We start with an upbeat warm up and stretch; the ideal way to shake off the fast pace of London living. We then go straight into a recap of the moves we learnt the week before – and build up from just a handful of steps to a complete dance. All the while the music is loud enough to drown out the noise of London for an hour and a half, so you walk out feeling energised and ready to go again.

Our teacher Daniel was superb, really approachable and very patient, getting us all in the mood to have fun. The class was paced to cater for all levels of ability with Daniel adapting and adjusting the routines by speeding things up and adding harder moves. 

City Academy’s Street Dance class was extremely rewarding – especially when you surprise yourself and get a few moves right!  The class is also a great way to meet people, this it what some of the class had to say about the experience:

“I loved it and found it amazing. Dancing in front of other people really helped me come out of my shell.”
Michelle, 27 

“Better than Star Wars”
Dave, 32 

“It’s really good fun, makes you feel happy.”
Freya, 29

“Let your inner Sasha Fierce out!”
Blair 24  

“Daniel is the best and nicest dance teacher. He made us laugh so much, I’m in love when I watch his dancing! Everyone was amazing and really supportive – great atmosphere!”
Min, 28 and Carol, 27

“Everyone works better as a team. This class was something completely out of the norm for me, a personal risk that was really worth it.”
Iain, 27

“Best dance class I’ve found in London. You think you can’t dance? Think again. I’ve done other dance classes and this was the best.”
Karen, 29

Fancy a go? City Academy offer a range of dance, theatre, comedy and performance classes in London.

If you’re into street dancing, this weekend was designed for you. Breakin’ Convention returned to Sadler’s Wells with another top UK and international line-up, while over in Croydon the finals of London’s Best Dance Crew set Fairfield Halls alight – nearly literally, when organisers thought the stage curtains had caught fire!

For months, young dancers across London have been honing their routines and competing to reach Friday’s final. The atmosphere backstage on the night was one of nervous excitement, as last minute rehearsals were squeezed in and costumes tweaked.

Three groups battled it out in the first half. Trilogy’s fresh take on West Side Story earned them third place and they bowed out with a slick piece that made you realise how tough the competition was.

A fierce, African-inspired performance from The Definitives, featuring a troupe of drummers from London group Maracatu Estrela do Norte, and a hard-hitting show tackling bullying from Retaliation took these two groups into the final.

While we waited for the final showdown, we were treated to shows from a series of top performers – including former Sugababes singer Mutya Buena, Avant Garde and Peridot.

Then, finally, it was time for the final showdown. It was a close call, but in the end it was The Definitives who impressed the judges most. They were presented with a trophy and cheque for £3,000 by Private Johnson Beharry, the first soldier to be awarded a Victoria Cross since 1982.

And if two great street dance shows in one weekend wasn’t enough, the UK dance film Streetdance 3D is out at cinemas from 21 May. It’s time to invest in some lessons in popping, locking and breaking!

Photo:  The Definitives at London’s Best Dance Crew 2010. Bruce Woods of Tactical Innovations Limited

Blaze brings breakdancing locking and popping back to the London stage this month.

Being a fan of live dance performances, I always get a buzz when I hear about street dance coming my way. I was keen to see what stance the performers would take on delivering their passion in Sadler’s Wells latest production.

Blaze is directed by top West End director and choreographer Anthony Van Laast, (director of Mamma Mia! and Sister Act).

The set designer Es Devlin has created an intimate and cosy feel for the audience, using a stack of drawers as a backdrop, setting the scene in a teenager’s bedroom. The dancers made good use of the stage in creative entrances and exits around the set.

Dancers Carrie-Anne Ingrouille and Fabiano Carvalho Lopes stood out, delivering particularly creative and exciting moves.

However, I wish I’d seen a more polished performance overall. Some set routines were poorly developed and a little childish, and a contest recreating the Vogue dance routine seemed to need fine tuning. They also brought a clap-o-meter on stage; prompting audience participation felt a touch clumsy.

It will always bring a smile to my face when I see and hear about street dance, break-dancing and body popping. I love to see how it continues to evolve.  I’m always on the lookout for dancers keeping it fresh and putting an element of sophistication into street dance, because that’s what my favourite street dancers, like Michael Jackson, do. MJ made street dance sophisticated and opened it up to the world; and once you sophisticate a dance form, you can then take it to another level and deliver it to a wider audience. 

Blaze is at the Peacock Theatre in Holborn until 28 March 2010