The day heat danced with DARCEY BUSSELL
We don our ballet pumps for a workout with the Strictly star
Full disclosure: our life won’t amount to anything unless we compete on Strictly Come Dancing. So just imagine our joy when this beauty of an email popped up: “We are releasing Darcey Bussell’s first dance-based fitness DVD and are holding a class for a few select journalists, taught by Darcey and her instructors, so you can see for yourself how much fun and good exercise it is.” It may not be the starry ballroom, but good gosh it’s one step closer. Sorry, make that a heel pull. I’m a serious dancer now.
Fast forward a few days, and heat and 15 other roving reporters are being led through the winding corridors of Sadler’s Wells (because obviously Darcey’s teaching a class at the UK’S premier dance venue. She probably has the master key). We’re dressed for action in Lycra, but our faces read, “Oh God, now we actually have to do this and our instructor is a national balletic icon. And she scores people out of ten for a living.”
We take our places and Darcey springs into action. She’s introducing us to Diverse Dance Mix, or DDMIX, the aerobic workout she devised that pays homage to 26 genres, eras and national dances around the world. In one hour, you can find yourself doing anything from flamenco to Greek to ’70s disco. Basically, it’s Zumba on steroids.
The music kicks in and we’re off, starting with an Arabic number. It’s all winding hips and inviting arm gestures. But make no mistake, it’s a proper workout – the burn is real. Next we leap over to Japan, where we mimic sumo wrestlers doing squats to the music. Finally, it’s time for some rock ’n’ roll and a cheeky Charleston – this is when we feel at our most Strictly. And, also, knackered. Turns out dancing is tough. The class ends, we get our sweaty selfies with Queen D, and settle down for a chat. She explains why she created DDMIX. “When I left ballet, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have a programme with diversity, so you never get bored?’” She says her aim was “to keep the body moving and strong”. Her children’s fitness, meanwhile, was equally important. “I looked at my daughters [Phoebe, 16, and Zoe, 13] and realised all they do at school is competitive sports,” she says. “I wanted them to have something active and not feel like they were being judged.” She’s emphatic on this point – it’s all a bit of fun.
That’s all very well, but how did we novices do? Were we a DIS-AH-STER, darling? She won’t be drawn. “I promise I wasn’t judging anyone today!”
‘My aim is to keep my body moving and strong’