Dance Yourself Healthy… and Happy!

Vicki Stavrinos, Owner and Artistic Director of V Dance Studio, explains why dancing is good for the body and the mind

Most of us like to be fit and healthy, but many of the traditional ways to get fit just aren’t appealing to everyone. If you love TV shows such as Got to Dance and Strictly Come Dancing, you might want to try dancing as a fun way to get in shape. Here, Vicki Stavrinos persuades us to dig out our dancing shoes.

Anyone can dance! The love of dance is an individual’s way of interpreting music which everyone can learn to do. It’s true that some find it easier to pick up than others, as it depends on your natural rhythm, but everyone can dance in their own way. If people say to me, ‘I have no rhythm’, I reply, ‘If you can walk, then you have rhythm!’. Some people simply need a bit more time and a little more patience to learn.

The art of dance

Dance is an art, not a sport, so there’s a level of expression as well as fitness involved. Some people use dance to release their feelings, their alter-egos, or even deliver a message. For whatever reason they do it, it makes you feel better. Like all physical activity, dance releases endorphins, which make you feel good. You generally feel much better when you've verbally got something off your chest and for many dancers, dance works in the same way, helping the mind as well as the body. You can leave the stresses of the day behind because you shift your concentration onto something much more fun and relaxing.

As children, we dance freely because we have no cares in the world. Sadly, this diminishes as we grow, due to the pressures of society and/or peers, but it is possible to reclaim this freedom.

And you don't necessarily require oodles of confidence to dance freely either. In fact, dance can help boost your personal confidence. For me, dance became my mask as behind it, I'm actually quite shy, but dance gives me a unique confidence. Many of dance's biggest artists, such as Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury were just as introvert, but once they were performing they found an inner confidence through their art.

Plus, you never know how taking up dancing might change your life. I have so many stories that relate to how the power of dance having altered people's lives, from meeting their partners, to retraining as a professional dancer. For others, dance has helped them break away from troubled backgrounds, and going on to help the next generation with their experiences. The list of positive stories are endless, and taking up this pastime certainly changed my life for the better!

Mentoring matters

Although I taught myself how to dance, it really helps to be taught and mentored professionally. It helps you gain skills and knowledge while getting to meet new people, making it very sociable. I've taught people that would never have met if it hadn't been for dance, and some have even found love – how great is that? And yes, of course dance is for males just as much as females, in fact 80% of my teachers are male.

At V Dance Studio we don’t really age restrict, so don't feel you're too old to start jiving. We have a range of ages in our classes, and this is true of dance classes up and down the country. At our studio, the more mature students tend to enjoy our Bollywood, tap and Zumba classes, although some prefer our younger-feeling street sessions!

My advice for beginners, no matter what their age, is to pick a dance style that fits your body's abilities and features your favourite music. If you're full of energy, go for Street Dance. If you're after muscle building and toning, you can't beat a Pole Dancing Class. And if you're a little less flexible and fit than you'd like to be, Ballroom can be an ideal way to improve on what you already have.

Media influence

We’ve definitely seen an increase in participation with dance thanks to the popularity of TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing. Our studio was featured on Got To Dance and we got down to the last 50 of 3000! These TV shows are a great way to introduce to yourself to the various styles and help you choose what you might like to try. And if you get really good, you can even enter competitions similar to those featured on these shows.

The Bam Bam Boogies, a dance troupe I run and dance in, win a fair few competitions, including Nation's Best Dance Crew in 2012. We don’t enter very many, as we prefer to showcase and inspire at festivals, events, productions and theatre. If you find yourself as addicted to dance as I became, you too can form your own dance troupe and enjoy all the health and happy benefits a sense of community and regular exercise can bring!

A way of life

Dancing has done so much for me. Up until the age of 17, I didn't have the confidence to tell anyone I danced until I became an entertainer dancer a local nightclub. My friends and family were very surpirsed but this job launched my career. Through dance, I've travelled all over the world, working with some of the most talented people in the industry. And now, I get to pass this on to a new generation of movers and (booty) shakers. But I really wish I hadn't waited so long to dive into this exciting world.

So, what are you waiting for? Whether you think you're too young, too old, not fit enough, or not endowed with enough rhythm, book a class today. I promise you, you won't regret it.

Receive your first dance class at V Studios for FREE by quoting ‘The Sneak magazine’, when booking.

Vicki Stavrinos and V Dance Studios

Vicki is the Owner and Artistic Director of V Dance Studio and Bam Bam Boogies. The studio is located within Springhealth Leisure Centre, Brian Close, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9DZ.

V Dance Studio caters for all ages from 4+ years – 60+years! Classes available include: Bollywood, Zumba, tap, Pole Fit, Street Dance – hip-hop, popping, locking, house, waacking, breakin'. V Dance also has another company called Complete Dance who run ballet, tap, modern and acro classes for children.

To get in touch, call 01245 698746, or visit the websites www.bambamboogies.com www.vdancestudio.co.uk