Fitness company doubles footprint and targets expansion south of Border

0 Natalie Garry, creator of the Dancesing fitness model A fitness and wellbeing firm founded by a former Scottish Ballet dancer has expanded to five new locations across Scotland, almost doubling its footprint.

Dancesing, which provides fitness classes based on a model that combines dance, song and pilates, has grown from six to 11 locations in and around the Central Belt, and plans to secure an additional ten sites in 2019, including in north-east England.

The firm, headquartered in Dollar, Clackmannanshire, also increased its membership from 50 to 180 in the last six months – as well as boosting headcount from four to 11 staff.

It aims to grow its membership to 600 people and staff to 17 by the end of this year.

Fitness and pilates trainer and nutritionist Natalie Garry, who specialises in exercise counselling and stress-management and also previously danced with English National Ballet, developed Dancesing in 2016 to help people progress “mentally, physically and socially”.

Dancesing’sexpansionplans tie in with the announcement of an initiative by UK health secretary Matt Hancock in November that doctors should provide “social prescriptions”, such as therapeutic art or hobby-based treatments, across the UK by 2023.

Garry said: “I set up Dancesing to try to help make a difference to people’s lives by making people stronger and fitter, both physically and mentally, and I’m delighted that I am in a position to expand the business next year further afield in Scotland and south of the Border.”

She added: “It’s also great that down the line GPS will be able to prescribe this type of therapeutic art to patients, as I see first-hand the benefits and it really does work when it comes to improving overall health and wellbeing.”