you make me feel like dancing…

Ever dreamed about performing on stage, or for the MTV Video Music Awards? Then perhaps dance would be for you, says dancer Sami Watt

Street dance is taking off in a major way, look at any of the music channels on Freeview or digital – music videos are full of fabulous dancers bursting with energy having an amazing time travelling the world.

If you look at music videos, the street dance produced is so crisp; the dancers have their own individuality.

Don’t feel as if you have to go to a dance class to learn how to dance – go to an open space and throw yourself around. If it feels good, then it’s going to look good.

Black people have the ultimate sense of rhythm  and style– technique isn’t everything. You could execute a piece of choreography perfectly, but if you don’t feel it, it’ll look terrible.

And it’s not just for girls – it’s great for boys. Breakdancing, for instance, is just as good as a kick boxing class for building strength, and you’ll probably end up with nicer muscle tone because it uses every muscle in the body. So you don’t just feel good, it keeps you fit. Dancing isn’t for wimps!

Street jazz, tap dancing, contemporary, break dancing, or even Bangra, there are so many different styles you could try that it’ll be easy to find one to suit you.

Local areas are full of dance groups and organisations that encourage younger people to experiment with street dance. If you go down to the park in Barking, you see loads of kids freestyling. And this is taking off across the country.

It’s nice that they don’t follow a rigid technique; they throw their personality into the dance. It’s a way of expressing yourself at any age or size.

Your Borough Council website should have lists of dance schools. They’re not necessarily going to be expensive. If you’re not sure, or a bit nervous, then you can always go to one class – you don’t have to commit. Or even go and watch from the side, just to see if it’s right for you.