don’t cover the basics of the dances. For beginner workshops please see our monthly Sunday workshops. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and costs £7.50 or £10 to include the following social. The social starts at 8.30pm and costs £6 or £5 if you pay in advance. Next Exam Session Sunday 28th October: Our next exam session takes place on Sunday 28th October Exams are available from complete beginners up to gold level and above. Please contact us if you’re interested in taking an exam. Private lessons are normally recommended in preparation. Also taking exams entitles you to compete in inter-school competitions if you’re interested in this side of dancing. Argentine Tango Master Class Sunday 4th November: Our next Master Class will be the Argentine Tango on Sunday 4th November, 12.30pm-3.30pm. These master classes concentrate on the technique of the dance in more detail, as well as looking at more difficult steps or complicated sequences that we don’t generally cover in our other dance classes. If you’re interested in attending please let us know. The classes cost £30 per person or £25 if you book at least a week in advance. Over 50’s Tenpin Bowling Thursday 15th November: Our next Tenpin Bowling session will be on Thursday 15th November at Absolutely Ten Pin , Salt Hill Park, Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3SR. The session starts at 2pm and typically finishes by 5pm, costing £2 per person. If you’re interested in attending please let us know. Beginner Viennese Waltz Workshop Sunday 18th November: Our next beginner workshop will be the Viennese Waltz on Sunday 18th November. Our beginner workshops run from 1.30pm-3.30pm and cost £20 per person (£30 for a couple dancing together). They cover the basics of the dance as well as trying to give you a basic routine you can use to get round the floor. Workshops are a great way to concentrate on learning just one dance. No Evening Classes Wednesday 12th December Hall Unavailable: There will be no evening dancing on Wednesday 12th December as the hall is unavailable. Classes will recommence then in the New Year and further details will be released nearer the time. Social Events for 2013 How do we find the time for it all?!: The online events section of our website has been updated to reflect all our currently organised trips/events for the next 12 months. As a summary we have the following events coming up in the next 12 months: November Ken Bateman Memorial Ball ; 10th November – Night of dancing in Slough December Christmas Social; 14th December – Our last social of the year January Blackpool Dance Weekend; 4th-6th January – Dance in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom February Strictly Come and Dance Charity Event; Saturday 9th February – Can Antony defend his title? Brendan Cole “License to Thrill”; Saturday 16th February – Basingstoke Anvil ‘Forget-Me-Not’ Ball (date TBC) – Details to follow March Great Yarmouth Weekend; 8th-10th March – Ian Waite & Natalie Lowe workshop, Q&A and demo Anton & Erin “Go To Hollywood”; Friday 15th March – Reading Hexagon May Vincent & Flavia’s “Midnight Tango”; Wednesday 1st May – Wycombe Swan Torquay Dance Break; 6th-10th May – Foxtrot & Samba October International Ballroom Dance Championships; Thursday 3rd October – Tickets available now! Bournemouth Dance Weekend; 11th-13th October – Quickstep & Jive Private Lessons Book us while you can : The online calendar has been updated with availability up to the end of the year (Denise’s to follow shortly). We have the following slots available over the next couple of weeks. Lessons cost £35 for 45 minutes or £200 for a group of 6. Antony: Friday 26th October 9.30am, 10.15am Sunday 28th October 3.45pm, 9pm, 9.45pm Tuesday 30th October 12.15pm, 1pm, 3.45pm, 5pm, 5.45pm, 9.45pm Wednesday 31st October 10am, 10.45pm, 11.30pm, 12.15pm, 3pm, 3.45pm, 4.30pm Friday 2nd November 10.15am, 11am Sunday 4th November 3.45pm, 4.30pm, 5.15pm, 6pm Tuesday 6th November 12.15pm, 1pm, 3.45pm, 5pm, 5.45pm, 9pm, 9.45pm Wednesday 7th November 10am, 10.45pm, 11.30pm, 12.15pm, 3pm, 3.45pm, 4.30pm Emma: Sunday 28th October 3.45pm Friday 2nd November 11am, 11.45am Sunday 4th November 3.45pm, 4.30pm, 5.15pm, 6pm Friday 9th November 11am, 11.45am, 12.30pm Denise: Sunday 28th October 5pm, 6pm, 7pm Tuesday 30th October 7pm, 8pm, 9pm Wednesday 31st October 12pm, 1pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © Learn To Dance, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | view email in browser

The post Learn To Dance Newsletter 24th October 2012 appeared first on Learn To Dance.

