WEEKLY UPDATE

WEEKLY UPDATE 2nd AUGUST 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13864501?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Hope you’re all having a good weekend and thanks for coming to classes this week.

AUGUST CLASS CANCELLATIONS:
NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Tues 11th August – Goodmans & Yoga
Tues 25th August – Goodmans ONLY
Monday 31st August – Dance Fitness

GOODMAN’S might also be closed on the 1st September – it depends on if the decorators have finished or not – I will of course, let you know!

ALL other classes running as normal – but if in doubt – please check the website, the group messages or message me on: 07811 823467

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. Lots of fabulous requests, so keep them coming. We did a new one called SHY GUY – co-choreographed by me and Steph – the link will take you to the music (no video yet) – but here is the link to Steph’s channel for LOTS of the other dances we’ve choreographed together:
https://www.youtube.com/@zumbastephg/videos
Some of the routines have some slight variations – maybe some different arms or we often do turns or a jump where she doesn’t etc – but essentially they are the same routines choreographed to be suitable for both Fitness and Gold levels.

YOGA
Fab class this week – I do love a Looping Flow! If you found it challenging – job done! I NEVER want anyone to leave a class of mine thinking, ‘That was a bit boring!’ There are spaces in the class if you want to give it a try. See the website for more info on the POWER YOGA as it’s a bit different from the ‘normal’ yoga!
ROADWORKS – HORTON ROAD
There are roadworks along Horton Road in the village – and you can’t access the hall car park from the Station Road end – but if you come in the other way (from Jacobs Lane end) the car park is open.
Remember there is NO CLASS on the 11th August.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMAN’S
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes.
We did COCONUT DREAMS (week one for Goodman’s and week two for Friday) and FIND ME A BEACH – Friday only (which I still don’t like much – although the music is OK).
We also did FOREVER & A DAY – which was our BLAST FROM THE PAST. If you’re on the Whatsapp Groups – I sent over a video of the lovely Richard teaching it to you – this link takes you to Richard dancing it with music/verbal instruction. I shall expect you all step perfect next week!
I have a little list going for the BLAST FROM THE PAST part of the classes – so if you have any requests for this – let me know – here’s what’s on it so far:
BOSSA NOVA
QUANDO
VERTICAL EXPRESSIONS
T BONE SHUFFLE
SOUTHERN DREAMS
SENORITA LA LA LA
CAUGHT IN THE ACT

Remember to check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly (a few of those are on there). I’ve recently updated it with some of the newer ones that have made the grade – so please do check it out!

PRICE INCREASE
From 1^st SEPTEMBER 2026 the cost of the classes will be increasing.
Dance Fitness / Zumba / Modern Line will be as follows:
Single class: £9
Double class: £12
*** If you already attend Goodman’s on Tuesdays there is no increase as these are the current prices anyway and they are not changing***
Yoga class: £12

CLASS PASSES
If you have recently bought a CLASS PASS – I will not be asking you to pay anything extra even if you don’t use it up before the end of August. If you would like to buy a pass at the current prices BEFORE the increase – the FIVE CLASS PASS is still available until end of August.

From September FIVE CLASS PASSES will be:
£45 single class
£60 double class
£60 Yoga
The class passes are valid for SIX MONTHS from date of issue. You do not need to attend consecutive classes.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them..

UPDATE – 26th JULY 2026

Hi Everybody!

Hope you’re enjoying your sunny weekend! (although it’s looking a bit cloudy out there this morning!) Thanks for coming out to dance this week and here’s your updates.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along to class. No new dances this week – but I have a new one lined up for you this week called COCONUT DREAMS – that we did at Friday class A perfect cha cha for the summer – you’ll love it!
Just a few dates for your diary:
***PLEASE NOTE GOODMAN’S CLASS CLOSURES AUGUST ***
August 4 – classes as normal
August 11 – NO CLASSES
August 18 – classes as normal
August 25 – NO CLASSES

The studio might also be closed on the 1st September – which is the Tuesday after the August Bank Holiday – but Sue said she would let me know and if the decorators have finished – we can have a class on that date as normal. I will of course let you know as soon as I do!

MODERN LINE – Friday
Thank you for coming this week – we did a couple of new ones:
COCONUT DREAMS – which scored an 8/10
FIND ME A BEACH – not quite so popular at 5/10 – although the woman in the video (click the link) looks ecstatic dancing it! I can’t work out if she meant to put on one black and one white shoe… very off putting though!

Anyway – both dances I thought were very appropriate for the Summer.

UPDATE ON BURST WATER MAIN / BUSES
I am also happy to report that the High Street is all back to normal again after the burst water main – and the buses are running.

NANNA DUTIES
I know some of you are not able to come to classes over the Summer Holidays as you’re on Nanna Duties – but if you would like to bring your well behaved grandchildren to classes – they are very welcome to come along.

Come for a chat, a chance to move your body and to enjoy the music and the company of others and leave with a smile!

YOGA – Tuesday
Thank you for coming along this week – we did a Looping Flow – which is one of my favourite ways to structure a class. A looping flow is super good for your brain and focus as you move around the mat revisiting poses – but facing a different way, so you’re not just challenging the body with the stretching, balance and strength building – you’re also giving the brain a bit of a workout too. If you would like to give the class a go – we have spaces! See here for details: dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga
*** PLEASE NOTE NO CLASS TUESDAY 11th AUGUST***

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
I am feeling very excited as I have just got home from a FABULOUS choreo session with Steph – and we’ve been working on two brand new routines for you.

If you’re on the group Whatsapp – then I’ve already shared links to the tracks – one is a JIVE and the other a REGGAETON – a rhythm that we haven’t had a new one in for simply AGES! I think the last one we did was El Abusador. I will be teaching one of them this week – which one? You’ll have to come to class to find out!

PLAYLISTS – posted on the WHATSAPP GROUPS – although having just put that – I think I forgot to add Wed/Thurs. Sorry! I shall try harder this week to remember to post them as soon as I get home. Still plenty of room for your requests on the playlists, let me know what you would like!

All classes running as normal – no cancellations this week (hooray!) – although WEDNESDAY CLASS might start a few minutes late as there is a funeral wake in Room 4 (which is the room they normally use for the yoga class) which might not be finished by the time Maggie comes to do her yoga class – so she will use the hall – which means that we may be five minutes later starting class if that’s the case.

Click here for class timetable

CLASS PASSES
If you have recently bought a CLASS PASS – I will not be asking you to pay anything extra even if you don’t use it up before the end of August. If you would like to buy a pass at the current prices BEFORE the prices go up – the FIVE CLASS PASS is still available until end of August.

From September FIVE CLASS PASSES will be:
£45 single class
£60 double class
£60 Yoga
The class passes are valid for SIX MONTHS from date of issue. You do not need to attend consecutive classes.

If anyone has any questions, please let me know. Thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you soon.

Kind regards

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 19th JULY 2026

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – I am really grateful for your support especially in the wake of the hot weather, burst water mains, building works, football and buses on diversion to name a few of the challenges we’ve had this week! If you made it – thank you and I hope you had fun!

This week – as I’ve run out of your pets to feature – I’m back to featuring the Canva Cats. This is Maurice. Well – that’s the name I’ve given him! Just looking at his little face cheered me up! Do you think he always looks that surprised?

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along. No new ones. We have SO many really good ones – that it’s hard to cram them all in! All the music lists were posted on the groups. Let me know your favourites as I am happy to re teach any of the ones we have loved and ‘lost’.
Might have a new one for you this week – don’t know yet – come to class to find out!!
***PLEASE NOTE GOODMANS CLASS CLOSURES AUGUST ***
August 4 – classes as normal
August 11 – NO CLASSES
August 18 – classes as normal
August 25 – NO CLASSES

MODERN LINE – Friday
Thank you for coming this week – despite all the problems with burst water mains, toilets and no public transport up the High Street. I shall be glad when everything gets back to normal – but of course – now the kids have broken up and the Summer Holidays are here – I guess we’ll be waiting a bit longer! But no worries – if you can make it – I’ll be there! Dance classes are SO much more than just learning to dance! Come for a chat, a chance to move your body and to enjoy the music and the company of others. We didn’t do any new dances, but I have a couple lined up for you! See previous updates for the current newish ones.

YOGA – Tuesday
I know that you know (if you already come to class) that yoga is much more than just a bunch of poses…yes? Well – if you didn’t – try this – it’s a bit of a long read – but in a nutshell – it’s basically saying – get yer ass to a yoga class (preferably mine!)- and enjoy the cognitive benefits of better focus, a quieter mind and a stronger, more relaxed body… what’s not to like?
https://thriva.co/hub/research-roundup/yoga-brain-health?lid=8plb3r0j885l
If you would like to give the class a go – we have spaces! See here for details: dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
PLAYLISTS – posted on the WHATSAPP GROUPS – we danced a great loved but lost one called Boom Boom Mama on Thursday – so might leave that in the playlists this week – but still plenty of room for your requests. Let me know what you would like!

All classes running as normal – no cancellations this week (hooray!).

Click here for class timetable

PODCASTS
And – far be it for me to be boring and bang on about exercising and the benefits of the THREE main types you should be doing – Strength, Stability/Flexibility and Cardio – have a listen to this instead of me – especially if you are approaching or are over 50. This is the same chap as last weeks podcast – but this one is with Liz Earle (who you will know I really like!)
EASY WAYS TO BUILD STRENGTH and PROTECT MOBILITY

PRICE INCREASES
From 1^st SEPTEMBER 2026 the cost of the classes will be increasing.
Dance Fitness / Zumba / Modern Line will be as follows:
Single class: £9
Double class: £12
*** If you already attend Goodman’s on Tuesdays there is no increase as these are the current prices anyway and they are not changing***

Yoga class: £12

CLASS PASSES
If you have recently bought a CLASS PASS – I will not be asking you to pay anything extra even if you don’t use it up before the end of August. If you would like to buy a pass BEFORE the prices go up – the FIVE CLASS PASS is still available for £40 (or £50 for yoga and double dance) until end of August.

From September FIVE CLASS PASSES will be:
£45 single class
£60 double class
£60 Yoga
The class passes are valid for SIX MONTHS from date of issue. You do not need to attend consecutive classes.

If anyone has any questions, please let me know. Thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you soon.

Kind regards

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 12th JULY 2026 –

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – I’m now a bit fed up with the hot weather – and I expect many of you are too – as it does make everything – not just exercising – but also sleeping and commuting – so much more challenging when the energy feels like it’s being sucked out of you – even if you know sweating is good for you! I really appreciate you supporting the classes in the heat, so if you made it this week – I hope you had fun!

Our cover star this week is the beautiful Pandora. She belongs to Ros who comes along to Tuesday classes. Ros says that the purple octopus is Pandora’s favourite toy which she loves to fling around, when it’s not too hot.

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
PLAYLISTS – all posted on the WHATSAPP GROUPS – see below on how to join if you’re not already on the list. Lots of room on the playlists for your favourites, so keep sending over your requests and I still have a couple of new ones lined up – but as it’s been so hot and class numbers have been a bit low – I’m saving them for when things get back to a bit more normal – which doesn’t look like this week now – see below!

WEDNESDAY CLASS CANCELLED
Even if you’re not a football fan, you’ll probably know that England are playing in the World Cup SEMI FINAL this week – which is WEDNESDAY evening – kick off is 8pm. I predict that most people will probably be down the pub watching the game and not thinking about coming out to dance. I know when I’m beaten! You are all welcome to pop along to the Monday or Thursday classes instead. Click here for class timetable.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along. No new ones. We have SO many really good ones – that it’s hard to cram them all in! We did week two of LAMTARRA RHUMBA (Sex on the Beach)
and our oldie in the second class this week:
I DON’T FEEL LIKE DANCING
Click the links for the step sheets/videos
Please send over any requests you have! I am happy to re teach any of the ones we have loved and ‘lost’.

MODERN LINE – Friday
Thank you for coming this week – it felt even hotter than the week before – if that was possible! No new dances and as it was a very small class I didn’t go over the new ones we did the week before. Here they are if you want a little peek before Friday.
LEKKER DING
LITTLE MISS ROCK AROUND (that was pretty nifty!)
Click the links for the step sheets/ videos.
I didn’t send out Friday’s list on the Whatsapp group as I forgot (it’s the weather!) So here it is and I have to say – considering it was SO hot – we all did a fabulous job!

