The Internet has changed - well - almost everything! From how we spend our money, to what we spend it on, to how we work, research and even socialise. So it really isn't much of a surprise that it has also revolutionised dance. It's made buying dancewear easier, finding classes easier and has even turned some classes digital.

Video tutorials for all types of ballroom dance are popping up on Youtube time and time again and are getting thousands upon thousands of views. Are these videos, including the example below, an alternative for people for whom ballroom dance lessons are all too elusive on a tight budget? And can you really learn how to dance from such tutorials?



There's no denying that they explain beginner's dance steps really easily. So they are superb for hobbyist learning. But as with anything, if you really want to become advanced or even professional, you'll need to dedicate time (and of course,money) to face to face intensive coaching. But for the home dancers and beginners, Youtube is an amazing way to learn a new step or two without spending a single penny!

Anyone with any ballroom dance experience will know just how hard you have to train to make it look like the pros make it look on TV! So it's little wonder then, that the previous 'Strictly Come Dancing,' celebs have been keen to get some practice in with the pros prior to starting recording the hit TV show.

But this year, there's a little twist! Whereas in previous years the celebs have met their partners and began training in the studio quite some time before their debut live TV performance, this year that won't be happening! The 'Strictly' production team have decided instead that they'll hold a ceremony on TV where the celebs and their partners meet each other for the first time. One small catch - that will only be three weeks before their first live TV performance.

Do we think this might lower the standard of dance on the show? Well... there's an argument for that of course. But what it might also do is shed some more light on just how much hard work goes into learning to ballroom dance like the stars. Is it just me who's been slightly jealous at just how effortless some celebs (with no prior dancing experience) have been able to make it look in previous series of the show?

Of course we all love to see adventurous routines executed to perfection and it's to be hoped that the move will not prevent couples from being so adventurous in their choice of routine. But you know, as much as we love to see these routines work out - one or two little errors here or there might just remind the rest of us that these celebs are only human and have to work just as hard as anyone else to get it right on the dance floor.

Anyone with any ballroom dance experience will know just how hard you have to train to make it look like the pros make it look on TV! So it's little wonder then, that the previous 'Strictly Come Dancing,' celebs have been keen to get some practice in with the pros prior to starting recording the hit TV show.

But this year, there's a little twist! Whereas in previous years the celebs have met their partners and began training in the studio quite some time before their debut live TV performance, this year that won't be happening! The 'Strictly' production team have decided instead that they'll hold a ceremony on TV where the celebs and their partners meet each other for the first time. One small catch - that will only be three weeks before their first live TV performance.

Do we think this might lower the standard of dance on the show? Well... there's an argument for that of course. But what it might also do is shed some more light on just how much hard work goes into learning to ballroom dance like the stars. Is it just me who's been slightly jealous at just how effortless some celebs (with no prior dancing experience) have been able to make it look in previous series of the show?

Of course we all love to see adventurous routines executed to perfection and it's to be hoped that the move will not prevent couples from being so adventurous in their choice of routine. But you know, as much as we love to see these routines work out - one or two little errors here or there might just remind the rest of us that these celebs are only human and have to work just as hard as anyone else to get it right on the dance floor.

Ballroom Dancing is more commonly associated with elegant professionals in stunning ballrooms during sophisticated competitions than with clunky footed amateurs - granted! But there's a rise in popularity of ballroom lessons with those who might consider themselves a little, well, clumsy when it comes to strutting their stuff.

Yes, the soon-to-be-weds up and down the country are now able to take lessons specifically geared towards preparing them for the very first wedding dance on their big day,

Ballroom dances of various styles are traditionally seen at weddings. Of course, the capabilities of the dancers (and thus complexity of the dance) vary. It's this that has provided a very lucrative opportunity for ballroom dancers, some of whom have a lot of experience teaching much more advanced dancers.

It's not just men who fear being a calamity during the first dance either. Wedding dance lessons are as popular with women! While some couples will attend them together, leaving nothing to chance for that all important first dance,

Of course, the dance is only half of the battle....There's also the song to pick!

The rumour mill is spinning today with rumours that bosses of Dancing with the Stars (the US answer to Strictly Come Dancing) are keen to sign up a certain Miss Cheryl Cole (should that be Tweedy?) for the next series. Fans of the Girls Aloud star would love to see her ballroom dancing here on the BBC's Strictly, we're sure, but whether or not she opts for the stateside show remains to be seen.

However, if they are able to sign Ms Cole up, whether for the British or American show, this will surely boost ballroom once again. While the popularity of Street Dance and Hip Hop dance continues to soar, given its contemporary edge and frequent place on TV shows such as Britain's Got Talent, it would undoubtedly be great for ballroom dance for a very much 'of the moment' British star to make a splash in the world of ballroom.