Sid Owen & Ola Jordan

Sid was quite happy with the results, he was more worried that he wasn’t going to complete the lifts.

His hands were ringing with sweat the longer it took for their names to be read out.

A clip of Bruno’s facial expressions during their dance.

Zoe: “The judges thought you run out of energy…Ola how did you think it went?”
Ola: “I think it went well…ok the timing went off a bit…he didn’t drop me”
Sid: “It’s so different in the studio…in training you’re rehearsing to the original [song]”

Some training footage mostly consisting of Sid screaming, shouting and generally bashing into things. Then some footage of their Tango training which isn’t looking too bad, though his right shoulder is creeping forward and he needs to relax his shoulders more.

Sid plans to do a back somersault into the splits this week…thankfully he’s just joking!

Wednesday Warm Up

Ian Waite on early training footage:

Dani & Vincent’s Foxtrot

Quite a nice heel turn together with the feet, toes were in the air, I’d like to see that a little flatter…lovely lines

Jerry & Anton’s Quickstep

Anton’s given her some very complicated footwork…Jerry needs to get her hips under, and her body away

Kimberley & Pasha’s Quickstep

She’s a great dancer, just don’t feel we’ve seen the best of her yet…close her hips to her partner

Denise & James’s Foxtrot

Very very good heel turn…she’s got impeccable footwork…needs to get her hips underneath and extend from the waist

Lisa & Robin’s Jive

Lots of gesticulations, like their Cha Cha…I’d have liked to have seen more Cha Cha steps…they’re doing more Jive steps in this routine…wearing her boots, needs to wear her dance shoes…everything’s flat footed

Fern & Artem’s Charleston

This is a dance made for her…lovely synchronised legs, synchronised hands…they look very matched

Sid & Ola’s Tango

He’s doing very well…struggling a little bit with the Viennese crosses…he assures me he’s got them sorted now

Colin & Kristina’s Argentine Tango

Just one day of rehearsals [Colin is filming in Canada]…I’d like him to stretch his leg out and point his toe

Richard & Erin’s Quickstep

Some lovely Charleston steps…shoulder line isn’t so great…shoulders up, I’d like him to bring his shoulders down and lift his right elbow

Louis & Flavia’s Salsa

He’s loosening up…the main area is his waist…I think he needs to relax his hips…bring his personality out

Michael & Natalie’s Cha Cha Cha

I know how hard they work, cos Natalie’s my professional partner…it’s a shame he doesn’t have the natural talent of some of the others…needs to keep his hands facing the floor

Nicky & Karen’s Quickstep

He keeps losing his frame, needs to pick up his elbows…he needs to maintain a frame and look elegant, he’s stomping through the steps

Jerry Hall & Anton Du Beke

Zoe: “Are you happy with the scores?”
Jerry: “NO, I think it was unfair…I didn’t make any foot mistakes”

Zoe: “Do you think they’re expecting too much in week two?”
Anton: “I don’t really know what they’re after…what do they want more of?…everything you could want from start to finish”

Jerry: “This week we’re working on the posture”
Anton: “We’re not doing any steps…we’re just going to walk perfectly in posture”

Anton: “I don’t know what they’re talking about, I’d rather they didn’t speak”

Jerry: “All these ladies in the audience waving at Anton, I felt like an accessory”

Some quotes from “The Jerry Hall Dictionary”, from Strictly clips

…I’m more of a Marvin Gaye kind of girl…Translation: not that fast
…like butter dripping off a hot corn…Translation: a nice man
…ride me with a tight rein…Translation: let’s not dilly dally
…My memory, I’m bad at short term but good at long term…Translation: What’s your name again?
…If you’re looking for a stallion you don’t look in the donkey corral…Translation: I wish I got Brendan

Zoe: “How is the Quickstep going?”
Jerry: “It’s lovely…it’s a joyful fun dance”

Zoe: “Do you mind her taking charge?”
Anton: “No I prefer it, I don’t really know what I’m doing”

Jerry: “We’ve got a little bedroom scene!”