Stroll Along Cha Cha (Havana)
Charleston (We’re Bringing it Back)
Do You Love Me
Rhumbumbumba
Love Potion 666
Choosin’ Texas
House of Bamboo
Reba’s Waltz
Summer Breeze
Mini Melodia aka Sizzlin’ Sausages
Most Beautiful Girl
Rocket to the Sun (Never Can Say Goodbye)
Wild West & Wicked
Movimiento
Hold Me Now
Jazz it Up
Red Dress Rebel
Places

YOGA – Tuesday
We did a lovely instagram inspired balancing flow this week – with one legged Tadasana, Warrior III and Half Moon – which is always a challenge. Everyone did a brilliant job. Still waiting to hear what your favourite poses are, so let me know and I’ll work them into a flow sequence for you. Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

if you would like to give the class a go – there are a few spaces left. Power Yoga is brilliant for building up STRENGTH, improving FLEXIBILITY and BALANCE and helping you FOCUS.

PODCASTS
And – talking of strength and balance and flexibility – have a listen to this…
STOP LOSING MUSCLE AF TER 50 – DO THIS INSTEAD

That’s all for now!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 5th JULY 2026

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – I hope you had fun! Not quite as hot – but hot enough – but then you know – sweating is good for you!

Our cover star this week is Lil The Tigress (Lily) – she belongs to Tracey who says that Lily is almost 18 years old and despite being a bit deaf (maybe selective – you never can tell with cats!) and with slightly crossed eyes (she has inversion of her lower eye lashes), she shows no signs of slowing down! Sounds like a good role model to me!

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
PLAYLISTS – all posted on the WHATSAPP GROUPS – see below on how to join if you’re not already on the list. We had some fabulous requests for dances this week – some we hadn’t done for simply ages, a few of which I will add to the playlists this coming week, if we have room. I do have a couple of new ones lined up – but maybe not this week – I’ll see how the weather plays out first – but please keep sending over any requests you have. Generally there are between 16-18 tracks in a typical class including the cool-down/stretch, so lots of opportunity to do your favourites – and mine too!

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along. I am planning a couple of new ones – but as ever – who knows what might happen?! We did a golden oldie in the second class this week:
I DON’T FEEL LIKE DANCING
Click the link for the step sheet/video
Please send over any requests you have! I am happy to re teach any of the ones we have loved and ‘lost’.

LEN GOODMAN MEMORIAL UNVEILING
It was so lovely to see you all at the unveiling of the Len Goodman Memorial on Wednesday – there was a great crowd and we had really good weather too. Here’s a pic of me, Irene (who is one of the other dance teachers) and Craig Revel Horwood.

See that little jar I’ve got? That’s PICKLED WALNUTS!!

I’ve also got some little badges that say, ‘It’s a TEN from LEN’ on them – which I’ll bring if anyone wants one. It was also fabulous to see our very own Ruth on the news talking about her time at the dance studio. <3.

MODERN LINE – Friday
Thank you for coming this week – not quite as hot as last week – but it was pretty warm still! We did lots of dances we hadn’t done for a while plus TWO new dances:
LEKKER DING
LITTLE MISS ROCK AROUND (that was pretty nifty!)
Click the links for the step sheets/ videos.
Friday’s music list was posted via the Whatsapp Groups. See below for the Whatsapp group and contact details on how to join if you’re not already a member.

YOGA – Tuesday
We did a solid Sun Salutation flow this week with some core strength poses including side planks and fallen triangles which are some of my favourites! What are YOUR favourite poses? Let me know and I’ll work them into a flow sequence for you.
Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

That’s all for now!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 28th JUNE 2026

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – I hope you had fun! Just a quick update as not much to report really!

Thanks for coming this week – I know it was hotter than hot – so classes were understandably a bit low on numbers!
So if you made it – thank you so much. Fingers crossed for cooler weather this week.

All classes running as normal – here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
PLAYLISTS – all posted on the WHATSAPP GROUPS – see below on how to join if you’re not already on the list. Please send over any requests for dances you would like to do this week.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along. No new dances – might have a new one for you this week – who knows!? Please send over any requests you have! I am happy to re teach any of the ones we have loved and ‘lost’.

LEN GOODMAN MEMORIAL UNVEILING
Just a reminder the memorial they have been working on is being unveiled this week on WEDNESDAY at 11. I’ll be there!

MODERN LINE – Friday
Thank you for coming this week – it was so ridiculously hot! I did consider cancelling – but the only reason I didn’t was because I had already paid for the hall, so I thought I might as well go and be hot there rather than moping around at home still being hot! So thank you to those who also thought the same. We had a lovely couple of hours and did some dances we hadn’t done for ages too! Friday’s list was posted via the Whatsapp Groups. See below for the Whatsapp group and contact details.

YOGA – Tuesday
We did a very different class this week which focused on the alignment of some of the poses – sometimes when you’re in a flow class, you don’t get the chance to really ‘settle in’ to a pose. So it was kinda nice to do this for a change. Back to flow this week.

PODCASTS
Hope you’re enjoying the podcasts recommendations: Here’s the last two recommendations again just in case you’ve not had time to take a listen. They are both by Dr Alex. He’s very sweet, earnest and he talks a LOT of sense and they are really worth a watch/listen!

THE PATIENT THAT CHANGED MY ENTIRE CAREER FOREVER

HOW I HARMED MY PATIENTS (Not what you think!)

That’s all for now!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 21st JUNE 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13863294?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – I hope you had fun!

We had small but perfectly formed classes this week – I blame the football and the hot weather – so special thank you for your support if you did make it. We had a blast as usual!

All classes running as normal this week, and I know it’s going to be a tad war, BUT! Dare I say it? Sweating is GOOD for you – and you’re gonna be hot anyway – so you might as well make it worth it! Just remember to wear loose clothing and stay hydrated. You don’t have to dance full out – just take the movement down a bit – as any movement is better than none – bet you’ve not hear that one before! I will of course also adjust the playlists accordingly. Tuesday and Thursday venues also have air conditioning and the other two halls are often quite cool inside anyway.

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Thanks for coming out to dance in the warm weather. All the playlists were posted on the groups via the apple music lists – which I hope are helpful to you as they also show the artist. See below on how to join if you’re not already on the lists, and please send over any requests for this week.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along. We did TWO new ones: a nice easy slowish Cha Cha – BACK TO BOSTON and in the second class a fast, but easy Bachata called MOVIMIENTO. – which I really liked.

No new dances planned for this week – but who knows? We also did some oldies – and we ran out of time (as always) as I was planning to go over JERUSALEMA (PART II ) – so I will do that this week. Please send me over any other requests you have!

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see you all this week. Thank you for coming! No new dances this week but week two of BACK TO BOSTON and MOVIMIENTO. Click the names to be taken to the step sheets / video if you want a little practice and remember if you have any requests – please let me know! I am always happy to go over ones that we have loved and lost.

All the dance lists were posted via the Whatsapp Groups via the apple music links – which is the actual MUSIC used in class – not just the dance. See below for the Whatsapp group and contact details.

YOGA – Tuesday
We did a lovely hip opening flow this week using the Lizard pose – which targets the psoas, glutes and the hamstrings. We also did some one legged balances – Warrior III and Dancer pose – so I hope you enjoyed the challenge. Balancing is really great for focus as well as strength. Keep breathing!

As I said last week, I am DELIGHTED to see that there is lots of talk in the mainstream media about STRENGTH and RESISTANCE TRAINING and Power Yoga is a PERFECT exercise to choose! What makes power yoga so good is that it’s much more accessible to most people – you don’t have to join a gym or use weights or bands or any kind of machine – no one shouts at you and there’s no pumping ‘motivational’ music. Just you, your breath, focus and your own body weight and you can work at your own pace as you build up your strength.
If you want:
* Toned arms
* A firm bottom
* Flat tummy
* Strong core
* Good posture
* Focused mind
You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can build up your balance, stability and gain some strength – all by using your own body weight. It’s an all levels class and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do a headstand to join! We don’t take ourselves too seriously and there is no chanting or humming or sitting cross legged in lotus pose.
It’s YOGA – but not as you know it! No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information: dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

PODCASTS
As part of my passion is helping people get fitter, stronger and to age well – I love a good podcast/talk on things that you can do to support yourself to live a long, healthy and functional life. I have been listening to Dr Alex for a few months now.
I sent you a Dr Alex one last week – which I hope you got the chance to listen to – but as he’s my new obsession – here’s one I watched last night that I thought was excellent too:

DR ALEX – HOW I HARMED MY PATIENTS

Ignore the slightly alarming title – it’s not what you think! Definitely worth a listen!

That’s all for now! I’m off to catch some sun today and maybe tackle that ironing pile later with a glass of wine!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 14th JUNE 2026 –

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – I hope you had fun! Just a quick update as I’m going to try and catch some sun today!

Thanks for coming this week – we had super busy classes… fabulous dancing, great atmospheres and lots of laughs. Looking forward to doing it all again this coming week. All classes running as normal.

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Fab classes – great feedback on the PLAYLISTS – I have posted them on the WHATSAPP GROUPS – see below on how to join if you’re not already on the list. Please send over any requests for this week.

REFURBISHMENT WORKS on FRONT ENTRANCE at the METHODIST CENTRE!
Just a quick reminder that the works are going on at the front entrance to the hall – so access is down the left hand side of the building and round the back to the fire exits.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along this week. No new dances – but we crammed in as many oldies and goodies as we could. Got a couple of brand new ones lined up this week for you – tried and tested on Friday. See below for links if you want a sneaky preview. And please send me over any requests you have!

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see you all this week. Thank you for coming! We did our usual mix of old favourites and newer dances and we did TWO brand new ones:

A really easy slowish Cha Cha – BACK TO BOSTON and a fast, but easy Bachata in the second class called MOVIMIENTO.

Click the names to be taken to the step sheets / video if you want a little practice and remember if you have any requests – please send them over! All the dance lists were posted via the Whatsapp Groups. See below for the Whatsapp group and contact details.

YOGA – Tuesday
We did a Looping Flow this week – great for the brain as well as the body! Hope you enjoyed the class. I am DELIGHTED to see that there is lots of talk in the mainstream media about STRENGTH and RESISTANCE TRAINING and Power Yoga is a PERFECT exercise to choose! What makes power yoga so good is that it’s much more accessible to most people – you don’t have to join a gym or use weights or bands or any kind of machine – you’re just using your own body weight and you can work at your own pace as you build up you strength.
If you want:
* Toned arms
* A firm bottom
* Flat tummy
* Strong core
* Good posture
* Focused mind
You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can build up your balance, stability and gain some strength – all by using your own body weight. It’s an all levels class and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do a headstand to join! We don’t take ourselves too seriously and there is no chanting or humming or sitting cross legged in lotus pose.
It’s YOGA – but not as you know it! No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information: dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

PODCASTS
As part of my passion is helping people get fitter, stronger and to age well – I love a good podcast/talk on things that you can do to support yourself to live a long, healthy and functional life. I have been listening to Dr Alex for a few months now. I watched this the other night..
THE PATIENT THAT CHANGED MY ENTIRE CAREER FOREVER
It’s a story about one of his patients, which could easily be ANY of us or one of our loved ones – but the last five minutes or so he talks about things we can all do to improve the quality of our lives as we age. Definitely worth a listen!

That’s all for now!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 7th JUNE 2026

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming out to dance this week! Hope you enjoyed the classes as much as I did. Thankfully it wasn’t quite as hot – but where did the sun go? I bought some new garden furniture at the Ideal Home Exhibition a few weeks ago and I’ve only used it once so far!

Here’s your updates:

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Rolled out a new one this week called Rhumbumbumba. Same artist as Love Potion 666. Such a great track, high energy with a sing-a-long chorus. Love it! If you missed the walk through – I’ll do a quick one this week for you – but don’t worry as it is pretty easy to pick up. I also had a fabulous choreo session with Steph last weekend – so along with this one – we’ve got two more lined up for you over the summer. One called SHAKE YER ASS (can’t wait for this one too – it’s an Electro Swing track – a bit like a Charleston) and one called PARY – which is a Latin based one.

I’m ALWAYS after your requests too, so please send them over. If you’d like to join the Whatsapp Group for sending in yours and generally keeping in touch – see below for details.

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday / Friday
Thanks for coming out to dance! Fabulous classes . I LOVE my job. All classes running as normal this coming week. Current new dances are:
BLACK LABEL
DO YA LOVE ME
RED DRESS REBEL

Oldies but goodies currently being revived:
RED HOT SALSA (BAD BOYS)
POR TI SERE
RUNAWAY RUMBA
PEACHES & CREAM
MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL
MARIA’s DANCE 24
JUST A KISS
PLAYBOYS

I’m pretty sure all those dances are on the CLASS FAVOURITES page – just click that link to be taken to the website for step sheets and video links. I will be updating the list again soon – adding in the newer ones that have made the grade.
Remember – if you have any questions or need some extra help – let me know and I will do my best to sort you out! Also – there’s lots of information and resources on the website including a downloadable PDF of STEP DESCRIPTIONS used in Modern Line Dance – just click the link.

