Last year, Helen decided to take on our first-ever ‘Let’s Danceathon’, in which she busted her best moves for an incredible six hours straight. From Bollytone to Freestyle, Salsa to Clubbercise, Helen loved dancing non-stop in support of Birmingham St Mary’s. Here, she shares some of her highlights from the evening and explains why she can’t wait to get her dancing shoes out again this spring…
I’ve never been able to sit still when there’s music playing. So, when a friend first told me about Birmingham St Mary’s ‘Let’s Danceathon’, I knew I had to do it! Dancing away the night to lots of different styles seemed right up my street and it certainly didn’t disappoint – there was such a good atmosphere and I don’t think I stopped laughing all evening.
Whilst dancing non-stop for six hours was at first daunting, it turned out to be a lot of fun. Having six very different styles of dance meant there was something for everyone. One of my favourite dances had to be the salsa and line dancing combined – it was full of energy and very entertaining. My friends and I also loved learning burlesque. It was such laugh, especially as we had dressed up in pink feathery boas! We kept getting the moves wrong but thankfully the very lovely – and incredibly patient – teacher kept demonstrating the steps again.
Although I’ve always loved dancing, the only class I’ve ever done is Zumba. That’s why I enjoyed Danceathon so much – it was a great way to sample lots of different styles to see which one I liked best. There were lots of people there who had different dancing abilities, so even for a complete beginner like myself, I didn’t feel out of place. The emphasis was on having fun, which I certainly did!
For me, Danceathon was a great way to escape from the world for six hours. It was a brilliant way to relax my mind and get fit – all whilst having fun with friends of course! It was humbling to know that my dancing was helping others too. Birmingham St Mary’s does amazing work and I felt proud to be busting my best moves for such a worthy cause.
That’s why I can’t wait to get my dancing shoes back out again for Let’s Danceathon this year. I’m so excited and I’m particularly looking forward to learning Swingtrain, as well as dancing in my own style during the Freestyle hour. I’d encourage anyone to do it – whether you’re a dancing novice or a complete expert – there’s something for everyone and it’s so much fun!
If you want to dance all night in support of Birmingham St Mary’s, why not join our exciting Let’s Danceathon here. You never know, you may just find a new dancing style that suits you…