Victoria Pendleton & Brendan Cole

Zoe: “Ten points up on your first week you must have been thrilled?”
Victoria: “I was, so happy, just to get through the routine and not make it a complete disaster (except for the turn at the beginning!)”

Zoe: “Were you any less nervous this week?”
Victoria: “Definitely when you’re in hold it gives you a lot more confidence”
Brendan: “That security brings them alive”

Zoe: “Great comments from the judges…have you started to believe in yourself?”
Victoria: “No not yet, please just get through another week and maybe I’ll start to”

Brendan: “Victoria’s Foxtrot blew me away…I finished the dance thinking ‘what a blooming star'”

A quick VT of Victoria fireman-lifting Brendan then performing squats, much to Jerry’s distress

Zoe: “You’re doing the Rumba this week, it’s quite a sexy dance…how are you finding it?”
Victoria: “It’s just a little bit embarassing at times…I’m really looking forward to it”

They’ve brought in an exercise bike for Brendan to jump on and Victoria to have a go at training him for a change…Brendan almost looks a bit like Bradley Wiggins…

Wow I’m almost up-to-date there! Anyway, time to go teach, more updates tomorrow.

The post It Takes Two – Wednesday 17th October 2012 appeared first on Learn To Dance.

Denise Van Outen & James Jordan

Even James was nervous on the opening night, due to all the expectation of Denise’s abilities.

Zoe shows us some footage of Denise constantly telling James how she would have preferred to have got Brendan, after which Zoe gives her a Brendan cushion.

We then see some of their Jive training which is looking very fast and energetic, let’s hope she doesn’t tire during her performance on Saturday night.

Wednesday Warm Up

Ian Waite on early training footage:

Lisa & Robin’s Viennese Waltz

I think [it’s going to compare to Saturday’s Cha Cha] pretty well…they’re doing a lot in the beginning solo…very square at the moment…she needs to get on his right hand side

Jerry & Anton’s Foxtrot

I think she surprised a lot of people, certainly myself, her Cha Cha was so much better than I expected it to be…in a promenade position her head should stretch out

Victoria & Brendan’s Foxtrot

I think she’ll get over her nerves, she’s in his arms…she’s slightly poking her chin forward…[needs to] tuck her tail under

Kimberley & Pasha’s Foxtrot

Straight away she’s in the right position on Pasha…I’d like to see her in normal shoes [dance shoes that is and not comfortable boots]

Colin & Kristina’s Viennese Walt

Wonderful line through his back and neck…shoulders down, chin up

Fern & Artem’s Viennese Waltz

She had an attack of the nerves last week and that restricted her…much better in this dance…lovely lines…hopefully her love for Strictly will shine through at the weekend

Nicky & Karen’s Cha Cha

He’s looking much more relaxed in this style…arms down, I’d like him to get his arms out [Antony: I’d also like to see him keeping his shoulders down!]

Michael & Natalie’s Jive

He needs to dance on the balls of his feet…pick up his backside…pick up the knees

Sid & Ola’s Salsa

He’s got a great personality for this dance…cheeky chappy…one minute he looks really good, the next not as good

Richard & Erin’s Cha Cha Cha

If you think Russell Grant is camp, wait till you see this Cha Cha Cha…needs to stretch his arms out

Darcey Bussell

Zoe: “How has your experience of Strictly been so far?”
Darcey: “Very exciting, bit buzzy, bit nerve wracking”

Zoe: “Who stood out for you, performance-wise”
Darcey: “Quite a lot actually, there’s a lot of talent there…Denise & James…Louis, quite liked Louis & Flavia!”