YOGA – Tuesday
A challenging standing flow this week, lots of core work and balancing. Did you know that POWER YOGA is also RESISTANCE TRAINING? There is lots on the news about the benefits of this at the moment – as we all know that building muscle and strength contributes to a better quality of life – especially as you age and the good news is you don’t have to join a gym, you don’t need weights, dumbbells or even bands – you just need your own body weight, so if you’d like to give this a go – come on down and try it out.. I always have a really good nights sleep after Yoga, too. You should come along and try it! It really does work. I’ll lend you a mat!

More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

Our CLASS TIMETABLE is here.

PODCASTS
I was delighted this week to see that STRENGTH & RESISTANCE TRAINING has finally made the BBC news this week – it’s so important as we age!

Have a listen to this Mel Robbins podcast with Dr Vonda Wright.. talking about bone health as we age and what we can do RIGHT NOW to improve our chances of living well for longer, Let me know what you think!

https://youtu.be/qQO-lL6gJSQ?si=BLe5PFIiUzf-82S5

That’s all for now. Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 31st MAY 2026

Hi Everybody

I’ve had a fab weekend so far – hope you have too. I just LOVE the Summer weather.. although I think it’s going to take a bit of a dive this week – but remember – the sun ALWAYS SHINES on the dance floor – and it’s never too hot to dance as sweating is GOOD for you. I know I say that every time it gets a bit warm – but it’s TRUE! Just bring some extra water with you – and honestly – don’t even try NOT to sweat.. if it’s hot you’ll sweat anyway – even at home sitting on the sofa – so you might as well make it worth it!

Thanks for coming along to dance this week – we were a bit light on numbers – half term and lots of people on holiday – thanks for sharing all the photos! I love it when you tell me that you were dancing by the pool as one of our dance tracks came on and you couldn’t help it! Or maybe you’d too many beers before lunch? As long as you’re dancing!

Here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
First of all – all classes running this week – no more Bank Holidays for a while. I’m hoping to roll out a new one this week as I’ve a choreo session booked with Steph today – we’ve got some really good music lined up to choreograph some brand new routines for the Summer! I’m so EXCITED! Also – I’m ALWAYS after your requests, so please send them over. If you’d like to join the Whatsapp Group for sending in yours and generally keeping in touch – see below for details.

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday / Friday
Thanks for coming out to dance! Good to see all our new dancers are getting the hang of it – it does take a bit of time – but you WILL get there, just keep on releasing that inner dance Goddess! Remember – if you have any questions or need some extra help – let me know and I will do my best to sort you out! Also – there’s lots of information and resources on the website if you’ve not had a look yet – as well as links to steps sheets and videos of the dances we do – see below for link.
There’s also a link to a downloadable PDF of STEP DESCRIPTIONS used in Modern Line Dance – just click the link.

All classes running as normal this coming week. We did a new one Friday in class two:
BLACK LABEL
And the current other new ones are:
DO YA LOVE ME – week two
RED DRESS REBEL – week two

We did some oldies but goodies:
RED HOT SALSA (BAD BOYS)
POR TI SERE
RUNAWAY RUMBA
PEACHES & CREAM
MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL
MARIA’s DANCE 24
JUST A KISS

All those dances are on the CLASS FAVOURITES page – just click that link to be taken to the website for step sheets and video links. I will be updating the list again soon – adding in the newer ones that have made the grade.

YOGA – Tuesday
A standing flow this week, it was a pretty warm evening, so not too many chatturangas and planks, but more balancing and focus work. I always have a really good nights sleep after Yoga. You should come along and try it! It really does work.
If you’ve not been before, I invite you to come on down. You do not need to be flexible or able to stand on one leg to join. You just need to be willing to give it a go and be up for a challenge! We all know that building muscle and strength contributes to a better quality of life – especially as you age. I’ll lend you a mat!

More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

Our CLASS TIMETABLE is here.

That’s all for now. Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 24th May 2026

Hi Everybody

Hot innit? Hope you’re enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend. I LOVE this sort of weather…and as you all know – I love a good sweatfest at class too…did I ever mention sweating is GOOD for you!? CLICK HERE if you don’t believe me!

Thanks for coming along to dance this week – and for all the lovely feedback on the playlists and the fun you’ve all had. I really look forward to seeing you all every week and knowing that the dance classes play a big part in your lives. I love that you all look forward to coming to class – and I know you all know that the classes aren’t just about dancing – they are about having fun, enjoying the music, chatting and making friends and having a laugh, so I just want to say THANK YOU for making my job such a dream!

Here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
First of all – NO CLASS MONDAY – it’s another of those damn Bank Holidays – but then – hopefully that’ll make you all the more eager for Wednesday class! Make sure you send me any requests! If it is hot – just remember to bring enough water with you and let go of the idea of trying NOT to sweat. And click that link above to find out why sweating really is good for your health!

I did promise a new one last week – but didn’t manage to fit it in – so many fab requests. I’ve a choreo session booked with Steph this coming weekend – so that means MORE new dances will be coming your way. I’m so excited!

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE
Thanks for coming out to dance! A big welcome to all our newer dancers! There’s lots of information and resources on the website if you’ve not had a look yet – as well as links to steps sheets and videos of the dances we do – see below for link.
There’s also a link to a downloadable PDF of STEP DESCRIPTIONS used in Modern Line Dance – just click the link.

All classes running as normal this coming week and the new dances we have been doing are:
DO YA LOVE ME
RED DRESS REBEL

if you check back on the website under WEEKLY UPDATE – you’ll also get links to the other recent dances – like RHUMBUMBUMBA and HEY CABALLERO etc.

And as always, we also did some of our CLASS FAVOURITES – click that link to be taken to the website where most of the dances we do regularly have step sheets and video links. I will be updating the list again soon – adding in the newer ones that have made the grade.

YOGA TUESDAY
We did a good solid basic type flow this week – it’s always good to revisit the basic poses of the practice, which coupled with the breath is the magic of yoga – although often a Power Yoga class is NOT quite what you expect yoga to be like!

There’s not much lying around on the floor relaxing – these classes are about building strength, improving balance AND working on flexibility. We ‘flow/move’ through the poses, focusing on using the breath and some sequences can be pretty challenging.

More flowing to look forward to this week and if you’ve not been before, but would like to try out the class for FREE – I invite you to come on down. You do not need to be flexible or able to stand on one leg to join. You just need to be willing to give it a go and be up for a challenge! I’ll lend you a mat!

More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

Our CLASS TIMETABLE is here.

That’s all for now. Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 17th MAY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13862129?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Hope you’re having a fab weekend. Thanks for coming out to dance and stretch this week! It was good to be back after a week of eating, drinking and getting rained on!

Our cover star this week is FREDDY. Freddy is 13 years old and a definite Felix doppelgänger. He is another of Kay’s cats (she’s got four – so still two to go!). Kay says they have had Freddy since he was 9 months old and he can be found either eating or sleeping in his favourite spot, which is on the back of the sofa next to the window! Sounds like he got lucky there!

AND – apologies! If you’ve previously sent me a pet pic and I have not featured them yet – the chances are that they have slipped through my normal amazing admin process and have got lost out there… so if you haven’t seen your pet as a cover star – please re-send me another pic, their name and something about them for future updates!

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Fab classes this week. Loved Wednesday especially. A great atmosphere and a fab playlist! I am thinking of rolling out a new one this week – pretty easy – the usual format: Verse / chorus / verse / chorus / middle section / chorus / chorus – so each section has it’s own moves- which we repeat. Of course I will take you through the sections, so you know what to expect.
As always – send me your other requests and look forward to dancing with you.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday
Super busy again, thank you for coming along. I’ve a new one to unleash on you – which we did Friday – see below for the links. I’m also going to teach you Rock ‘n’ Roll Bride – in the second class – which is fast and fun – again see Friday class for the step sheet/video link if you want a sneaky preview!

If you have requests – let me know. Remember to check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE – on the website for dances we have loved over the years.

YOGA – Tuesday
Thanks for coming this week. We did a mostly standing flow – which started with a Warrior III. Not for the faint hearted. If you came to class – I want you all to know that you’re all amazing – as not may people could do what we did! It takes enormous amounts of focus, balance and strength. Brilliant work!

If you would like to give the class a go – pop along! You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can build up your balance, stability and gain some strength – all really important as we age. It’s an all levels class and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do a headstand to join! We don’t take ourselves too seriously and there is no chanting or humming or sitting cross legged in lotus pose. It’s YOGA – but not as you know it!
No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see everyone this week, thank you for coming! We did new dances in both classes, plus a smattering of older dances:
The brand new ones were:

DO YA LOVE ME
RED DRESS REBEL
and oldies but goodies:
LONG SHOT
POR TI SERE
ROCK ‘n’ ROLL BRIDE

PODCASTS / VIDEOS
Here’s a REALLY good one! Forget exercising to look good. Focus on exercise for being able to FUNCTION well into old age.

FORGET THE BIKINI BODY! EXERCISE FOR YOUR ‘OLD LADY’ BODY!

If you get the chance to listen and would like some support or coaching – I can help!
See my website: HEALTH & FITNESS COACHING

That’s all for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 10th MAY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13861877?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

This is probably going to be the quickest update ever!
I’m back from my week in Madeira – we had a fab time, despite the weather. Drove all over the island in a Jeep, ate our way around Funchal and drank LOTS of Poncha and Madeira wine! Walked up hill and down dale and uphill a bit more- I guess if you’ve ever been there, you’ll know what I mean! And if you’re wondering – the cover pic is just inside the entrance to BLANDY’S WINE LODGE – where we did some wine tasting on Monday morning at 10am! Obviously highly recommended.
I just want to say a HUGE THANKS to Bex for looking after Wednesday & Thursday classes – looks like you had FAB playlists. I haven’t done ANY dancing for what feels like AGES – so I’m looking forward to dancing with you all this week!!

That’s all for now. Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 3rd MAY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13861329?e=[UNIQID]

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – I hope you had fun!

A quick update as some of you know I’m in Madeira this week, here’s the view from the hotel balcony.. feel sorry for me as the weather forecast is dreadful. I’ll either drown or get rusty…

Bex is covering Wednesday & Thursday but Tuesday & Friday classes are CLOSED. I’ll Whatsapp you some ‘homework’ if you like!

Forgot the transfer the Cover Star folder to the laptop – so that’s why you’ve got the cloudy pic! But, if you would like your pet to be one of our cover stars and haven’t sent me a pic yet – the contact details are at the bottom – I need a good photo, their name and something about them! I’ve only got a handful of cats left to feature!

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Fab classes – great feedback on the PLAYLISTS – so that’s good, seeing as they were chosen mostly by you!

*** NO CLASS MONDAY 4th May – it’s a Bank Holiday *** fingers crossed for lovely warm sunny weather, eh? Waaaaaaa!
Wednesday running as normal.
Keep sending those requests!

REFURBISHMENT WORS on FRONT ENTRANCE at the METHODIST CENTRE!
Please note that they are starting work on refurbishing the entrance to the hall. So access to the hall will be down the side and through the fire exits. Typically it’s all starting the week I am away – so I hope it goes smoothly! Bex has it all covered!

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along this week. No new dances – and we crammed in as many as we could. Enjoy your week off – I will miss you! See you all next week.

Please send me your requests for any others that you remember loving that we haven’t done for a while and I will happily go over them.

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see you all this week. Thank you for coming! We didn’t do any new ones – but lots of oldies we haven’t danced for a while.
A quick reminder of the dances we are currently doing – both Tuesday & Friday.
HEY CABALLERO
WILD WEST & WICKED
RHUMBUMBUMBA (that’s my new favourite! Fab music!)
Click the names to be taken to the step sheets / video if you want a little practice and remember please send me your requests for any others that you remember loving that we haven’t done for a while and I will happily go over them.

*** NO CLASS FRIDAY 8th MAY ***

YOGA – Tuesday
Got lots to tell you about the Dr Louise Newson talk – but you’ll have to wait till next week as NO CLASS MAY 5th*** but all back to normal after that.
Did anyone try the Down Dog Flow?
Here it is again just in case you’d like to give it a go:
https://youtu.be/EXh2GanYAZo?si=W-iJyRCq3zTa7-Kg

If you would like to join us from the 12th May – there are spaces available. It’s an all levels class and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do any kind of weird pretzel like pose to join! We don’t take ourselves too seriously and there is no chanting or humming or sitting cross legged in lotus pose. We do a little bit of breath-work – like Box Breathing – which is great for helping the brain and body relax – but nothing is extreme or difficult. A Flow Yoga class will help you focus, balance and gain some strength – all essential as we age.
No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

That’s all for now! Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend – and pray for some sunshine!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 26th APRIL 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13861316?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – I hope you had fun!