Of course, ballroom has benefitted from both shows mentioned above, as well as many others. But as the Government continues to encourage us all to "get moving," we're all for seeing more and more stars endorse ballroom dance in this way.

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It’s no secret that we’re all passionate about dance! It’s no secret that the British (and American) public has fallen head over heels with ballroom dance either, with an explosion in popularity of ballroom dance based reality TV shows. But now even our bosses are going barmy for ballroom!

According to research carried out by visitblackpool.com, corporate ballroom dance package bookings are up 17% since January, with more managers encouraging them as a team building exercise. While the idea of gliding across a ballroom with your colleagues and your managers might seem a little unusual, it’s not difficult to see why this would be an activity encouraged by workplace leaders.


Ballroom dancing has a very disciplined structure by nature and requires the perfect co-ordination (and co-operation) between two people. However abstract it might seem to compare that to working together as part of team in business, it’s certainly proving a hit with some companies. But it’s not all about building stronger teams. The researchers at visitblackpool.com also believe that managers are now seeing the benefit of encouraging their staff to interact outside the stress of the office and in an environment where they can talk and have fun!

So who knows? That next party your boss was planning might not be a bog standard drinks and dinner job! You might well find yourself putting on a pair of ballroom shoes!

Last year, the UK Government made the decision to allow all schools to teach ballroom dancing in PE. The idea behind it was to give kids a different activity with great calorie burning potential. Ballroom dancing can burn as much to 300 calories in a one hour session.

Prior to the decision to make this national, a pilot was carried out in 29 Primary and Secondary schools, involving 2500 children from the ages of 5 to 17. Teachers reported benefits that far exceeded those to their health!

• Children who had previously struggled with self-esteem were gaining confidence.


• Children were better behaved during the classes, something that teachers believe related to the structured and disciplined nature of ballroom.


• Many children expressed a desire to take up further lessons outside of the school environment.


• Those who are generally less sporty became much more engaged in this physical activity.

And it was a hit with the pupils too, with 80% of those involved giving ballroom dance the thumbs up.

As a result, ballroom dance became a part o the curriculum. Known as the ‘Essentially Dance,’ campaign, it now features in schools up and down the country. Incorporating this form of dancing into school Physical Education lessons is something the government believes will increase the enjoyment of PE lessons, particularly amongst those children who do not enjoy other sports, and help to combat childhood obesity.

The 27th May will see the start of a nine day festival of dance in Blackpool. The Blackpool Dance Festival is a big event and in 2010 is in its 85th year! It will include the British Open Championships for both professional and amateur couples and formations. Since 2005 it has also included the British Rising Star Amateur Ballroom and Latin Dance contests.

Last year, the spectacle featured 1,808 competing couples, representing 60 countries and this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever.
Perhaps one of the biggest appeals of this event for competitors and spectators alike is its history. The festival has been running since the 1920s, where it started in the Empress Ballroom of Blackpool’s famous Winter Gardens.

Add to this the fact that as well as invitation only events, there are open application events whereby anyone can apply to take part. This has led to exposure for numerous talented dancers over the years and really injects an air of excitement into the tournaments. There are also cash prizes for winners and an unrivalled atmosphere throughout the event.

So whether you plan to don your dance shoes and take part or simply want to enjoy watching others take part, the 27th May to 4th June are dates that should be in your diary.

Find the full details on the Blackpool Dance Festival website here: http://www.blackpooldancefestival.com/

London’s ‘Move It’ festival of dance took place between 10th and 13th March 2010 and was, once again, a roaring success.
As well as the hundreds of exhibitors and class act performances by acts such as Flawless, the classes that were held during the festival proved immensely popular. Through the four day celebration of dance, there were scores of classes offering an opportunity for movers and groovers of all ages and abilities to try their hand at many forms of dance.
The classes included street dance, hip-hop, ballet, tap, burlesque, a Ministry of Sound ‘Pump It,’ dance workout, jazz, disco and Irish dance. There were also choreography workshops and fitness sessions too.

‘Strictly Come Dancing' pro, Erin Boag, presented and ran a number of classes and performing acts included ‘Britain’s Got Talent,’ finalists, ‘Flawless, Zoonation, the Animaniacs and Sarah Lamb (Royal Ballet School Principal).

The festival more than lived up to the hype and expectation and it once again proved that a celebration of the diversity of dance has the power to appeal to the masses. Thousands of people of all ages and abilities paid a visit to the festival to enjoy performances, visit exhibitors or attend one of the many classes.

If you didn’t manage to make it this year, the good news is that next year’s dates have also been announced! Once again the festival will run from 10th – 13th March! So if you couldn’t quite get there this time, you’ve got plenty of time to prepare for next year.