Zoe: “How different is Ballroom to Ballet”
Darcey: “You use a lot of different muscles…I wouldn’t wear heels in Ballet”

Zoe: “What should our contestants be doing to impress you, our new judge?”
Darcey: “I want them to fall in love with it…an all round package”

Darcey: “First time round, when they come out for their first dance, it’s stupid to criticise them straight off…I want to give them tips”

Zoe: “Which dances are you looking forward to most?”
Darcey: “I do love an Argentine Tango, and a Salsa, I do love the party dances”

Dani & Vincent

Vincent has nicknamed them Team Smurf as they’re both so short, he goes on to say that there are positives and negatives to being small. They have to work harder as everything is further away from them, but they can work on speed to beat taller ‘normal’ people.

Dani was terrified during her dance and is hoping she’ll be able to smile more this week.

Vincent, after watching their dance back a few times, does feel that they were under-marked…but he’d prefer that to being over-marked.

If you want to see a VT of Vincent in his pants…this is the episode to watch!

Some footage of their Salsa shows another very fast routine, I just hope they have enough time for her to finish off her moves.

Zoe: “What’s the hardest thing to master?”
Dani: “Everything! My feet kind of do as they’re told, but it’s getting the technique better…performance…enjoying it more…and it’s so fast”

Johnny Ball & Iveta Lukosiute

Iveta: “I’m loving it here, everyone’s so nice, BBC’s the most organised company I’ve ever worked for…just got emails about everything”

Zoe: “Dad, how was Saturday night for you?”
Johnny: “After the dress rehearsal on Friday they asked us if we could change the first quarter of our routine…with a new dancer!”

Iveta: “I feel like Johnny trusts me…he’s working hard…he’s amazing”

Johnny: “I didn’t have nerves because I was so scared of getting it wrong”

Johnny would have liked slightly more generous scores, after the praise they received from the judges.

We then get a chance to see some of their Foxtrot training, Johnny needs to keep his shoulders down and watch his frame, and personally I’d get rid of the floor spin.

Are they nervous with the impending elimination week…Iveta is hoping his fans will keep them out of the bottom two.

Thursday update to follow shortly.

The post It Takes Two – Wednesday 10th October appeared first on Learn To Dance.

I’ve decided to analyse them all in one big post rather than 14 individual entries so that you can directly compare all of the pre-show training.

Kimberley & Pasha – Cha Cha Cha

So Kimberley & Pasha are doing a Cha Cha for their first dance. Interesting that Kimberley is wearing trainers in her early rehearsals, I hope they’re dance sneakers and not regular trainers otherwise she’s risking an early injury.

Kimberley looks quite natural in her hip action which is a good sign and she definitely looks like she could perform on the night.  It’s also good to see that Pasha is confident enough in her ability to start working on how she uses the floor – those that come to our Wednesday night technique classes should take note at 1.38 to see what we talk about in action.

Overall I’m confident in my initial prediction that Kimberley and Pasha should be one of the front runners early on.

Richard & Erin – Waltz

Richard could potentially do quite well in the Waltz, but he does have to watch his head position, you don’t want to look like you’re trying to listen to your shoulder like he does around 10 seconds in.

Also I’d like to see a bit of rise and fall on steps like his [I think] weave at 47 seconds as he’s completely flat at the moment, but it’s early days and I’m sure Erin’s been working him hard

Louis & Flavia – Cha Cha Cha

I felt in the Premiere group dance that Louis looked a little stiff so it’s good to see Flavia working so hard on his hip action, and it does look like he might be able to get his wiggle on this weekend.

Plenty of beginners that we see are surprised how much muscles hurt that they didn’t know they had after they start learning to dance. As Flavia says, although Louis is a fit and muscly gymnast, dancing requires a different usage of the muscles he has.

Louis does have a chance of doing very well in this competition if he can keep improving from this early footage, let’s just hope his body can hold up!

Fern & Artem – Cha Cha Cha

Fern is looking nice and smooth in her hip action at the moment, which bodes well, and some of these early moves are looking promising.

Shame there’s not really more dancing in this video for me to comment on though.

Nicky & Karen – Waltz

Nicky needs to make sure that his last step of the chasse is toe to flat rather than coming down early and using a heel.