Our cover star this week is Sam. He belongs to Anne, who comes to Monday and Wednesday classes. Anne says he’s a very needy cat and sometimes he drives her nuts – especially as he always sits outside the bathroom door when she goes for a wee! (Maybe Sam thinks he’s looking out for her and guarding the door just in case there are any intruders!).

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
As always – fab classes – we were forced to dance on the floor again Monday as the stage was still full of junk – but hooray! We were back on the stage Wednesday – don’t think I’ve ever seen it so clean and clear!
All classes running as normal this week – but please note there is *** NO CLASS MONDAY 4th May – it’s a Bank Holiday *** fingers crossed for lovely warm sunny weather, eh?
Look forward to seeing you all this week – keep sending those requests!

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday Goodman’s
Thank you for coming along this week. No new dances – there are so many really good ones that we do – we always seem to run out of time! We did a mini nod to St George’s Day – so some of us dressed up in Red & White (or in my case orange as my only red top was in the wash!) – here’s the class pic! I know I always say this – but don’t we all look GORGEOUS?

Current favourite dances are:
HEY CABALLERO
WILD WEST & WICKED
RHUMBUMBUMBA (that’s my new favourite! Fab music!)
Click the names to be taken to the step sheets / video if you want a little practice and remember if you have any requests – please send them over! See below for the Whatsapp group and contact details.

YOGA – Tuesday
Thanks for coming this week. We did a Looping Flow – which is SO good for the brain!
*** PLEASE NOTE NO CLASSES for the next two weeks – APRIL 28th & MAY 5th*** but I don’t want you all getting stiff and wobbly – so here’s a link to one of my favourite online teachers – Helen from Floating Yoga School. Give it a go – it’s very similar to our classes. It’s a 30 minute DOWN DOG focused flow. She lives in Hawaii – you can hear the birds and the ocean as you flow. Lovely!
https://youtu.be/EXh2GanYAZo?si=W-iJyRCq3zTa7-Kg

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see you all this week. We did a new one called MEGA MIX – can’t say I liked it much if I am honest. I liked the music – but the dance wasn’t great. I will probably give it another go this week. But, let me know what your thoughts are if you were there.
*** ALSO PLEASE NOTE – NO CLASS FRIDAY 8th MAY ***
Our current other dances are the same as Tuesday class – so see links above.

REQUESTS! REQUESTS! REQUESTS!
Please send me your requests for any dances that you remember loving that we haven’t done for a while – so that I can go over them for you. It would be really helpful if you give me some advance notice, rather than spring one on me at class as although my memory is pretty good – sometimes I need to refresh it before I re-teach something! Thank you!

That’s all for now, enjoy the rest of your weekend and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 11th APRIL 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13860910?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – hope you had fun! It was good to be back after the Easter Break.

I’m sending this a day early – as I am heading down to BRIGHTON this afternoon with Steph as I am her race support for the Brighton Marathon. Not only is she a talented choreographer (as we do all our choreo for the classes together) she is also superwoman and is running the marathon!

Our cover star this week is my cat – Mitzi – sadly I had to have her put to sleep this week – she hadn’t been eating much over the last few weeks and after several (very expensive!) trips to the vet, they discovered she had bowel cancer. It was very sad and I thought I was handling it all very stoically – until Jackson (Gen Z) started sobbing at the vets. We used up a whole box of their tissues!

Anyway – her legacy will definitely live on and I am sure she’ll be up there teaching all the cats (dogs and all other furries!) how to dance, recognise a rhythm and hear restarts in the music!

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Fab class Wednesday (there wasn’t one Monday as it was a Bank Holiday) a bit light on numbers – but I hope to see you all back this week raring to go. No new ones just yet – but I am so happy that our latest dance I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY
is such a hit! Click the name for a video if you have missed it. Look forward to seeing you this week.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday
Thank you for coming along. HEY CABALLERO – seems to be going down well and I’m so pleased you liked it! And we did another new one in the second class – WILD WEST & WICKED. I’ve also got a brand new one planned for this week which I did at Friday classes – it’s FAB! You’ll love this one too!
Remember if you have any requests – please send them over!

YOGA – Tuesday
Thanks for coming this week. We did a Looping Flow – which is so good for the brain as well as the body – so hope you enjoyed that. If you would like to give the class a go – to help your focus, balance, stability and gain some strength – it’s an all levels class and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do a headstand to join! We don’t take ourselves too seriously and there is no chanting or humming or sitting cross legged in lotus pose. It’s YOGA – but not as you know it!
No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see you all this week. We did a brand new one called: RHUMBUMBUMBA – which went down really well. There are two tracks – a slower one and a fast one – and we all decided that the fast one was the best. Click the name for a the step sheet/video.
We also did week two of WILD WEST & WICKED – again – click the link for the step sheet/video. Maybe a new one this week for the second class – who knows?

That’s all for now – I must go pack my bags for Brighton.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 5th APRIL 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13860706?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

HAPPY EASTER! Hope you’re all having a lovely relaxing Easter Weekend.

No real updates for you as we only had a few classes – and I am sure you’ve all got better things to do than read dance class updates!

So – just very quickly – thanks for coming to classes last week if you made it and look forward to seeing you back on the dance floor this coming week for our weekly (or even twice weekly!) dose of fun, fitness and friendship – although just a reminder there is NO CLASS tomorrow – MONDAY.

All previous updates are on the website – CLICK HERE – if you’ve missed any and would like to catch up – and of course you can still send me your requests for dances!

Have a great Easter!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 29th MARCH 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13860460?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Thanks for coming to classes this week – hope you had fun!

Our cover star this week is KITTY. She’s a tiny little rescue dog from Ukraine, who was found on a rubbish tip. She belongs to Nikki – who comes along to Thursday classes. Nikki says Kitty is still a little nervous and anxious sometimes – but she is loved by all! Isn’t she just so sweet?

Here’s your updates for the week/coming week.

First of all – there’s a few cancellations coming up over Easter. So please note NO CLASSES on the following dates. All other classes running as normal.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Fab classes as always – even though we were a bit light on numbers. I’m so pleased that everyone is enjoying our new one – Steph has done a video – just click the link here: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY
Look forward to seeing you this week if you can make it and if not – have a fab Easter! I bloody hope the weather warms up a bit!

Remember – Monday and Wednesday classes only this week as NO CLASS Thursday.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday
Super busy again, thank you for coming along. The new one – HEY CABALLERO – seems to be going down well and I’m so pleased you liked it! I have a new one lined up for class two this week called WILD WEST & WICKED. Can’t wait to teach this one – you’ll love it! Remember if you have any requests – please send them over!

YOGA – Tuesday
Thanks for coming this week. We did a challenging Chair Pose flow with some one legged balancing – which I hope you found equally as enjoyable! We talked a lot about BREATH in the class too – so here is a video that I think you might find interesting.
JAMES NESTOR – COHERENT BREATH

If you would like to give the class a go – to help your focus, balance, stability and gain some strength – it’s an all levels class and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do a headstand to join! We don’t take ourselves too seriously and there is no chanting or humming or sitting cross legged in lotus pose. It’s YOGA – but not as you know it! We also do work on the breath – see above for why this is SO beneficial.
No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see everyone this week. No new ones in the first class – there are so many that we love – I just can’t fit them all in these days, so if we didn’t dance your favourites – let me have your requests! We did a new one in the second class – WILD WEST & WICKED – click the link for the step sheet/video. We gave it a 10/10 score and it’s also the current number one in the Copperknob Chart Line Dance Chart – deservedly so as it’s a good solid line dance to great music. It was definitely fun to dance this one!

Remember NO CLASS GOOD FRIDAY – so you’ve got time to practice! Have a great Easter and see you all the week after – or if you can’t wait til Friday – pop down and join us Tuesday at Goodman’s!

PODCASTS / VIDEOS
Here’s another good one on why DANCING is so good for the brain (& the body!)
HOW TO KEEP YOUR MIND SHARP AT ANY AGE
Neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood talks about preventing cognitive decline and optimizing brain performance. He’s written a new book – The Stimulated Mind – so he’s doing the rounds of the health and wellness podcasts.
I have listened to him in the past and he is all for exercise that involves a cognitive element AND a social element – which together all promote a healthy body and brain – like dancing!

And if you missed last week’s recommended podcast – here’s the link again:
CAN YOUR DIET PROTECT YOUR BRAIN FROM DEMENTIA?

That’s all for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 22nd MARCH 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13860190?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Hope you’re having a fab weekend.

Our cover star this week is MICKY. He’s an English Toy Terrier who belongs to Shirley – a Thursday class dancer. Shirley says he’s a very loving boy and she told me a funny story a few weeks ago – you remember all that wind we had the other week? She was out for a walk with him and little Micky cocked his leg to go for a wee and that very moment there was a big gust of wind that almost blew him over as he was on three legs! We did laugh!

Thanks for coming out to dance and stretch this week, here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Awesome fun classes again this week. I am so glad you all LOVED the new one! If you missed the walk thru – I will do a quick one this week too – but it’s pretty easy – the normal format: Verse / chorus / verse / chorus / middle section / chorus / chorus – so each section has it’s own move – which we repeat.

We also did TELL ME MA as a nod to St Patrick’s Day – which is a repeatable routine like House of Bamboo and Bugle Boy – so if you liked that one – let me know and I’ll add that in this week too.

As always – send me your requests!

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday
Super busy again, thank you for coming along and for dressing up – there were 50 shades of green on the dance floor! Don’t we look fabulous!?

We did a bunch of Irish tunes – as it was indeed St Patrick’s Day and the new one was called HEY CABALLERO – which was actually more Spanish/Mexican than Irish – but then – I don’t mind if you don’t!

If you have requests – let me know. Remember to check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE – on the website for dances we have loved over the years.

YOGA – Tuesday
Thanks for coming this week. We did a looping flow, which can sometimes be a bit of a challenge as the sequence is the same – but as we loop around the mat – it kinda throws your brain out a bit as you’re facing a different way – which is GOOD! Gotta keep that brain sharp as we age!
If you would like to give the class a go – to help your balance, stability and gain some strength – it’s an all levels class and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do a headstand to join! Building up strength, learning to balance and gain more flexibility takes time and there are no shortcuts – sadly! We don’t take ourselves too seriously and there is no chanting or humming or sitting cross legged in lotus pose. It’s YOGA – but not as you know it!
No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see everyone this week and also thank you for dressing up in green too – and I am so sorry I forgot to take a pic – but you all looked gorgeous!
We also did lots of the Irish ones – so here’s a list of what we danced and the music we used:
Country Walking – Music: Tell Me Ma by Sham Rock
The Last Shanty – Music: The Last Shanty by Patrick Feeny
Little Nancy Mulligan – Music: Nancy Mulligan by Ed Sheeran
House of Bamboo – Music: House of Bamboo by Andy O’Williams
Summer Breeze – Music: Summer Breeze by Charlie Landers Jose Reazzle & Raymond Sky
Milarrochy Bay – Music: Milarrochy Bay by Nathan Evans
Glass of Wine – Music: Wild West & Wicked by DJTEXX
Hey Caballero – Music: Hey Senorita by Kin Faux
Irish Stew – Music Irish Stew by Sham Rock
Coastin’ – Music – Lord of the Dance – Michael Flatley
Hold Me Now – Music: Hold Me Now Dance Version by Johnny Logan
We’re On Our Way – Music: Toora Loora Lay by Celtic Thunder
Love Potion 666 – Music: Love Potion 666 by DJTEXX
Pot of Gold – Music: Dance Above the Rainbow – Michael Flatley
Bigger Houses – Music: Bigger Houses by Dan & Shay
Wintergreen – Music: Wintergreen by The East Pointers
Galway Girl – Music: Galway Girl by Steve Earle
Jazz it up – Music: Jazz it Up by 2341 Studios
Long Way Home – Music: Long Way Home by Derek Ryan

PHEW!

PODCASTS / VIDEOS
Here’s a good one – I know you’ve all heard me say that SUGAR destroys your brain cells – well…have a listen to this!
CAN YOUR DIET PROTECT YOUR BRAIN FROM DEMENTIA?
https://lizearlewellbeing.com/listen/health/can-diet-protect-brain-dementia-dr-georgia-ede/

That’s all for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 15th March 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13859968?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

What happened to the warmer weather? Just when I thought it was safe to put away my thermals… Oh well..

Lovely classes again this week – so if you were part of them – thank you so much for coming.

Our cover star this week is MINKY. Minky belongs to Taff who comes to both Modern Line on Friday and Zumba and I have been saving Minky especially for our St Patrick’s Day Weekly Update – not just because he is super cute and the grass is green – but also because Taff told me that St Patrick’s Day is actually Minky’s 5th birthday. Anyone else think she should have called him Paddy?!

