TV dance show stars teach Brighton school children ballroom dancing

On Tuesday February 24 Brighton school children will get the chance to practice their ballroom and Latin dance skills with Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova from the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing show. 

Darren and Lilia will be teaching 300 children aged 5-16 from six primary and secondary schools in Brighton how to jive and cha cha cha as part of Essentially Dance - a pilot scheme to improve children’s fitness and self-esteem.

Essentially Dance trains school teachers how to deliver ballroom and Latin dance to children as part of their Physical Education lessons. The teachers get three days of face-to-face dance training with PE and dance experts backed up by a DVD, a step-by-step guide book and music CD.

It has been specially developed by Darren and Lilia in partnership with the Aldridge Foundation, Dale Bennett from City Limits Education, PE and Sports Partnership expert Sue Cooper and Lorraine Drolet, a former world amateur champion ballroom dancer.

Essentially Dance is being piloted in six schools in Brighton: Falmer High School, St Bernadettes RC Primary, Hertford Junior School, Hertford Infant School, Coombe Road Primary, Moulescoomb Primary.

They will be taking part in the launch event on February 24th at Falmer High School from 1.30pm – 2.30pm.  The pilot scheme is being evaluated by Roehampton University and there are plans to make the training resource available to all schools later this year.

The scheme is being funded by the Aldridge Foundation. Rod Aldridge, chairman of the Foundation who is from Falmer is also sponsoring the new Falmer Academy due to open in 2010.

For more information visit www.essentiallydance.com

Ends

Photo and interview opportunity

1.30-2.30pm Tuesday February 24, 2009

Falmer High School
Lewes Rd
Brighton, BN1 9PW
01273 665454

Darren and Lilia will show 300 children from six schools how to jive and cha cha cha. This will be followed by a Q&A session where the children can ask questions and an opportunity for photographs and interviews.

For more information contact Petra Coveney at the Aldridge Foundation, tel: 020 7925 7905 / Blackberry 07590 83 1966
or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
Notes to Editor

• Essentially Dance is being funded by the Aldridge Foundationwww.aldridgefoundation.com in partnership with Darren Bennett, Lilia Kopylova, Dale Bennett  from City Limits Education, Physical Education and School Sports Partnership expert Sue Cooper and Lorraine Drolet a former world amateur champion ballroom dancer who runs children’s dance classes in London.

• It is being piloted in 29 schools at five key sites: Darwen near Blackburn, Salford, Rotherham, Bromley in South London, and Falmer near Brighton.

• An independent evaluation is being conducted by Roehampton University’s School of Education with a report due in May.

• How can it promote healthy life-styles?
  Current government statistics show that two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight.  Through giving young people a new option which is accessible to all, we can raise physical activity levels amongst them and their communities.  According to the NHS, ballroom dance can burn up to 300 calories an hour.

• Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health, stressed the role dance can play in improving health and fitness in the adult population, and has pledged to convene a working group to explore how we get all generations active through dance.

• How can it promote inter-generational and cross-gender relationships?
  Ballroom dance is an activity that anyone of any age can take up.  It promotes communication between men and women and boys and girls, and provides who families with something they can enjoy together.  A dance programme in Rawmarsh, entitled Families Come Dancing allowed groups of all ages to forge new relationships.

• Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova are starring in their own production of Latin Fever at the Peacock Theatre in London from 27 May – 28 June