He looks to have good extension in his arms, but I’m hoping that lifts aren’t going to feature too heavily in the routine as that should really be American Smooth territory.

Lisa & Robin – Cha Cha Cha

Lisa needs to watch that she keeps her shoulders down when she’s dancing but it’s good to see her hips are nice and loose already.

She’ll need to watch her facial expressions once she starts performing but I think it could be entertaining, just hopefully not too much disco Robin!

Colin & Kristina – Cha Cha Cha

Thankfully Colin is looking a little bit more comfortable with the dancing than he did during the Premiere. I don’t understand why they didn’t give him a taller partner, Latin won’t be affected as much as the Ballroom – I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bum sticking out problem when they get the Ballroom side of things.

He still needs a lot of work on his technique but his rhythm is looking good.

Dani & Vincent – Waltz

I’m pretty sure that’s South Hill Park Arts Centre they’re training in as well, we’ve done some workshops in there, a nice little studio.

I’m liking Dani’s movement and her lines at the moment, she might not be looking forward to the Waltz but I think she could do really well based on this video.

Sid & Ola – Waltz

Sid has the same problem as Nicky with his chasse at the moment, using his heel on the fourth step rather than coming down on the toe, so we’ll see if that’s been ironed out by the time they come to perform.

Looks quite good during the pivots, but that is with a relaxed hold, I don’t think he’d be quite as successful in the ballroom hold trying that at the moment.

Victoria & Brendan – Cha Cha Cha

Victoria should have a good training mentality but I’m not sure how ‘Latin’ she’s going to be. Her initial training is looking good though she does need to remember TOTTY (Tits Over Toes Thank You) during those forward lock steps as it’s a bit pelvis first at the moment.

Johnny & Aliona & Ian Waite & Iveta Lukosiute – Cha Cha Cha

Johnny is not going to suit Cha Cha unfortunately I think, he really could have done with Waltz as his first dance. As I mentioned earlier in the week Aliona unfortunately went over on her ankle causing a hairline fracture and putting her out for 2-4 weeks. Ian jumped in to help out whilst the show found Johnny a suitable replacement (see below).

Jerry & Anton – Cha Cha Cha

Jerry definitely has a natural style and I think is actually more suited to the Cha Cha than Anton even! I think she could do quite a good dance, if the choreography does her justice.

Michael & Natalie – Waltz

Michael is going to struggle I think in the first couple of weeks as his balance doesn’t look great, but let’s hope he proves me wrong. If he can maintain a good frame though that will be half the battle.

Denise & James – Waltz

I thought from the first show that Denise showed a great deal of promise, and she’s looking good so far. Obviously needs to work on her top half position leaning out away from James, but they’ve worked on that extensively it seems.

All in all I think it promises to be a good first show and look for my analysis later tonight and tomorrow of each of their performances. Not all of the blogs are going to be live over the next few weeks as we have a lot of dance jobs on, but we’ll do our best.

Who’s got your early vote?

The post Strictly Training Video analysis appeared first on Learn To Dance.

Coming up on tonight’s show: Kara & Artem; Len Goodman’s Dance Clinic; Ian Waite with the midweek report; Matt & Aliona

Kara & Artem,

They loved the dance, though Kara felt at the start of the week that the music was slow and boring.  She’s scared by the fact that even with letting go it wasn’t enough, so where can she go from here?

Kara isn’t naturally very competitive but Artem (as any professional dancer would be) is very competitive (just ask any of my friends!!!)

I think they could perform a very good Paso Doble this weekend.

Karen Hardy on Paso Doble

Karen makes a slight error I think in saying that the Paso originated in Spain, although the music is Spanish the dance itself originated in France.

However the rest of her VT and tips are great.

Ian Waite and the midweek report.

Paso Doble

Jimi & Flava: Should be no hip action in Paso.  Needs to bring some shaping into his arm movements, curving the arms round above his head.

Gavin & Katya: Poor cape usage, looks like a dishcloth.  However could be a great dance for him.

Ann & Anton: All the steps are correct…though she looks like she’s treading through mud.

Jive

Pamela & James: Looks like she’s done some dancing previously, an inner sense of posture and finishes her hand movements.

