Young break dancing and hip hop enthusiasts are taking to the floor in one Lancashire dance school this autumn.

Euphoria Dance and Therapy Ltd based in Kirkham has launched its first ever street dance classes this September.

And the hugely popular style is proving a hit with boys and girls alike, explains Lydia Dickinson, one of the studio’s four directors.

That could be explained by the fact that unlike the spangles and strictness which go hand in hand with styles like Latin and ballroom, street dance is more expressive and less regimented, she says.

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And that explains its huge popularity at the dance studio, which was set up in 2019.

Lydia said: “We wanted to access different styles of dance, so we had taster sessions for street dance. The kids absolutely LOVED it. They were absolutely buzzing. The confidence of the kids was amazing.

“With street dance it’s not as structured, and they can express themselves however they feel comfortable, whereas with Latin and ballroom, there are a lot of techniques and styles. With street dance, you get to completely relax,” she said.

All-embracing in its culture, street dance is fully inclusive and accessible to people of all abilities.

Lydia added: “Some children have been dancing since they were little, and have been doing Latin and ballroom, but the ones that have just joined us have picked it up really well. “

Based right on the main high street in Kirkham, the company bought a studio at the height of the lockdown and has seen its popularity surge since starting the street dance classes.

And one of the greatest sources of interest is from boys.

“The amount of interest from boys is massive,” says Lydia, who lives in Blackpool. “Once we offered the street dance, we had message after message saying, can we come, my son wants to do it.”

All teachers at the school are fully qualified teachers and between them, offer 150 years of experience.

Lydia, 25, had dreamt of a career in musical theatre after studying musical theatre at university – but realised her heart lay in teaching dance.

“I had set my heart of musical theatre, but then I realized that teaching is my passion,” she says.

And the numbers enrolled have almost doubled from 55 to more than 100, despite the pandemic during which the school did online sessions.

“From a hobby with a small number of kids, it’s now a way of life. This is what I do – and this is my passion.”
One of the main benefits of street dance is mental wellbeing, she highlights, adding: “One of our main aims is mental wellbeing, and coming down and having that time, and having a laugh. The main thing is to come along, meet people and enjoy yourself.”

The classes run weekly for children aged over seven years ago, on Mondays at 5.30pm at the dance studio in term time, and you can just pay as you go.

To book online, click here.

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