Barre has had a HIIT upgrade and the capital’s top studios have joined the movement. Step up, says Katie Strick

Method, combines easy-to-follow dance moves with more standard aerobic movements to form a class that boosts “stamina, strength and flexibility all at the same time”.

Peazer was “shocked” by Londoners’ response: all her classes are fully booked and her five-minute hip hop dance workout for beginners has more than a million views on YouTube.

For busy, hard-working Londoners, the key is enjoyment, says Peazer. “There’s a common idea that unless you’re suffering you’re not doing ‘fitness’.” She says music makes dancing “fun” but many people are intimidated by actual dance classes and feel “selfconscious”, so her method incorporates basic elements of dance with effective fitness techniques.

Peazer says this low-skill, high-intensity dance form is in “high demand right now” and across the capital, gyms and studios are joining the movement. Gymbox now has four dance-based classes, including House of J, inspired by the London club scene, and fitnessmeets-breakdancing workout Breakletics. Its LA Effect class was added to timetables at the start of May and it’s already the most popular among clients — so much so that Gymbox is launching a brand new dance class for July.

Frame’s new 45-minute dance cardio class Rave sold out at Sweatlife Festival l a s t we e ke n d , a n d B LOK h a s just launched a second dance class, BLOKbeat. Equinox recently launched a tough new dance-inspired workout called The Muse, in which you hold 3lb