Worth leaving the sofa for?

A poptastic dance class 5 TUNES TO DANCETO GET THE GEAR

After months of being stuck at home, I have named all the sheep in the fields on my daily walk, know all my neighbours’ gardens like the back of my hand, and have spent far too much time estimating my steps per mile (spoiler alert: about 2,000). Basically, I’ve been losing it, and desperately in need of a new form of exercise to occupy my time. I’ve always loved dancing, so I figured an online dance class would be the best place to start.

Which class did you take?

The London- and New Yorkbased dance and fitness company At Your Beat has taken almost all of its classes online, under the name At Your Gaff. From a choice including jazz, Latin and dancing in heels, I opted for VIDEOBEAT. Having taken it in person pre-pandemic, I knew I could expect an energetic tutorial of musicvideo-worthy choreography set to a song I would probably know. When a link to learn choreography to Little Mix’s Bounce Back dropped into my inbox, I couldn’t whip on a sports bra fast enough.

What does the workout actually entail?

After paying your digital dues, a live-stream link is emailed to you just before the class. As with the offline original, you work up a sweat in minutes. I zipped through a warm-up to Jennifer Lopez’s Get Right before an instructor started strutting through a slow-stepped tutorial. With new choreography taught in each class, they encourage frequent breaks and full-speed run-throughs to perfect each sequence before moving on.

Nicki Minaj

Nicole Scherzinger

Justin Bieber

Ally Brooke

Kehlani

Do you really feel like you’re working out?

Yes. The pace is fast, the choreography creative, and – thanks to the interactive format, which means you can ask to pause to master a move – it’s easy to follow. It’s also, between repetitions and full-speed runthroughs, a physical killer. Perfecting a routine in just 45 minutes will leave you hyped and in a head-to-toe sweat.

So what is dancing good for?

Dancing can burn 250 to 500 calories an hour. It’s an ideal (and endorphinboosting) outlet for anyone looking to improve their heart, bone and lung health. With VIDEOBEAT in particular, you can also expect a lot of moves that will increase your overall strength and flexibility.

I’m a total mum/dad dancer! No one wants to see that…

You’re in luck – no dance training is required and, as you’re in the comfort of your own home, no one needs to know. It’s just about trying your best. Plus, the instructor offers extra explanation for anyone struggling.

Does dancing alone feel odd?

Since hitting the tiles on a Friday night is a rarity at the moment, any weirdness around dancing in your bra and joggers is irrelevant. (Plus, booze and snacks tend to turn nights out into net-negative health experiences.) And this might even help you feel more confident on the dance floor when normality returns.

At Your Gaff workouts start at £5 (atyourbeat.com/london)

Each VIDEOBEAT class lasts hour Treat it like any exercise: warm up, cool down, maintain posture and take water breaks Yikes Poison Yummy No Good All Me Record yourself: without a floor-toceiling mirror available, it will help you see what areas require improvement Dance on a hard surface, in shoes, if you can; it’s preferable to carpet