LET’S DANCE! SALISBURY ARTS CENTRE

ON the final day of the festival there was a day of dance with a variety of different styles for people to try out from jazz and tango to street and breakdancing.

Jill and I thought that the chance to sample a beginners’ ballet class with Alison Stuart, a teacher from the English National Ballet, was too good an opportunity to miss.

The class was an hour-and-a-half long and we tried out barre work as well as some basic moves that Alison would do with her classes in London such as arabesques and pliés.

It was really good fun and definitely made me realise just how tough ballet is and how skilled the dancers have to be – it was hard enough just to keep my feet in first position and my legs straight, let alone perform the moves.

Despite feeling like a prancing elephant at points, I did leave feeling more graceful and elegant than when I went in and I would definitely like to give ballet another go.

I also tried out a family samba class with Melanie Keen from local company Keen Dance which brought a bit of Latin flavour to my afternoon.

Melanie is a good teacher, explaining the moves to everyone, including the names and why they’re called that. The steps were easy enough that adults and children could learn them yet complicated enough that you felt las though you were achieving something impressive.

The dance classes were well attended, good fun and a great way to get a taste of a style you might be interested in carrying on.

Corey Ross