DANCE FITNESS CLASS: A local dance fitness instructor Leah-Marie Hill of Pontywaun, Crosskeys, co-organised the first ever FitSteps Masterclass in Wales.

Leah who is a member of the UK FitSteps training team alongside two of her colleagues Sam Nicholson and Rachel Evans from Swansea were keen to get a masterclass set up in Wales.

They researched venues and chose the Active Living Centre, Newport, as the ideal venue and location and were delighted that BBC Strictly Come Dancing professionals Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe were able to visit the class!

FitSteps is collaboration between Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe and Britain’s most successful swimmer Mark Foster. They developed the new Strictly workout that mixes the steps of ballroom and Latin dances together, to create a fun and effective way to stay fit. It is designed to burn off up to 700 calories in one session. It’s suitable for all ages and fitness levels, with no partner or dance experience required.

There were over a hundred people who took part in the hour and a half masterclass at the Active Living Centre and they sampled many dances with the FitSteps instructors, Leah-Marie, Sam and Rachel.

From the salsa, bossa nova, flamenco and samba to the American smooth, quickstep and jive followed by a meet a greet with both Strictly stars.

Leah-Marie commented "It is an honour and privilege to be part of the UK FitSteps team and to co-host the first ever masterclass in Wales and more importantly for it to be located in Newport. Its a fantastic opportunity to work with the dancing stars Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe and bring them not just to Wales but to our class."

Leah-Marie continues, "Ian and Natalie spent time after the session to meet the class and they made sure they spoke to everyone and you can imagine, they all wanted to talk to them about Strictly and the TV celebrity dancers. We were so pleased that both of them were able to join us."

Weekly classes are held every Monday from 7pm to 8pm at St Catherine’s Church Hall, Crosskeys, and every Wednesday from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at St Mary’s Church Hall, Risca.

You can also dance in your own home by accessing classes led by the Strictly Stars and the FitSteps team online at fitstepslife.co.uk or find a class near you on the FitSteps website.

For further information phone Leah-Marie on 07738 013020 or e-mail fitstepswithleahmarie@hotmail.com. Facebook: FitSteps with Leah-Marie.