‘I now have even more respect for the celebrities on Strictly’
Writer Daisy White, 45, from Sussex, was keen to try salsa dancing after years of watching Strictly Come Dancing.
As a crime thriller author in my nine-to-five, my days are largely spent trying to hammer out my next 2,000 words. I started writing full time five years ago and already have 11 books published under the name D.E. White, including Remember Me and my latest, The Abberley Beach Murders. I do try to get some exercise in whenever I can, whether it’s a HIIT session or a run, but I’d never tried anything remotely close to ballroom or Latin dancing. In fact, I’m usually the one on the wrong foot in any gym class I do!
Despite this, I’d always wanted to give it a go. I’m a huge fan of Strictly – I love watching the professionals and, if I ever go and see a show in London, it’s always a musical or anything that involves dance. I could watch it for hours, though trying it myself was more of a challenge than I thought.
On the day of the lesson, I set off from my home in rural Sussex – where I live with my husband, sons James, 12, and Ollie, 14, and our many dogs, cats, chickens and ducks – and headed to Pineapple Studios in London’s Covent Garden for my lesson. I felt very nervous when I met my teacher Eddie Slattery, but he quickly calmed me down as he switched on the music and immediately started dancing around the mirror-lined studio. He made it clear that there was no pressure for me to be any good, we were simply there to have fun.
It was so evident that he loves what he does – his attitude was really infectious.
We started with basic salsa steps, before trying turns. Then we did steps to the side and began to build it all up. Each time Eddie taught me something new, we’d go back to the beginning to practise, while he’d occasionally fling an arm out and encourage me to strike a pose. He was very good at steering me round like a shopping trolley and we just laughed it off whenever I tripped over my feet. After the lesson was over, I was happily surprised that we’d managed to put together a whole routine.
What surprised me most was that it was more brain work than physical. When I’m watching Strictly this year, I’m going to have even more respect for the celebrities learning to dance. I’m also definitely going to keep dancing and have looked into local salsa lessons.
I have a group of friends who I know are keen to try it with me (my husband isn’t keen!) and I can already see us getting addicted. I might even include it in the plot of my next book!
Eddie’s Ballroom Beginners class starts from 10 August, at 7.15pm (£12 a class). Visit pineapple.uk.com
Eddie was very good at steering me round like a shopping trolley!