ATL

Ballroom blitz

Strictly come dancing stars Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova explain how dance improves fitness, confidence and even helps introduce boys and girls to each other

We have always had a dream that every young person should be able to experience ballroom and Latin American dancing and finally, through the Essentially Dance initiative in schools, this is being realised. We both started dancing when we were very young and we recognise that there are so many benefits, both social and physical, that come from this and other arts disciplines.

Because ballroom and Latin is done in partnership with another dancer it offers a great opportunity to mix and work closely with other people - in particular the opposite sex - and to build self-esteem and confidence at an early age. Added to this, of course, are the genuine fitness benefits through what is actually rigorous aerobic exercise. Aside from the improvement of posture and coordination, ballroom and Latin dance also requires team spirit and consideration to others - all of which are essential life skills for the future.

We have been able to develop the Essentially Dance project through the support of the Aldridge Foundation, which has formed a unique partnership with a group of like-minded individuals with a passion for dance including ourselves, dance teachers, and education professionals. This initiative has been designed to be used by teachers in national curriculum physical education lessons and so has the potential of being offered to every youngster in the country.

The Aldridge Foundation funded the beginners' training in 29 pilot schools across the country and a research project with Roehampton University, which has allowed us to refine the resources and dance training that Essentially Dance offers. Rod Aldridge, chairman of the Aldridge Foundation, has said himself that, as a young boy, he was an underachiever academically but gained confidence by competing in both sport and dance. Rod wanted to make this experience available to all children, no matter what their backgrounds.

Since launching the pilot scheme earlier this year we have come across so many children who have said this project has given them the chance to do something really different. Traditionally, all children do PE in school but not all children enjoy it and the introduction of dance is a way of broadening the PE perspective.

Essentially Dance is an excellent professional development resource for key stages 1 to 5 that includes three days of dance training and accompanying resources to support teachers in their schools. This provides a foundation from which young people can continue to develop their interest and talent in dancing.

The feedback from the research is very positive, showing improvements in young people's communication skills, behaviour and self-esteem and self confidence as well as the potential to impact on their health and fitness levels.

One teacher said: "We love it; it's a resource that everyone should have and everyone should take part in. I would recommend it to anybody."

"We've got some kids who didn't want to do PE at all and they're joining in during sessions," said another. "One child in my class has really low self-esteem and it's boosted her confidence. She's now joining in brilliantly." This is the effect that dance can have on children.

Some of the boys say they used to hate dance but have totally changed their opinion of it while one Year 8 boy wanted to cancel maths and have dance instead. Another Year 4 boy even tried to teach his dad to dance after a lesson, but sadly his dad was "hopeless"!

We are really thrilled by the positive response and sincerely hope that schools across the country will take advantage of this fantastic resource.

For more information about the Essentially Dance programme, visit www.essentiallydance.com.