SPECIAL MENTIONS
First of all I just wanted to shout out to all our new dancers! I hope you are enjoying the classes so far. You’re all doing a FABULOUS JOB!

Often, the first few weeks while you find your feet (so to speak) can feel like a bit of a whirlwind. But always remember that joining a dance class isn’t just about the steps – which I guess is a bit of a strange thing for a dance teacher to say – but it’s true. It’s much more about the social benefits – like having fun, moving to the music, making new friends and enjoying yourself than it is about getting the steps ‘right’.

There are no ‘wrong moves’ at any of the classes – we just call them ‘variations’! And – if you need extra help with anything – just ask. Obviously dancing is good for the body, but it’s just as beneficial for your brain!

CLASSES UPDATES

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
We did our usual mix of old and new – and week two of our new one – JAZZ IT UP. Click the name for Steph’s demo video. Almost ALL the routines are on her channel if you want to go and check them out. Some have slight variations as Steph’s classes are aimed at the over 60’s – she even has a lady of 90 who comes along – so some moves have been modified to suit the older age group – such as taking out turns and jumps – but essentially they are the same routines for both Gold and Fitness classes.
CLICK HERE for her YOUTUBE channel.

And talking of Steph – I’m fresh back from one of our choreographing sessions, which as well as choosing music we think you will like and then choreographing routines, also includes eating lots of yummy food, talking about fitness, strength training, running and generally having a laugh! And I’m pleased to report we have two more gorgeous routines in the bag – one of which I’m going to roll out this week as I guarantee you’ll love it – it’s such a fun dance! If you’re a member of the Whatsapp Groups (see footnote for more details) I did pop a link in yesterday to the music. Can’t wait to share this one with you!

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday
Super busy again, thank you for coming along. It really does create a welcoming, fun and friendly atmosphere when there is a full dance floor. This week we are going to have a bunch of IRISH TUNES on the menu. We already use quite a lot of Irish music but as it’s St Patrick’s Day – I’m adding in a few more. I will – as always – go over every dance and break it down for you before we dance it. I’ve also got a brand new one for you called HEY CABALLERO – which is actually more Spanish/Mexican than Irish – but then it’s such a fun dance I’m sure you won’t mind as we already decided that Barry White was Irish – wasn’t he?
If you want to wear something green or purple (you’ve all heard of purple shamrock?) – then please do.

If you have requests – let me know. Remember to check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE – on the website for dances we have loved over the years.

YOGA – Tuesday
Thanks for coming this week. We did a slow hip flexor and hamstring focus class this week which was a bit more mat based than normal. Back to our normal Warrior flows this week.
If you are feeling a bit stiff, weak and wobbly – you might want to give the class a go. It’s suitable for all levels and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do a headstand to join! Building up strength, learning to balance and gain more flexibility takes time and there are no shortcuts – sadly! No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see everyone this week. We did a brand new one in both classes called HEY CABALLERO that is rising up the charts. I really liked it, so hope you did too. We also did another one in the second class called WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE.
We will also be doing lots of IRISH ones this week too – dances like:
COASTIN
TOORA LOORA LAY (I’M ON MY WAY)
GALWAY GIRL
TELL ME MA
LONG WAY HOME
LITTLE NANCY MULLIGAN
POT OF GOLD and more

Again – feel free to dress up.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS
How important is PROTEIN? My favourite one this week from Dr Alex.
https://youtu.be/EloLnKTw9BQ?si=mBuDsfyu16tYkE99

That’s all for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love

WEEKLY UPDATE – 8th MARCH 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13859760?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Happy soggy weekend! Hope you’re all OK – and HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. Here’s your updates!

Lovely classes this week – so if you were part of them – thank you so much for coming. A special mention for all the girls at Thursday class for the superb singing that went on in the cooldown. Awesome!

Anyway, say hello to OUR GIRL – this week’s cover star. Carole – who comes to Monday and Thursday Dance Fitness (she the blonde in the corner giving it her all!) says that this little madam has been coming to see them regularly for years – she even brings her babies every year too!

CLASSES UPDATES
All classes running as normal this coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
New one this week – Jazz it Up – went down well – not too fast, not too slow, some jazzy moves and not too hard to pick up either! Not done ANY playlists yet for this coming week – so bring on your requests!
CLICK HERE for the PLAYLISTS this week.
Look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday
Thanks for coming along. Super busy again – if you want a chair to put your stuff on – you’re going to have to get there early – obviously no sitting down is allowed as we have DANCING to do!

Planning the normal mix of old and new dances – Country, Pop, Latin – anything goes – so if you have requests – let me know. Remember to check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE – on the website for dances we have loved over the years and I’m happy to go over them for those that may have temporary memory loss and for newer dancers who have not done them before.

Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

YOGA – Tuesday
Thanks for coming this week. We did a slowish ladder flow with some challenging plank variations. So good for core strength. More of the same this week. If you are feeling a bit stiff, weak and wobbly – you might want to give the class a go. It’s suitable for all levels and you don’t need to be able to stand on one leg or do a headstand to join! No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

MODERN LINE – Friday
Lovely to see you all back and raring to go this week. No new dances. I’m going to focus a bit more on reviving some of the oldies – which are going to be new for those who have joined recently anyway – and by recently I mean in the last few years or so. There are so many dances that we’ve LOVED over the years that we have forgotten, and in my opinion, they are often better than some of the new ones. And, I don’t know about you – but I love an oldie!

PODCASTS
This week’s recommendation – I haven’t done one for AGES. I like Liz Earle a lot. Since she sold her cosmetics brand – she’s now super focused on longevity and healthy living especially for mid life and beyond women. This week she had on Dominique Ludwig – who is a nutritionist. I love a bit of nutrition advice as most of you know – and this is really straight forward – no complicated science to get your head round like some of them! Dominique Ludwig has just published a new book – which is top of the Sunday Times Best seller list. Have a listen and let me know what you think.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-eat-for-healthy-weight-loss-and-fewer-cravings/id1230372957?i=1000752589696

That’s all for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 1st MARCH 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13859508?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

How are you? Hope the weekend is going well… And WE MADE IT – it’s March! Spring is almost here.

This week’s cover star is LOLA. She adopted (as cats do) Lesley and Alan who come along to Friday classes. LOLA is named after the character in the Barry Manilow song – Copacabana – remember that line? ‘Her name was Lola, she was a show girl’. Lesley says Lola is gorgeous and will go to anyone for fuss and treats! And did I ever tell you I LOVE a bit of Barry Manilow?

CLASSES UPDATES
All classes running as normal this coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
Didn’t manage the new one last week – so maybe this week? Although we’re still adding in those oldies but goodies in the playlists and there are so many of them – and I don’t want to overwhelm you with too many new ones. But – as always – who knows what might happen? That’s the exciting bit! You’ll just have to come to class to find out.
CLICK HERE for the PLAYLISTS this week.
Keep the requests coming. Look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

WHY YOU SHOULD BE SQUATTING!
If you’ve been to classes over the last few weeks – you may have noticed we’ve added in Prrrum- it’s a real oldie style warm up routine – with LOTS of squats in it. And here’s why SQUATS are good for you:
https://youtu.be/Ivqfuyc1-9k?si=kuLyZ_ZUO5bHJZIz

Dr Alex is definitely worth a follow! He’s got LOADS of easy to understand videos all about nutrition, lifestyle and exercise.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday
Fabulous busy classes again this week. No new ones – and I have some requests lined up for you this week already but if you have any more – please let me know. Check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE – on the website for dances we have loved over the years and I’m happy to go over them for those that may have temporary memory loss and for newer dancers who have not done them before.
I am planning an IRISH THEMED CLASS – 17th March – to celebrate St Patrick’s Day – so feel free to wear something green (or purple!) You’ve all heard of Purple Shamrock?

MODERN LINE – Friday
Super busy this week – thanks for coming – hope you had as much fun as I did! Again, no brand new dances, so see last week’s update for all the current dances and the oldie revivals. And please let me know your requests. We will also be adding in some Irish ones as we celebrate St Patrick’s Day – (albeit a tad late – but do we care?!) on FRIDAY 20th. Dressing up optional.

NEW FACES!
We’ve had some new dancers join us over the last few week – so hope you’ve been enjoying the classes. Dancing isn’t just about the steps – which I guess is a bit of a strange thing for a dance teacher to say – but it’s true! Joining a dance class is much more about having fun, moving to the music, making new friends and enjoying yourself.
We know that the first few weeks can feel like a bit of a whirlwind. There’s LOTS to learn! New steps, all that dance ‘jargon’, finding your feet, and getting used to moving your body to the different rhythms can be a lot to take in – but don’t worry – you will get there! There are no ‘wrong moves’ at any of the classes – we just call them ‘variations’! And – if you need extra help with anything – just ask.

That’s all for now. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Look forward to seeing you all at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 22nd FEBRUARY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13859301?e=[UNIQID]

Hi Everybody

How are you? Hope your weekend is going well… was going to put swimmingly – but I’m done with the damn rain! Bring on some sunshine!

Anyway, say hello to FERN, this week’s cover star. She is five years old and belongs to Pam who comes to Friday classes. Pam says Fern loves absolutely EVERYONE! She’s even got a special rose for us. Makes me think maybe I should teach you all a Tango this week.

CLASSES UPDATES
All classes running as normal this coming week.

DANCE FITNESS – Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
This week – maybe a new routine? Although we’ve been adding in some of those oldies but goodies lately – and if you’re fairly new to classes – some of them are from waaaaay back – so they would be brand new for you anyway, so maybe I might save the other new one I’ve got for next week.
Who knows what might happen? That’s the exciting bit! You’ll just have to come to class to find out!
CLICK HERE for the PLAYLISTS this week.
And keep those requests coming. Look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

DANCING IN LINE – Tuesday
We had lots of fun on Tuesday for our COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED CLASS. If you missed it – I know it was Half Term and some of you had Nana duties – so we will do another one later in the year. Here’s a pic – don’t we look gorgeous? Thank you to everyone who dressed up. Loved the tassels and the hats.

Normal service resumes this week!

Remember to check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE – on the website for dances we have loved over the years and I’m happy to go over them for those that may have temporary memory loss and for newer dancers who have not done them before. And – as always – send me YOUR requests.
Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

YOGA – Tuesday
Missed you all last week as the hall was closed for decorating. So looking forward to being back on the mat this week. Another slow building flow awaits – using the power of three! What does that mean? Well – again – come to class to find out!
If you fancy giving the class a go – it’s suitable for all levels. No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

MODERN LINE – Friday
It was a bit quiet this week on Friday due to Half Term and TFL working against us – no trains and buses being late and roadworks seemingly everywhere! Thanks to those who made it. No new dances but have one lined up this week. See last week’s update for the current dances.

NEW FACES!
To all our new dancers! WELCOME! I hope you’re enjoying the classes. We know that the first few weeks can feel like a bit of a whirlwind. There’s LOTS to learn! New steps, all that dance ‘jargon’, finding your feet, and getting used to moving your body to the different rhythms can be a lot to take in – but don’t worry – you will get there! We were all beginners once, and the most important thing is that you’re moving and having fun. There are no ‘wrong moves’ at any of the classes – we just call them ‘variations’! And – if you need extra help with anything – just ask.

And if you were ever wondering if there was more to this dancing lark than just physical benefits – I came across this on the web earlier this week. Well we knew this anyway didn’t we? One of the BEST things about the dance classes is the feeling of being part of a group and making friends as well as enjoying the moves and the music!

A meta-analysis of 218 trials found it provides larger reductions in symptoms than walking, strength training, or antidepressants alone. Dance simultaneously releases serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin while lowering cortisol. When performed in groups, it creates interbrain synchrony that strengthens social bonds. Researchers are now advocating for dance to be considered a front-line treatment for depression. Whether in a living room or a ballroom, moving to the beat is proving transformative.
Source: The BMJ:

That’s all for now. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

PS: Are you a member of our WHATSAPP GROUPS?

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them.

If you’re not already a member and would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467 and I will add you – let me know which one you want to join.

WEEKLY UPDATE – 15th FEBRUARY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13859105?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Arrrrggh! It’s raining AGAIN. Honestly – I swear it has rained every day since about October! Fortunately, it never rains on the dance floor! Hope you’re having a good weekend anyway, despite the weather. Here’s your WEEKLY UPDATE on the classes.

BAMBI is this week’s cover star. She is two years old and she loves to suckle on a blanket and regularly brings in presents – both dead and alive! She belongs to Kay – who does both Dance Fitness and Yoga. Kay also has three other cats, but I’ve chosen Bambi as she is sitting very prettily on a yoga mat – bless her! I’ve often thought about a Cat Yoga class – bit like a cat cafe – what do you think?

