How old are you?
35 - 40 something ish!

What do you do for a living?
I am an Accountant at a Company in Salisbury, and have been
there for a very long time!

Where do you live?
I grew up and have spent most of my life in Salisbury.

Which classes do you go to?
I go to the Sunday night class at Eastleigh, and the Monday night class at Otterbourne.

What made you take up Salsa?
I have always had an interest in music, and I like going to clubs etc. Quite a lot of my friends have done dancing in the past and still do dancing. One friend of mine does all sorts of dancing Salsa, Tango etc., and my sister does a lot of Ceroc, and is apparently quite good at it. I have only seen her do it on a couple of occasions myself at social events, but I have it on good authority that she is now very good. So it's been at the back of my mind to take up Salsa or dancing for sometime now! I don't know really why I wanted to do it, other than I really like the music.

When did you start?
I started in May last year at the Sunday class at the Ferryman and Firkin.

What motivated you to join then?
I was skiing with a friend at xmas and she is heavily into dance as are both of her daughters. She was saying that she can't get to Salsa classes as often as she would like to and really loves it. It prompted me to make sure I got around to it when I got home.

How did you find out about Justdance?
I did an internet search for Salsa classes in Salisbury where I live, I didn't come up with any classes in Salisbury but I came up with Justdance. The night I went along there were 3 or 4 other new people who turned up which made me feel better, and Lesley took us for basic beginners, and that's how I got started!

What sort of music are you interested in?
I like a broad range of music, the only thing I haven't been able to get into is Jazz. But I like Salsa music and listen to it often.

Do you play any musical instruments?
No

Have you ever done any other kind of dancing before?
No. This is my first attempt!

What do you think is the best thing about Justdance?
Well I have found that other clubs can be very cliquey and people don't talk to you, but at Justdance I have never found that. I think it's a big problem in some clubs, as it excludes others. But I have never found that to be a problem at Justdance. However, I am told it happens at other Salsa clubs. You will find that the beginners do not feel confident enough to go and ask someone to dance and I think you will always get that and I am guilty of it myself . But the better dancers at Justdance are however definitely to be complimented for the fact that they do ask beginners! You don't feel like an outsider, or like a spare part.

When I first started I only went to the Sunday night classes as I felt I wouldn't have enough time to get there during the week by the time I had finished work. But when the Ferryman and Firkin closed and Colin was trying to find a new venue there was a gap of about 4 or 5 weeks, and so I decided to try the Monday night at Otterbourne, and I managed to finish work early for once. So I rushed over to Winchester when it was still at the Civil Service club and I managed to get there just in time. That was quite good so I decided to keep going with that. So that's how I came to start doing two classes a week, when the Sunday night at Eastleigh began I started to go to that one too. The Sunday night is a really nice venue.

What do you think is the best thing about Justdance and Salsa?
There are a number of things. It's a good social skill to have being able to dance. If you go to a party or a night out and you can dance it makes life so much easier. Even if its only one style you know, at the back of your mind you know some moves and you can modify it to make it look reasonably good. So there is the social skill side of it. Also it's a partner dance so you get to know new people and it helps as a communication skill because it's a partner dance. I think most of the people that go to Salsa are actually really nice people. Certainly the ones who go to Colin's' classes are.

With Salsa there's also the physical activity side of it. My sister who goes dancing has been doing it for about 3 years now and has dropped 2 dress sizes. Even I have noticed that I have toned up certain muscles.

The other thing that Salsa is really good for is stress relief. I had a really stressful day at work a week or so ago. Normally on Tuesdays I go to Italian classes but because it was half term it wasn't on. So I had the choice of the gym which is 10 mins walk from me or Salsa. So I decided to go for the Tuesday night Salsa at Winchester. Salsa is really good for relieving stress as its something you have to concentrate on, and which stops you thinking of other problems.. If you go to the gym you are more likely to strain yourself or do an injury whilst stressed but with Salsa it's gentler and you can forget your problems. Because you have to concentrate on learning routines it's more difficult to think about other things. But if you go to the gym and go on the treadmill or cross trainer you can easily still think of your work problems even with an Ipod on!. That's not the case with Salsa. At Salsa you also have a teacher motivating you, which isn't the case at the gym.

Would you recommend Justdance to others?
Yes definitely, for all the above reasons, for sociability, confidence etc.

Do you think it's changed your life, or improved your confidence?
Yes it has, it's another good social skill to have anyway. Learning it is just a case of perseverance. And it's good for fitness

Do you think there is anything that can be done to improve classes?
I think you only get out of it what you put into it I think I need to be more confident in questioning the teacher if I don't understand. Or if I can't seem to get it right. I also need to learn to relax more, which I am sure is true of most of us.. I don't think I am naturally gifted at dancing. I have to work at it very hard, but when I want to do something I am very focussed on it, and determined. But I don't tend to have much confidence in things until I have mastered it a bit. I think at Justdance they are very good at encouraging more experienced dancers to dance with beginners. That helps a great deal in bringing on the less able dancers, and they are to be congratulated on that.
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Are you interested in the Salsa party nights?
Yes as long as I can fit them into my social calendar, I am out very night as it is.!
With badminton, Italian the gym etc

Do you do Salsa for exercise?
Not specifically, I do cycling and quite a lot of other exercise, and a lot of skiing.

Any ideas on getting people more people along?
I have been trying to get colleagues along but with not much success! They want to go somewhere where they aren't known! Which is why I think that coming along and watching is a good idea. I think the article in View Magazine was brilliant for reassuring people that its not what you think, its totally different from a club, women don't feel intimidated and there no lecherous men!. Well certainly not in our group!

Why do you think people come to Justdance Salsa?
I think people come along to salsa for social interaction and the social skill mainly, that's why I am there anyway!