Yes, Strictly Starters is for adult couples to learn to dance Ballroom, Latin and Sequence dances all of which require a partner. We do have couples attending our classes made up of friends and family pairings, so if you do not have a partner why not ask someone you know who wants to give learning to dance a go and ask them to dance with you?

We can accommodate singletons too, but your dance experience will be greatly enhanced if you can find a friend to dance with.

No previous dance experience is needed to join Strictly Starters. We offer four overlapping levels of class and it is up to each couple to decide which class is the best to join for themselves, based on their abilities and confidence levels. Our classes are:

• ‘New to Dancing’ Starter Class
  – this is for absolute beginners. If you feel you have two left feet then this is the class for you, (right feet are provided)!
• Class #1 ‘Level 1 Dancers’ class – for couples who have
  graduated from the ‘New to Dancing’ Starter Class, or who have danced a little bit before and are reasonably confident on the dance floor. This class works on basic sequences across the Ballroom, Latin American and Sequences dances and introduces the basics of deportment, timing, footwork and floor-craft.
• Class #2 – for couples who have danced for a while and who want to improve their style and technique and face the challenge of slightly longer sequences with more challenging steps.
• Class #3 – for experienced couples who want to polish their dance style and abilities and want to tackle advanced dance moves across all of the Ballroom, Latin American and Sequence dance.

We are happy to talk to you about which class is best for you, so if you need any further guidance please do not hesitate to get in touch.

No, so long as you can slide your foot comfortably across the floor then most outdoor shoes will suffice. Trainers, boots and most rubber soled shoes have a tendency to stick to the floor when dancing, so are not the best shoe to wear and for women a short heel is preferred to flats.

Our classes cover the 4 basic Ballroom dances: Waltz; Quickstep; Foxtrot and Tango as well as the basic Latin American dances; Cha-cha-cha; Rumba; Salsa; Jive (Rock & Roll). In addition we also tackle the Argentine Tango and several of the more popular Sequence Dances such as the Mayfair Quickstep; Rumba 1; Sally Ann CCC; Balmoral Blues; to name but a few. We teach at the pace of the class, deploying adult learning techniques designed to make the learning process fun and enjoyable for all.

Most of our couples will tell you that it is harder than they first thought and, like learning all new skills, it takes an open, learning mind-set; some courage to give it a go; and a good sense of humour. Equipped with these attributes anyone who can move, can learn to dance. In addition, it is great fun so give it a try!
Dancing together is one of the few things available to couples who want to spend some time learning a new skill together. As well as learning to dance our classes teach a lot of life skills such as patience, perseverance, caring for each other, musical appreciation and tolerance. Not many other activities open to couples can promise as much!

Our current charges, payment methods and terms are all shown on our Book Our Classes Here page. We use local Village Hall’s for all our classes and our policy is to keep our charges competitive as we know dancing is a hobby, and as such needs to be affordable. Compared to what it costs for couples to go out for a meal, go to the cinema together or simply go to the Pub with friends we are confident we offer much better value for money plus all the health benefits for free!

Check out our blog 10 Health Benefits of Dancing 

Missing a class or two in a term due to holidays, family commitments or illness is something we are used to coping with in our classes. We do have our ‘Digital Dance Class’ available to all our registered couples and this gives access to all of the dances we teach so you can see what you have missed. Plus we do help you catch-up with anything you may have missed when you return in class and your fellow pupils are encouraged to offer support as well!

• Stannington Village Hall
• Ponteland St Mary’s Parish Centre
• MorpethSt James Community Centre
• Tynemouth Holy Saviours Village Hall
• Stannington St Mary’s Village Hall