Thank you for coming out to classes this week – it was a bit quiet – I blame the weather and all those various lurgies going around too. Hope everyone who was suffering is feeling better.

Here’s your updates:

YOGA CLASS
We did a lovely Looping Flow again this week – might make that a go to class. When we all move in unison, flowing with the breath and working on balance and core strength, this combination is not just good for the body, but so calming for the brain too.
However – a reminder that there is NO CLASS THIS WEEK – 17th FEBRUARY – as the Jubilee Hall is CLOSED for re decorating. Have a lovely week off.
If you fancy giving the class a go – it’s suitable for all levels. No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY (GOODMANS)
I’m looking forward to our COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED CLASS this week. We already do a lot of dances to Country music, but I will do some new ones. Country music is having a bit of a revival at the moment, so there’s LOTS of dances and tracks that I can call on – should be a bit of fun. Pop on your jeans and a check shirt (optional – but I know a lot of you will!) and Boot Scoot on down to class! I will go over/teach EVERY dance before we unleash it onto the floor!
I’m going to do a couple of the recently revived dances listed below under FRIDAY class – as they are all Country music tracks – you’ll LOVE them! if you want a sneaky preview – click the name to be taken to the video.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE (ELTHAM)
No brand new ones this week – week two of SIEMPRE – click for a video and teach from the Chinese girls at Line Dance Dallas.
And the current dances are:
MILAROCCHY BAY – click the name for a video – there are a number of dances out to the same music – that’s the one we did.
JAZZ IT UP
CHOOSIN’ TEXAS

We also revived:
3 TEQUILA FLOOR (which won Dance of the Decade at the recent CBA Awards)
HOT TAMALES (that was a bit of fun!)
HEEL TOE RODEO (which won Dance of The Year at the recent CBA Awards)

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
Thanks for dancing this week! We had a particularly fantastic class on Wednesday (all the classes are obviously fantastic – but this was just extra awesome!) Thank you for all your positive feedback – if you missed it – I have had calls to replicate the playlist for Monday – so I will!
CLICK HERE for the PLAYLISTS this week.

There is a list here:
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/dance-fitness/attachment/zumba-full-list-display-2/
This is ALL the routines we’ve done over the last 15 years (I know!) How many do you remember?

Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

And finally – a new blog post:

To find out why – CLICK HERE

That’s all for now. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

PS: Would you like your pet to be a COVER STAR? Send me a photo and a bit of info about them! You can email me on:
maria@dancegeneration.co.uk
or Whatsapp a pic over: 07811 823467
I look forward to seeing them.

WEEKLY UPDATE – 8th FEBRUARY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13858873?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Hope you’re having a good weekend! Here’s your WEEKLY UPDATE on the classes.

FRED is your cover star this week. Named after the great Freddie Mercury, he belonged to Bex – who you’ll all know as we share the mistakes, the faces and the variations on Wednesday’s and Thursday’s! Sadly, Fred is no longer with us, but he lives forever in the heart of Bex. Handsome – wasn’t he?

Would you like your pet to be a COVER STAR? Send me a photo and a bit about them! You can email me on:
maria@dancegeneration.co.uk
or Whatsapp a pic over:
07811 823467
I look forward to seeing them.

Onto the updates – but first of all thank you for all your lovely dancing and singing and stretching this week. Hope you had fun too.

YOGA CLASS
Class as normal this week and I’m considering another Looping Flow – as it felt really good on Tuesday and a few of you reported sleeping really well that night and feeling less stressed the following day. I’m a firm believer that breath and movement and focusing on being in the moment really does help with calming the brain (and helping the body relax). If you’ve been thinking of joining us – pop along and give the class a go! This is the next generation of Yoga – fusing the traditional elements of the ancient practice with modern science based trends and chats! If you can’t make it this week – PLEASE NOTE there is NO CLASS NEXT WEEK 17th FEBRUARY – as the Jubilee Hall is CLOSED for re decorating.
Classes are suitable for all levels. No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY (GOODMANS)
We have been doing (mostly) the same dances as Friday class so see belowe for the current list – or check the WEEKLY UPDATES on the website.
I will be doing SIEMPRE with you this week too, but I have also been asked to do a COUNTRY MUSIC SPECIAL CLASS – where we go back to the roots of Line Dancing and use mostly Country Music to dance to. AND we get a chance to dress up if you want to – jeans, hats that kind of thing – but that’s entirely optional. I’ll probably go for the jeans and boots and maybe even a check shirt!

So TUESDAY 17th FEBRUARY will be a COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED CLASS.
If you’ve not done a themed class before – we’ve done Latin, Irish, Rock & Roll to name a few and we even did an Alcohol themed one a year or so ago! Anyway – a Country One is probably self explanatory – and would include dances/music such as:
Texas Holdem
Islands In The Stream
Blue Rose Is
Bigger Houses
Choosin’ Texas
Electric Slide
Rosa Del Mar
Unlove Me
Champagne Promise
and that’s just a few of them!
Plus – you’ll also get the opportunity to test out your brain power and dance some REALLY familiar dances – but to different music. And you never know – you might like the music and dance even better.

I will go over/teach EVERY dance before we unleash it onto the floor!

MODERN LINE FRIDAY (ELTHAM)
Thank you for coming out to dance this week! We did a brand new one FRIDAY called SIEMPRE – click for a video and teach from the Chinese girls at Line Dance Dallas.
Our new current dances are:
MILAROCCHY BAY – click the name for a video – there are a number of dances out to the same music – that’s the one we did.
JAZZ IT UP
CHOOSIN’ TEXAS
We also revived:
HOT TAMALES (that was a bit of fun!)
HEEL TOE RODEO (which won Dance of The Year at the recent CBA Awards)
FIRST TO LAST
SENORITA LA LA LA

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
Thanks for dancing this week – hope you enjoyed the new one – LOVE POTION 666 – click the name for the video. If you were at class this week and you thought it felt a bit ‘odd’ – it’s because we are used to doing the cha cha step on a 3&4 count of the beats in a bar – and this new routine is a ballroom count cha cha – which means the cha cha step is done on the 4&1 count, which feels a bit odd if you’ve not done it before. If you have no idea what I’m talking about – don’t worry – just come on down and dance!

CLICK HERE for the PLAYLISTS this week – there were some goodies on there we hadn’t done for AGES! I’ve got one more new one lined up for February – and still lots of oldies but goodies to add to the playlists too.

Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

NEW FACES!
We’ve had some new dancers join us recently so I just wanted to take a moment to say WELCOME! I hope you’re enjoying the classes. We know that the first few weeks can feel like a bit of a whirlwind. There’s LOTS to learn! New steps, all that dance ‘jargon’, finding your feet, and getting used to moving your body to the different rhythms can be a lot to take in – but don’t worry – you will get there! We were all beginners once, and the most important thing is that you’re moving and having fun. There are no ‘wrong moves’ at any of the classes – we just call them ‘variations’! And – if you need extra help with anything – just ask.

That’s all for now. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 1st FEBRUARY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13858668?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Well – we made it to FEBRUARY! SPRING is on her way! Hooray! Although as I write this – it’s bloody raining!

PABLO is your cover star this week. He is the granddog of Sandra who comes to Friday classes. Sandra says that he’s a very good granddog – as he spends most of his days with them, but like a good granddog, he goes home each evening!

Still looking for more pet photos – just send me a pic and a little bit of information about them – and who knows? Your pet might be a future WEEKLY UPDATE COVER STAR!
You can email me on:
maria@dancegeneration.co.uk
or Whatsapp a pic over:
07811 823467

I look forward to seeing them.

In the meantime – thanks for coming out to dance and sing and stretch this week – as always – lots of fun, singing, dancing, chatting. Here’s your updates!

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
First of all big thanks to Bex who covered Wednesday for me – I went up to support Jackson (my Gen Z) in his first production with the new theatre company. If you want to learn more:
https://www.instagram.com/invited_unknown/

I have a brand new one for you this week – LOVE POTION 666 – if you want a little sneaky preview – click the name for the video. It’s essentially a Cha Cha – and if you come to the Modern Line or Dancing in Line classes you’ll already be familiar with the music – but this is NOT the same routine – it’s a brand new one specifically choreographed for Dance Fitness (and as I already know the routine for Modern Line – it’s going to be very challenging for my poor brain – wish me luck!!) I’ve got one more new one lined up for February – we shall see how we go as still working our way through all those fantastic oldies that we’ve done over the years. Remember to send me requests for the playlists.

Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

MODERN LINE FRIDAY (ELTHAM) & DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY (GOODMANS)
Thank you for coming out to dance this week! Our new current dances are:
MILAROCCHY BAY – click the name for a video – there are a number of dances out to the same music – that’s the one we did.
JAZZ IT UP
CHOOSIN’ TEXAS

I will be on the lookout for some more new ones this week…

We also revived:
FIRST TO LAST
JAI DU BOOGIE
SENORITA LA LA LA

And – as always – send me YOUR requests!

YOGA CLASS
Thanks for coming this week! I know I said we were going to do a Looping Flow – and somehow that got hijacked by some Pigeons! Promise this week we will. We had a lovely chat too – so it’s not all breathe and focus! Come along and give the class a go! This is the next generation of Yoga – fusing the traditional elements of the ancient practice with modern science based trends and chats!
POWER YOGA gives you all this and more!
* Increases core strength
* improves flexibility
* tones your arms and sculpts shoulders
* firms up your bottom
* enhances balance and stability
* helps reduce stress and improve sleep
Classes are suitable for all levels. No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

That’s all for now! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 25th JANUARY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13858464?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Say hello to DAISY & OLLIE – they both belong to Sally who comes along to Friday classes. Sally says Daisy is her spirit animal as she loves to sunbathe! Ollie is clearly a master of disguise!

Keep the pet photos coming! Just send me a pic and a little bit of information about them – as I’m looking to feature as many of our pets as possible! Who knows? Your pet might be a future WEEKLY UPDATE COVER STAR!
You can email me on:
maria@dancegeneration.co.uk
or Whatsapp a pic over:
07811 823467

I look forward to seeing them.

In the meantime – thanks for coming out to dance and sing and stretch this week – we had LOTS of fun and laughter – here’s your updates!

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
As promised – week two of the new one LIMBO – click the name for a video (thanks Steph!) our version is slightly more fitness based and upbeat – for instance in the second section we do punches and toe switches – but essentially it’s the same routine. I thought it slotted in quite well in the PLAYLISTS just after the warm ups – what do you think?
No more new ones until NEXT week – then you might get TWO! Keep sending me those requests!

Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

MODERN LINE FRIDAY (ELTHAM) & DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY (GOODMANS)
Thank you for coming out to dance this week! Week two of MILLAROCHY BAY – click the name for a video – there are a number of dances out to the same music – that’s the one we did and that got a 10/10. And Tuesday – week one of JAZZ IT UP – and Friday week two. We also did a brand new one CHOOSIN TEXAS – which also seems to be a winner – I’ll do it Tuesday as well.

YOGA CLASS
Thanks for coming this week! We did a lovely standing ladder flow – which means we add on a pose each time we start the sequencing – which is really good for supporting brain health. We also have some lovely chats – so it’s not all breathe and focus! Come along and give the class a go! This is the next generation of Yoga – fusing the traditional elements of the ancient practice with modern science based trends and chats!
POWER YOGA gives you all this and more!
* Increases core strength
* improves flexibility
* tones your arms and sculpts shoulders
* firms up your bottom
* enhances balance and stability
* helps reduce stress and improve sleep
Classes are suitable for all levels. No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information here: POWER YOGA

COMMUNITY SPIRIT
Did you know that having a community helps you live longer?
Decades of research suggests it’s not just what you do for your body that matters – it’s who you share life with too. The Harvard Study of Adult Development has been tracking people’s lives for nearly 80 years and consistently shown that strong relationships and social connection are among the biggest predictors of long-term health and happiness.
People who feel supported, connected and engaged with others tend to live not only longer, but healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Which is where DANCE CLASSES come in (or indeed anything that you do WITH other people!)
See my blog here: it’s called BETTER TOGETHER

Just a week left to introduce A NEW FRIEND FOR FREE! So, if anyone has any friends who would like to try out the classes – bring them along to try. They will love you forever!

…AND FINALLY
For those who have been coming to classes for simply ages – I am sure you remember me bringing my son with me when he was a baby/toddler. Jackson Hughes (aka JJ) – is now coming up to 23 and after studying acting – he has just started his own theatre company called INVITED UNKNOWN.
They have oodles of talent, passion and drive. But in today’s tough world, getting started is a challenge. Find out more by following the links.
https://www.instagram.com/invited_unknown/
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/invited-unknown-productions

That’s all for now!