This celebrity line up for the tenth series of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ (America’s answer to ‘Strictly Come Dancing,’) has been announced recently. The new series hits screens in the US at the end of the month and will feature a range of celebs – including a rather iconic former astronaut and a Pussycat Doll!

The line up looks a little something like this:

• Buzz Aldrin: The second man on the moon will join the line up at the age of 80! He'll be paired up with professional, Ashley Costa.


• Shannen Doherty, star of 'Beverly Hills,' amongst others will pair up with pro, Mark Ballas.


• Pamela Anderson, who I am sure needs little by way of introduction will swap 'Baywatch,' for Ballroom, pairing up with Damian Whitewood.


• Evan Lysacek, an Olympic Gold Medalist figure skater, will take to the floor with Anna Trebunskaya


• Niecy Nash, TV presenter and comedienne will join up with Louis Van Amstel.


• Chad Ochocinco, former NFL star, teams up with pro, Cheryl Burke.


• Kate Gosselin, reality TV show star will dance with Tony Dovolani.


• Erin Andrews, a US sports reporter, will dance with professional, Maksim Chmerkovskiy


• Aidan Turner acts as something of a representative for us on this side of the Atlantic! The Irish actor will dance with Edyta Sliwinska.


• Jake Pavelka, star of ABC show, 'The Bachelor,' will dance alongside Chelsie Hightower.


• Nicole Scherziner, last but by no means least will also join the show. Pussycat Dolls lead singer and all round performer, she will be paired up with Derek Hough.

Early bets might say that the sensible money would be on Nicole Scherzinger, given her vast dancing experience, or on figure skater, Evan Lysacek. But given 'Strictly's' previous winners, which have included cricketers, a news reporter and actors, we know that previous experience might not end up counting for much!

We'll be keeping a close eye on the series!

It’s no massive surprise when you consider the popularity of the hit TV show, but the Strictly Come Dancing live ballroom tour is well underway and is going down very well indeed!

Having danced their way through Manchester, London, Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham, Sheffield and Liverpool, the stars of the show are currently completing their final couple of nights in Newcastle before the tour closes.

The live shows have followed a similar format to the TV shows, with 8 of the celebrities from last year’s show and their professional dancing partners competing, before facing the comments of the famous four judges. The ‘winner’ on the night is decided by a combination of audience votes and judges’ scores.
The show has been described by Suzanne Black of the Worcester News as “not one to miss,” by the Daily Mail as, “slick stage show,” and “crowd-pleaser.” And, as you’d expect, the blogosphere is awash with positive praise for the performances.

For a ballroom dancing show of this nature to fill out arenas normally played by the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna and a host of commercial pop musicians makes it fair to say that the real winner of this live tour (and perhaps of the Strictly brand) is ballroom dancing itself. Ballroom has enjoyed a surge in uptake since the popular show began airing and even those who have yet to don their ballroom shoes are taking more of an interest than ever before.

Strictly Come Dancing seemingly opened the floodgates for dance related reality shows, with the BBC even adding to its dance show collection recently with new offering, ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’ The host of such related TV shows have certainly revived the popularity of dance within the mainstream to an unprecedented level. And that’s no bad thing! After all, it’s a much healthier pastime than watching TV and playing video games!
Have you seen the Strictly Come Dancing Tour? What did you think?

For the ballroom pros, this certainly won’t be new information. But for those who have yet to take the floor, you might be surprised to find out just how good for you ballroom really is.

If you’re one of the millions who started 2010 with a resolution to get fit and healthy and are now finding you’re tiring of the gym, ballroom might just be the answer! In fact, depending on the step, an hour of ballroom dancing can burn of anywhere between 250 and 450 calories. And while ballroom dancing is indeed a reasonably intense aerobic exercise, it doesn’t just have cardio benefits. It works the muscles all over your body.

A session on the dance floor also has far more appeal to most than a laborious hour on the treadmill, given that it’s exercise you can take part in with a friend or partner and it’s fun! Research shows that the more fun exercise is, the more of it we’ll do, thereby increasing its benefits again!

But the health benefits of ballroom are not just limited to physical ones either. In fact, studies show it has a positive effect on your mental health too. Any form of exercise causes your brain to release endorphins, which are chemicals that put you in a good mood. On top of that, the element of memorising involved with learning a new step is great for your mind and a study released by the New England Journal of Medicine said dance can actually help to lower the chances of Alzheimer’s and dementia in later life, thanks to the way it works your mind.

So essentially, ballroom helps you get happy, get fit and keep your mind ticking over. If those aren’t enough cause to persuade you to pull on your dance shoes, I don’t know what will be!

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