I was recently lucky enough to be able to try a dance class with RedHatSalsa, a popular group of Salsa classes in the Berkshire area. As a gymaphobe, I jumped at the opportunity to get fit without sweating it out on a treadmill.

I visited a class on Tuesday with a friend of mine,  in the dance rooms above the funky European café RISC. From their website I can see they also hold a variety of classes and dance evenings most nights of the week in bars, clubs and restaurants across Berkshire.

We made our way through several rooms to a room at the back, clearly labelled ‘Absolute Beginners’. The room quickly filled up with 28 other students, all in their 1st or 2nd lesson. The group was a equal mix of men and women, and there was a wide range of ages attending. Our dance teacher, Ed, got us to line up in two rows, and taught us the basic steps, which in all honesty felt a bit like a line dancing class! Apparently this is because line dancing did originate from Salsa dancing.

Once we had got the hang of the basic steps, we were asked to find a partner, with all the men ( and the poor lady who had to pretend to be a man due to a slight imbalance in men and woman in the class) lined up around the outside of the room. Ed then led us through the dance moves in our pairs, asking the ladies to move on to a new partner each time we learnt a new move. This gives every dancer an opportunity to dance with each partner twice.

The dance moves were easy to learn, and Ed’s clear instructions and patience were great. The atmosphere was really positive, with everyone being encouraging. Whilst it may not have been the hardest cardio workout, it was fun and it’s definitely a great way to get moving. After the lesson was finished, Ed let us know that we could stay for the beginner class next door, wait an hour for the dance floor to open up for all levels, or attend the Salsa party at a local restaurant at the weekend.