I’m looking forward to helping you all achieve your health goals for 2026 AND have lots of fun, laughter and make new friends along the way!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 11th JANUARY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13858243?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

This week we have TWO COVER STARS- say hello to SHADOW & SUNNY! They both belong to Lesley who comes to Friday classes – Shadow is the whippet and is now 14 and a quarter. Lesley says that Shadow is on heart medication due to his age – so he has slowed down a lot but Sunny, who she adopted in 2021, helps keep him young!

If you didn’t get last weeks email – if you’ve a cute pet – please send me a pic and a little bit of information about them – as I’m looking to feature as many of our pets as possible! Who knows? Your pet might be a future WEEKLY UPDATE COVER STAR!
You can email me on:
maria@dancegeneration.co.uk
or Whatsapp a pic over:
07811 823467

I look forward to seeing them.

In the meantime – thanks for coming out to dance and sing and stretch this week – here’s your updates!

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
As promised – a brand new one called LIMBO – click the name for a video (thanks Steph!) our version is slightly more fitness based and upbeat – for instance in the second section we do punches and toe switches – but essentially it’s the same routine. I thought it slotted in quite well in the PLAYLISTS – which are HERE: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria
I have a couple more lined up – but we’ve also got SO MANY oldies revivals to get through too!
Looking forward to seeing you all back on the dance floor this week – please send me requests!

Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

MODERN LINE FRIDAY & DANCING IN LINE TUEDAYS (GOODMANS)
Thank you for coming out to dance this week! We did a new one called MILLAROCHY BAY – click the name for a video – there are a number of dances out to the same music – that’s the one we did and that got a 10/10. And on Friday we also did JAZZ IT UP – which also got a 10/10! (Going well so far!) If you have any requests, please let me know. Check the website for the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE – for ones that we have loved over the years and I’m happy to go over them for those that may have temporary memory loss and for newer dancers who have not done them before.

YOGA CLASS
Thanks for coming this week! We did a balancing mostly standing flow. Balance and stability are SO important – especially as we age as good balance helps to prevent falls. Being strong and being able to use your core to stabilize yourself is also something we should all be working on! If you’re still thinking of trying out the class – here’s some reasons why you should definitely give it go!
This is the next generation of Yoga – fusing the traditional elements of the ancient practice with modern science based trends!
POWER YOGA gives you all this and more!
* Increases core strength
* improves flexibility
* tones your arms and sculpts shoulders
* firms up your bottom
* enhances balance and stability
* helps reduce stress and improve sleep
Classes are suitable for all levels. No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more information on exactly what POWER YOGA is.

And – remember – January special offer – BRING A NEW FRIEND FOR FREE! So, if anyone has any friends who would like to try out the classes – bring them along to try. They will love you forever!

That’s all for now!

I’m looking forward to helping you all achieve your health goals for 2026 AND have lots of fun, laughter and make new friends along the way!

Love
Maria x

PS: I have finally managed to ‘authenticate’ my email domain – what a task that was! So fingers crossed – this Weekly Update will land in your in-box and not your trash or spam folder! Let me know!

WEEKLY UPDATE 11th JANUARY 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13857978?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody

Notice anything different about the update? What! No cat? But I hope you like our new look and new cover star – OTTO!

Otto is a seven year old Dark Brindle Greyhound who retired from racing at Brighton and Hove when he had to have half of his tail amputated. He belongs to Val, who comes to Friday classes – in fact, Val came to my second ever MODERN LINE DANCE CLASS back in 1999 – and she’s still there every week! Otto is her fourth rescued greyhound.

If you’ve a cute pet – please send me a pic and a little bit of information about them – as I’m looking to feature as many of our pets as possible! Who knows? Your pet might be a future WEEKLY UPDATE COVER STAR!
You can email me on:
maria@dancegeneration.co.uk
or Whatsapp a pic over:
07811 823467

I look forward to seeing them.

In the meantime – thanks for coming out to dance and sing and stretch this week – it was a bit quiet – I really do think it takes a couple of weeks to get back into it after Christmas – and there is a lot of lurgy out there too – so hope everyone who wasn’t well is feeling better – and look forward to seeing you back at classes soon.

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
As promised – I’ve got some BRAND NEW ROUTINES lined up for you – plus lots of oldie revivals. There are SO many fabulous ones that we’ve loved over the years that are just too good not to dance again, so look out for some of them appearing on the playlists for 2026. Looking forward to seeing you all back on the dance floor, raring to go!

Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

MODERN LINE FRIDAY & DANCING IN LINE TUEDAYS (GOODMANS)
Thank you for coming out to dance this week! No new ones – but you’ve got two brand new ones lined up and some oldies I’ve selected for you. If you have any requests, please let me know. Check the website for the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE – for ones that we have loved over the years and I’m happy to go over them for those that may have temporary memory loss – and for newer dancers who have not done them before.
CLICK HERE: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/favourite-dances/

YOGA CLASS
Thanks for coming this week! I am so happy the hall was nice and warm! We did a solid, heat building ladder flow – so more of the same this week. If you’re thinking of trying out the class – here’s some reasons why you should definitely give it go!
This is the next generation of Yoga – fusing the traditional elements of the ancient practice with modern science based trends!
POWER YOGA gives you all this and more!
* Increases core strength
* improves flexibility
* tones your arms and sculpts shoulders
* firms up your bottom
* enhances balance and stability
* helps reduce stress and improve sleep
Classes are suitable for all levels. No sign up fees. Pay as you go. £10. See website for more:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

And – special offer BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE for all of January. If anyone has any friends who would like to try out the classes – bring them along for free. They will love you forever!

That’s all for now!

I’m looking forward to helping you all achieve your health goals for 2026 AND have lots of fun, laughter and make new friends along the way!

Love
Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 4th January 2026 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13857685?e=[UNIQID]

Hi Everyone

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I think today is Sunday… so here’s your update!

ALL CLASSES start back from tomorrow – Monday 5th. Hooray! I can’t wait! Two weeks with no classes is far too long and I am SO ready to dance and sing and bend and stretch…and from talking to many of you who have kept in touch over the holiday on social media – I’m not the only one!

I’ve got some BRAND NEW ROUTINES lined up for you – but probably not this week, as some of you know I’ve been in Texas for the New Year – and I fly home (probably on the plane as you read this), so might be little jet-lagged on Monday! So, I’ll save new routines for the week after.

This year marks my my 27th year teaching MODERN LINE and I’ve been at GOODMAN’S for 21 years. In March, I’ll be celebrating 15 years of teaching DANCE FITNESS/ZUMBA, too. I can hardly believe it’s been that long – just think of all the routines we’ve learnt and danced to! There are SO many fabulous ones that we’ve loved over the years that are just too good not to dance again, so look out for some of them appearing on the playlists for 2026 – as well as the new ones.

Looking forward to seeing you all back on the dance floor, raring to go!

Click here for current class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

YOGA CLASS
I’ll be easing you into the New Year with a solid, heat building ladder flow – well – that’s the plan. It might be a bit chilly (having looked at the weather forecast), so wear an extra layer, maybe bring some socks and a blanket, especially for the relaxation at the end of the class. Nothing worse than trying to relax when you’re f f freezing! See you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

I’m also offering a BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE for all of January. So if anyone has any friends who would like to try out the classes – bring them along for free. They will love you forever!

HEALTH COACHING
My passion has always been to help people towards a healthier, fitter more balanced lifestyle. So – in addition to teaching dance, fitness, yoga and karate, I also offer Health Coaching.

If you’re looking to get fitter, slimmer and healthier in 2026 – and you would like some advice, encouragement and support – I’m also offering a 25% discount on my HEALTH COACHING package if you sign up in January – see the website for more info: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/health-coaching/
or message/email me if you would like an informal chat about it.

I am not a medical professional but I am a qualified Nutrition Network Advisor and I hold a Level 3 NVQ in Diet & Nutrition. If you want to learn more, then take a look at my Personal Health Coaching page and also check out LLVLC – which is all about eating for Metabolic Health. Or you can call/message me on 07811 823467 or email maria@dancegeneration.co.uk

If you’re curious – or just want to know a bit more about the LCHF diet that I follow for metabolic health – there’s lots of info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/llvlc/

and some delicious recipes too:
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/recipes/

If you’re a Facebook user – why not join the FREE group to learn more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977

That’s all for now. Here’s to a happy, healthy 2026 full of love, laughter and plenty of dancing.

Love

Maria xxx

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WEEKLY UPDATE – 21st DECEMBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13640445?e=[UNIQID]

Hi Everybody

Hope you’re all looking forward to Christmas and are all sorted and not rushing around like me trying to get those last minute bits and bobs and trying to resist buying even MORE cheese. (I LOVE cheese!)

Before I get into the updates, I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your lovely cards, messages and presents… I definitely won’t run out of gin anytime soon!

Thank you also for coming along to the classes this week – I know it’s hard sometimes during December as there are so many things going on, but we had Christmas music and drinks all round TUESDAY – hope you enjoyed that and here’s wishing you all have a fab couple of weeks off and see you back on 6th January.

And here’s some fun facts for you about the LUNCHTIME LINE DANCE PARTY we had on Friday!

I made 90 mini mince pies – and came home with just FIVE left over…Jackson said – well I bet you can probably guess!
We did 20 dances – including the Christmas Contra one AND the partner dance – which was really good fun!
You drank (not me, Guv…) about one and half litres of Sherry!

Thank you for all looking so gorgeous, dressing up and coming along and I hope you had as much fun as I did. Classes start back on FRIDAY 9th January. (That’s AGES I know!). You’ll have to line dance in the lounge!

We have ONE MORE CHANCE TO DANCE tomorrow – Monday 22nd – if you want to come along and join us for a last minute boogie:
8pm
NEW ELTHAM METHODIST CENTRE
FOOTSCRAY ROAD
SE9 3UL

And that’s a wrap! You have got almost TWO WEEKS off (shocking – I know) and our NEW YEAR START DATE is MONDAY 5th JANUARY.

Before I sign off – I’d just like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has come along to the classes and supported me this year – I hope the classes have been something that you have looked forward to every week, maybe you made some new friends, that they have helped you feel fitter and happier and that you left them smiling – as that’s what it’s all about!

Wishing everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR and look forward to spending 2026 with all you awesome dancers and yogis!l

Love

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 14th DECEMBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13857264?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Ten days til Christmas! But only SIX of those days are dancing days, so still time to get in some moves before we break for Xmas.
Here are the Christmas/New Year class dates:

Thank you for coming out to dance this week! Classes were a tad on the quieter side, but as it gets closer to Christmas and there’s after work drinks, get togethers and Christmas shopping to be done, classes sometimes take a bit of a back seat – so well done if you did make it – investing in keeping fit and healthy is never wasted! Hope you enjoyed the smattering of Christmas music that we did a few dances to – there will be more of the same in the playlists this week to get you in the Christmas mood.

Here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thank you for coming this week. More Run Run Rudolf, a bit of Mariah Carey and some Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree! Can you believe we did a WHOLE class on Wednesday and NO PITBULL! Whatever next? Keep the requests coming! For this weeks PLAYLISTS see the FACEBOOK PAGE
All classes running as normal this week (Mon/Wed/ Thurs) and Monday 22nd is your LAST CHANCE TO DANCE before we break until the New Year.

YOGA
Good to see you all this week.Tuesday 16th is the last class of the year. So I’m planning a nice gentle (ish) class with lots of heart openers ready for the festive season. We are back on Tuesday 6th January.

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
Thank you for coming along this week – the usual mix of old and new and thanks for your requests – PLEASE keep them coming. No new dances this week – I’m not planning anything brand new until January as this week is our last classes until the New Year.
We did a couple for Christmas:
ROCKIN ROBIN
COMING HOME THIS CHRISTMAS (CONTRA LINE ONE)
And we did one in memory of Raul Malo – lead singer of The Mavericks
SCOTIA SAMBA

GOODMANS XMAS LUNCH/DRINKS
Tuesday is our last class of 2025, We are heading to the Lowfield street CIU after class for drinks and a buffet. If you’d like to join us – come on down. Many thanks to Maxine for sorting this out – and to Pauline for her CIU suggestion. Look forward to seeing you.

FRIDAY CHRISTMAS LINE DANCE PARTY.
I know it says dancing from 12-2 on the poster – but the doors open at the usual time from 11:30, so grab yourself a table, a mince pie (homemade!) and make hot drink (or have some sherry!) – all free. This is our last class for 2025 – so if you can’t make it this week – here’s wishing you a very Happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you back on the 9th January. My week involves making 100 mini mince pies… and getting them into the freezer before Jackson eats them! Wish me luck!