Patsy & Robin: Similar character as the Charleston so should be good for Patsy.

Viennese Waltz

Felicity & Vincent: Their beginning is all about Felicity’s acting skills.

Scott & Natalie: Brilliant, free-flowing movement.  However needs to keep himself upright rather than tilting his head towards Natalie.

Argentine Tango

Tina & Jared: Need to be closer in the top half of their hold.

Len’s Dance Clinic

Where should I start learning to dance?  Latin – Salsa, as you can then move onto Rumba and Cha Cha Cha easily; Ballroom – Waltz.

Why do you keep knees flexed in Tango?  The Tango is characterised by the stalking of prey. I also think that it allowed the Gaucho to get closer to his Lady of the Night.

How can I make my dancing more flamboyant? Upper body – the lower body deals with the rhythm, the upper body is the affectation of the music.

 Matt & Aliona,

Over the moon to have upped their score from 31 in the first 3 weeks.  Previously Aliona felt Matt was not expressing the dances as well as he could, up until the Charleston and that’s why they got such high scores.

We’ll be seeing Argentine Tango from them on Saturday night.

The post It Takes Two – Wednesday 27th October appeared first on Learn To Dance.

On today’s show: Michelle, Ian & Brendan; Karen Hardy Choreography Corner; Pamela & James; Gavin & Katya.

So first up are Michelle & Ian, fresh from their bottom two finish on Saturday night, joined by Brendan Cole back from his father’s funeral.  Brendan reveals that he felt a little jealous watching Michelle dancing with Ian on Saturday night.

Ian felt nervous about the responsibility of making sure that Michelle made it through to the next week so that she could go back to dancing with Brendan.

Michelle has the Jive this weekend, I’m guessing it’s going to be a disaster and this could be the week Michelle goes, but I will have to wait to see the training videos to be sure.

I’m afraid I always skip past the “Out of the Glitterball” section so I can’t tell you much about that.

Now onto Karen Hardy’s Choreography Corner,

Karen reveals she likes the added extras and props, so long as it’s not overboard and doesn’t last too long. 

First for analysis is Felicity & Vincent: Looking at their floor spin with Felicity balanced on one leg.  Karen applauds the trust between them and also Felicity’s flexibility.

Jimi & Flavia: Claudia felt they were undermarked.  Karen doesn’t agree with Bruno that Jimi was out of time with his cane work and actually felt he was “masterful”.

Matt & Aliona: a “brilliant” double cartwheel though Tina & Jared performed the same move slightly lighter.

Scott & Natalie: great “light and shade” in their dance, really using the music to express the dance.

Gavin & Katya: Gavin’s strength in his legs allowed them to do a throwaway oversway all the way down to the ground, when they could’ve done a much easier movement.

Ann & Anton: Whilst everyone wants to talk about the “flying hippo” Karen concentrates on the outside swivels and her basics and body contact, something Ann is improving at.

Patsy & Robin: “Great Charleston, classic”.  She doesn’t need any gimmicks or gizmos.

Pamela & James

Pamela reveals she wasn’t worried about the score itself, but rather James’ reaction to it.  James wasn’t disappointed by the scores as apparently in training they’d only managed to get through it once out of three attempts.

Also it appears that this was the first Tango that James has performed on Strictly.  This weekend they will be dancing the Jive and I look forward to seeing their training.

Gavin & Katya,

Gavin is a bit of a mixed bag for me, some weeks he seems to be really developing and then one thing, like the slip at the start on Saturday, throws him back into himself.

It looks like Gavin will be the first person this series to visit an acting coach and let’s hope this increases his confidence.

Personally I don’t tend to touch my hair after I first do it in the morning so I can’t quite understand the fascination, though I must admit his hair is looking quite good today!

They have Paso Doble this weekend, which requires even more acting than the Tango so if Gavin doesn’t start coming out of his shell this could be another poor performing week.

I’ll update tomorrow with some of the training videos, and I might actually be able to do that one live this week!

The post It Takes Two – Tuesday 26th October appeared first on Learn To Dance.