Each week, our entertainment reporter tries out a new activity. This time, Duncan Hall shakes has thang when he joins the Funky Feet street dance class.
How to do.. street dancing
Pictured below: Duncan gets moving.(5PF0524617) Picture: PAUL FRANKS
BACK in my uni days I was quite a mover – spending my Friday nights bouncing around the dancefloor at our local indie club, Spiders.
Now, nearly six years on, some weight has been gained, and the former Dancin’ Duncan has been replaced by Sitting Down By The Bar And Looking On In Amazement Duncan.
That was until I joined the Funky Feet street dance class, at Werrington Sports Centre.
The school, which is run by former professional dancer Hilary Pearson, started last September with children’s street dance classes.
The first adult classes began in January.
Now Funky Feet has won its first dance competition, in Boston this week, and is expanding to allow students to study ballet and tap.
I donned my trusty old trainers and tracksuit bottoms to give street dancing a shot.
Despite being only one of two blokes in the class, I was made to feel very welcome by the group, which, at the time, was in training for its first competition, practicising a routine to Will Smith’s urban tune, Switch.
I managed to keep it together for the warm-up, which was designed to stretch all the muscles we would be using during the hour-long class, but I knew I was in trouble as soon as the main section of the class started.
Street dancing uses modern urban music as its backing – something I am not a huge fan of at the best of times – and it is characterised by a lot of fast skipping beats and quick moves, like you see on Top Of The Pops.
My old trick of bouncing on the balls of my feet to the beat was clearly not going to work here.
Instead, Hilary led us through a series of fast moves soundtracked by Ciara and Missy Elliot’s One, Two Step which ranged from pretty cool looking to nigh on impossible for someone with a beer gut.
That said, as the class went on I picked up a few of the basics – I think my version of the slide wouldn’t have looked out of place on Top Of The Pops – or failing that, CD:UK, which is much more forgiving.
On the other hand, in another move which involved dropping down to your knees and getting back up again in the space of four beats, I got the first part down no problem, but the second part took a lot longer than anticipated – not helped by a pair of very bruised kneecaps.
Looking around though, I wasn’t the only one who skipped this move in later attempts. The emphasis of the class was just to keep going and have a try.
Beginners were encouraged to go to the back of the class to help learn from the more experienced dancers near the front, and Hilary – who seemed to have way too much energy – was always ready to go through a move if people had problems.
Speaking after the class, when I had caught my breath, Hilary told me the street dance class had begun simply because of demand.
She said: “I started the street dance class mainly because there wasn’t anything like that in Peterborough.
“People wanted it, and it was a good opener for the school.”
The class is expanding all the time, and as well as the optional competitions, Hilary is planning to introduce medal tests to give students something to work towards.
I have to say following the cool down at the end of the class, I did feel like I had enjoyed a very good workout – but to be honest I don’t think the world of street dance is quite ready for me.