Strictly St Albans – where to go to be fab-u-lous

But if you want to prolong the dancing feeling, and have always wondered whether you’d be able to throw a fleckerl, smash a Cuban break or master your whisk or your windmill, fear not, there are plenty of fantastic places in St Albans where you can learn to dance like Giovanni.

Here we look at both the exercise option and the full-on dance class option.

The exercise Strictly class

If you want to have a go at throwing some Strictly shapes to get fit, Westminster Lodge runs a Fitsteps class on Thursday mornings at 9.30am.

Martine Palmer with Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite from Strictly Come Dancing, who are behind the Fitsteps concept. (Image: Fitsteps)

Instructor Martine Palmer was one of the first dancers in the country to be qualified to teach Fitsteps and is a key part of the Westminster Lodge team, having also taught other dance exercise classes at the centre. Fitsteps is the official dance exercise class created by ex-Strictly professionals Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite.

Martine Palmer with Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite from Strictly Come Dancing, who are behind the Fitsteps concept. (Image: Fitsteps)

You don’t need a partner for this energetic, up-beat dance fitness class, which features all of your favourite strictly dances. It’s designed to give fitness results while having a bit of Strictly fun.

It combines the graceful steps of the ballroom with up tempo Latin steps and gives an all over body workout that can burn up to 700 calories. Book in advance – like strictly, this class is popular! See Everyoneactive.com for information.

The learning to dance Strictly class

Dance2Gether is where you can go to learn to dance with a partner, although there is also tuition for solo dancers too, because as teacher Sam Vize says: “If you can’t dance solo, how can you dance in a couple?”

Sam comes from dancing stock – her parents were professional dancers of world championship status, and she competed herself at international level as a youngster. She offers Ballroom and Latin dance tuition to every age group (including little ones), and many couples attend to learn to dance together. She has even had students who had never previously danced compete in dance competitions up and down the country.

Dance teacher Sam Vize with one of her students who competes, Helen Churchill. (Image: Sam Vize)

Sam teaches at Nuffield In St Albans, as well as in other locations around Hertfordshire. Sam teaches all the Strictly dances, although her favourite dances are Rumba and Foxtrot. See www.dance2gether.co.uk for more information.