Strictly jiving

Joanne Smith, founder of Expressions Dance and Drama studio, Abu Dhabi

Many people say they have two left feet and wouldn't be seen dead on the dance floor. Others claim they can't dance because they have poor coordination, but the reality is that anyone can dance!

Dancing is not only a great workout, it provides a good 'pick me up' feeling, boosts confidence and has medically proven health benefits.

There's a misconception that only certain people can take up dancing. You don't need to be a professional or meet certain criteria to dance. Shape, size or age are not important factors. In most cases, being unable to dance is simply a state of mind.

As a child, I went to ballet and tap lessons …
… I never really liked ballet and would cry when I got to class. I enjoyed tap more, but was more of a social dancer. I gave up tap when I was about 8, but I always loved watching musicals and would try to imitate the dances.

I grew up in a small town in Lancashire before moving to Huyton in Liverpool. I was 16 when I first learnt Latin and ballroom dancing.

My first job was as a Butlins Redcoat in a hotel in Blackpool - the home of ballroom dancing in the UK. Butlins has holiday centres and hotels throughout the country. The Redcoats are the entertainers at these complexes. I originally went to Butlins for work experience while I was at school.

Most of my school friends were sent to banks, which I thought would be incredibly boring and useless, so I refused to go and arranged my own work experience at Butlins, much to the horror of my school!

But then, I've always been fairly independent and followed my gut feeling of what I feel is right rather than what I'm told to do. During that week, a dance instructor was on holiday at the hotel with his wife.

He told me I must learn something during my work experience, so he said he would teach me ballroom and Latin dancing. I was mortified at first - it was not a cool thing for a 16-year-old to do.

But after my first lesson I was hooked; it was fabulous! At the end of the week, he told me that he had come to Blackpool because the following week he was having an operation on his leg that would make it impossible for him to dance again. He thanked me for making his last week of dancing and teaching memorable.

I then started working at Butlins. We had to perform in shows and dance with the guests. So every evening from 8 to 11 I would be ballroom and Latin dancing with guests.

In Blackpool, I would regularly go to social dances or watch major competitions. I was definitely the youngest person at the afternoon tea dances! I then moved to a small town in North Somerset where there was no ballroom or Latin dancing classes available.

Whenever I danced, it was just for fun - and usually with my uncles or my friend's grandad!

In the past, ballroom dancing had a bit of a stigma attached to it …
… in that it was something only your grandparents would do. But TV programmes like Strictly Come Dancing and Dance with the Stars have brought ballroom dancing into the limelight and totally changed its image.

Since coming to the UAE in 1994 …
… I haven't had the opportunity to do ballroom dancing until January last year. I always make a New Year's resolution and in 2006 I pledged to start dancing again.

I found a dance instructor in Dubai and started taking lessons, travelling there at least three times a week. However, when my instructor decided to move to Qatar, I decided I didn't want to give up dancing again.

Since there were no dance studios in Abu Dhabi, I decided to open one. In November 2006, I opened my studio, which is called Expressions of Dance and Drama.

My dream to open a dance studio has not been an overnight success. I had to juggle starting up the studio while also working as a quality controller with a consulting company. There have been a lot of hurdles too.

However, when I look back, it has all been worthwhile as my dream has not only come into fruition, but overwhelmingly so. Staffed by professional instructors from the UK, Expressions Dance and Drama studio offers an array of dance styles, such as ballet, tap, jazz, ballroom and hip hop among others.

The vertical flex dance has proved very popular, especially with women. This is an exciting dance with great benefits to the upper body. It involves dancing up and around a pole.

Most people think that only professionals can master this style. But all you need is the confidence to find your feet and take the first step.

I am inspired by music and dance routines …
… I love the dance sequence to One in A Chorus Line, the Cell Block Tango in Chicago and certain dances in 42nd Street and other musicals. I also love watching Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly - they were outstanding performers.

Personally, I teach Ceroc (a dance style based on jive) and vertical flex. Soon we start doing hula hoop dance, which I also teach.

Ceroc is for fun and a good social dance, vertical flex and hula hoop dance are more dance fitness styles - much more enjoyable than going to the gym! I can teach ballroom and Latin at beginners level, but I leave that to our instructor.

Strictly Abu Dhabi
In December 2005, I was watching Strictly Come Dancing and Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova were jiving … they are two of the professional dancers on the show and the UK Latin champions. I said to my friend, "I'm going to bring them over here to teach and perform.''

I went to the UK in June last year to attend one of their workshops and meet them. In March my crazy plan came to fruition and Darren and Lilia came to Abu Dhabi.

We had two days of workshops and they performed at the fabulous Strictly Abu Dhabi gala dinner. They are two of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet, they are exceptional dancers and incredibly funny.

Strictly Abu Dhabi was my brainchild … everything from ballet to Argentine tango, belly dancing to hip hop was performed.

The 2008 event was being discussed as soon as the 2007 had ended. In March 2008 we will have Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace visiting Abu Dhabi. They were in the fourth and fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Joanne Smith can be contacted at dancing@emirates.net.ae