And finally – Christmas is a SUGAR FEST… let’s face it.. sugar and UPF will be EVERYWHERE! If you are trying (and aren’t we all and if not, why not?) to take control of what you eat, cut back on sugar and starchy carbs and eat a healthier diet – even over the festive period – it can be done…
CLICK HERE FOR TEN EASY TIPS!

That’s all for this week.

Love

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 7th DECEMBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13857034?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone!

Hope you’ve had a good week and thank you for coming along to the classes. Some classes were a bit quiet, no doubt the weather didn’t help much and of course it’s coming up to the festive season and there are parties and drinks after work and all sorts of other things going on that compete with classes, not to mention surging cases of various lurgies going around!

Obviously, I want you all to come to classes as it’s my living and if no one comes along then I don’t earn any money – not ideal at the most expensive time of the year! But, then – I’ve been doing this dance teaching lark a long time, so I do factor in the probability that there will be lower class numbers at certain times of the year – but that doesn’t stop me from hoping that most of you WILL choose fitness and health over getting drunk up town and eating Big Macs on the train on the way home!

Also, remember there are only a couple of weeks left of classes as we are closed from Tuesday 22nd December until 5th January.

Anyway, here’s your weekly review and update for the coming week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week. Tango – our newest one is going down well. I really like the tune! The weekly playlists are on the FACEBOOK PAGE. Including the Christmas ones that we almost remembered! Please send me your requests for the coming week. We have SO MANY now to choose from – here’s the link to the PDF of all the dances we have done over the last 14 years (yes, it’s been that long!)
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/zumba-full-list-display/

DANCING-IN-LINE TUESDAY
Having put that it was a bit quiet this week – Tuesday was lovely and busy! Thank you for coming along this week – hope you enjoyed the class. Our last class for 2025 is going to be Tuesday 16th December – see below if you would like to come along for a drink after class that day.

Remember the FAVOURITE DANCES page on the website has links to most of the dances we do regularly – and often Friday class gets the same playlist – or vice versa – so always check the Friday update for links to newer dances too! We did a couple of excellent requests this week – and I’ve got Q UANDO lined up for you and a couple of Christmassy ones too. Might do THE BOMP as well as that always makes me feel festive!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE DANCING
Friday was super busy too, so that was a fab class! The new speakers are great – but the mic is a bit echoey – I’m not sure there’s much I can do about it except apologise and I’ll shout louder! Thanks for being such good sports and dancing the new Contra Line one – COMING HOME THIS CHRISTMAS – which was a bit of fun! We’ll do that again next week. Check the last few weekly updates for links to the other current ones if you want a bit of practice.

NEW DANCERS
I put this last week – but I think it’s worth repeating. If you are a new dancer and you feel like you’re the ONLY person on the dance floor that hasn’t got the hang of it yet – remember we were once ALL beginners!

The challenge in learning a new hobby is that the hobby often comes with lots of new words and phrases to learn (as well as movements) . Dance is no different. All the dance steps have names like Jazz Box, Weave, Pivot Turn, Cross Samba Step – etc, they have TIMING/TEMPO and they have RHYTHM. It’s an awful lot to take in all at once, so don’t worry about not doing it ‘right’. Like any new skill – learning to dance takes time.

You won’t learn by coming just once or even twice. You won’t learn by sitting out and watching. And you definitely won’t learn anything if you give up! So keep coming along and before you know it – you’ll be thinking, ‘I know this one!’

And I do know what it feels like to go to a class and be absolutely useless at it: Don’t believe me? Read my Karate journey HERE.

YOGA
Sorry there was no class this week. All back to ‘normal’ this Tuesday – whatever that is! Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

CHRISTMAS CLASS DATES
The Christmas and New Year dates are VERY awkward this year, so awkward in fact, that after agonising over what dates to run classes to try and fit in with the holidays – I’ve decided to close until the New Year – which hopefully will have you raring to get back after all the chocolate, cheese, nuts and turkey! See our Christmas dates here:

MONDAY DANCE FITNESS – 22nd December – will be your LAST CHANCE TO DANCE in 2025!
I’m planning to run a class on that Monday if enough people (a minimum of 12) want to come along. I am asking for payment in advance (but non-refundable if you don’t make it.) I’ll get a list going that you can add your name to.

The LINE DANCE CHRISTMAS LUNCHTIME PARTY will be on FRIDAY 19th December – bring drinks and nibbles to share. I’ll do the normal mince pies and sherry thing. Feel free to dress up in your best sparkly Christmas outfits.

TUESDAY 16th we will all head off to Wetherspoons (The Flying Boat) in Dartford after class for a Christmas drink. Everyone is welcome to come along! From around 12:30 onwards.

And finally – INTRODUCING DANCE GIFT VOUCHERS!
Do FRIENDS & FAMILY ask you what you would like for Christmas or birthdays? Or do you know someone who would LOVE one of these?

These are flexible DANCE CLASS gift cards – available for all classes – you can gift just one class, two, three, four, five, or more!

Joy that lasts longer than chocolate!
A brilliant Christmas or birthday gift – healthy, happy and full of sparkle!
Ideal for friends, mum’s, sisters or anyone who deserves a boost.
Confidence, connection & pure feel-good energy.
The perfect treat for anyone who loves to move, laugh and feel amazing!
Valid for 6 months.
ANY CLASSES

Just let me know which one you would like – see examples below – pay by BACS, PAYPAL or CASH in class and I’ll do the rest!

maria@dancegeneration.co.uk or 07811 823467

That’s it for now.
Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 30th NOVEMBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/dancegeneration/weekly-update-13856738?e=0b783cd120

Hi everyone!

Hope you’ve had a good week and thank you for coming along to the classes. Thank you also for all the lovely birthday wishes, cards, presents and love you’ve showered me with this Saturday for my 65th birthday. I can’t quite believe I’m 65. Didn’t that used to be OLD? Maybe I’ve got the numbers around the wrong way! Well – whatever, I’m just going to keep dancing – who’s with me?

Here’s your weekly review and update for the coming week:

DANCING-IN-LINE TUESDAY
Thank you for coming along this week – hope you enjoyed the class and are looking forward to dancing to a few Christmas tracks during December. Our last class for 2025 is going to be Tuesday 16th December – see below if you would like to come along for a drink after class that day. Remember the FAVOURITE DANCES page on the website has links to most of the dances we do regularly – and often Friday class gets the same playlist – or vice versa – so always check the Friday update for links to newer dances too! And – as always please send me your requests – I have PLACES (Fireball) and JUST FOR GRINS ready for the second hour, so room for some in the 10:30 class.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE DANCING
We had a fab class Friday! I hope you all liked my new snazzy speakers… I’m not overly impressed with the mic – but I’ll see if I can make some tweaks to it. No brand new dances in the first class – just lots of old favourites and in the second class we did week two of TENNESSEE WHISKEY which I quite like although I personally think all the taggy bits and the restarts are completely unnecessary! I forgot to ask the Marks Out of Ten score AGAIN – so let me know!
Current dances, new and old, also being taught include:
LOVE POTION 666
BOSSA NOVA
BLUE ROSE IS
SMOKEY PLACES
SHANIA’S MOMENT
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU

NEW DANCERS
We’ve had some new dancers join us over the last few weeks and one of the challenges in learning a new hobby is that the hobby often comes with lots of new words and phrases to learn. Dance is no different. All the dance steps have names like Jazz Box, Weave, Pivot Turn, Cross Samba Step – etc, they have timing and they have rhythm.

When you first come to class – you have the physical challenge of moving your feet AND body in time to the music PLUS you need to learn the different rhythms AND then there’s also the mental challenge of learning all the names of the steps too! No wonder your head feels like you can’t take it all in. But you WILL get there. Here’s PDF link that you can download with lots of the STEP DESCRIPTIONS broken down. Hopefully this will help you!

But honestly, don’t worry about not doing it ‘right’. Like any new skill – learning to dance takes time. You won’t learn by coming just once or even twice. You won’t learn by sitting out and watching. And you definitely won’t learn anything if you give up! So keep coming along and before you know it – you’ll be thinking, ‘I know this one!’

The DANCE FITNESS is a bit different as it’s not as structured as the Line/Modern Line. It’s a follow along class with no steps executions to ‘learn’, so it’s a bit easier to get your head around. All the dance routines follow the phrasing of the song – so the chorus has the same moves. But again – if you’ve never done it before – it’s HARD! And it’s especially challenging when you join an established class where it feels like everyone (apart from you) knows what they are doing! And I do know what it feels like to go to a class and be absolutely useless at it: Don’t believe me? Read my Karate journey HERE.

YOGA
This week we did mostly a standing flow – which wasn’t what I’d planned! The heating in the hall wasn’t working and that makes it a bit miserable and cold – especially when you are bare footed, so we had to keep moving, build up some heat and get flowing! Thanks for coming. I am assured the heating is back working again, so I’ll revisit the sequence I was going to do this week – which does have a bit more relaxation and breathwork in it! Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week. I’ve added the new one – called TANGO (click for the video) in the mix – I quite like it as it’s pretty easy and fun and there’s an opportunity, if you fancy it, to do some high kicks by taking it up a notch at the end (leaving out the twists). I know it’s called Tango – but it’s actually a Charleston and that’s a really happy sort of dance and for me, that’s what it’s all about. Dancing indeed makes you happy, so come to class to get your dose! The weekly playlists are on the FACEBOOK PAGE.
And listen out for some of those old Christmas tracks on the playlist for the next few weeks – which means I have to get my little thinking and remembering socks on – I can just about remember the moves to Run Run Rudolph and Rocking Robin… but as for the others….help!

TUESDAY 16th we will all head off to Wetherspoons (The Flying Boat) in Dartford after class for a Christmas drink. Everyone is welcome to come along! From around 12:30 onwards.

And finally – INTRODUCING DANCE GIFT VOUCHERS!
Do FRIENDS & FAMILY ask you what you would like for Christmas or birthdays? Or do you know someone who would LOVE one of these?

These are flexible DANCE CLASS gift cards – available for all classes – you can gift just one class, two, three, four, five, or more!

Joy that lasts longer than chocolate!
A brilliant Christmas or birthday gift – healthy, happy and full of sparkle!
Ideal for friends, mum’s, sisters or anyone who deserves a boost.
Confidence, connection & pure feel-good energy.
The perfect treat for anyone who loves to move, laugh and feel amazing!
Valid for 6 months.
ANY CLASSES

Just let me know which one you would like – see examples below – pay by BACS, PAYPAL or CASH in class and I’ll do the rest!

maria@dancegeneration.co.uk or 07811 823467

That’s it for now.
Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE 23rd NOVEMBER – https://mailchi.mp/c8e257eabc7b/weekly-update-13856503?e=0b783cd120

Hi everyone!

Hope you’ve had a good week. I’m not one for talking about the weather – but wasn’t it COLD? So – if you braved the chilly evenings especially, thank you for coming along to the classes. It doesn’t take long for the doors to open or the air con to go on though, does it?

Here’s your weekly review and update for the coming week:

DANCING-IN-LINE TUESDAY
Thank you for coming along this week – TUESDAY was super busy again – always good for creating a lovely atmosphere. I hope you’re enjoying all the new dances we’ve been doing. Here’ s the list of the ones we did this week – most of them can be found on the FAVOURITE DANCES page on the website:
COWBOY CHARLESTON – danced to Make a Move
RIBBON OF HIGHWAY – danced to Texas Holdem
BLUE ROSE IS (see link below for video)
LOVE POTION 666 (see link below)
GLASS OF WINE
TENNESSEE WALTZ SURPRISE
ROCKET TO THE SUN – danced to Never Can Say Goodbye
LA GALLEGUITA
BIGGER HOUSES
RED HOT SALSA – danced to Bad Boys
POT of GOLD
RUNAWAY RUMBA
COME SWAY WITH ME
Please send me your requests for Tuesday!.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE DANCING
A bit quiet again – you never can predict who will turn up – but if you ALL turned up at once – we’d probably have to take it in turns to dance! I do love it though when everyone leaves the space for the person who is not there. No brand new dances in the first class – just lots of old favourites and we did a new one in the second class called TENNESSEE WHISKEY which I quite liked although there were lots of things to remember! I forgot to ask the Marks Out of Ten score – so let me know!
Current dances, new and old, also being taught include:
LOVE POTION 666
BLUE ROSE IS
SMOKEY PLACES
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU

YOGA
This week we did LOTS of chatturangas, planks and balancing poses – really good for the core and stability. All these are woven into a basic Sun Salutation flow. If you’re curious about Power Yoga – which is based on a style of yoga called Vinyasa Flow – linking the breath and movements together – Power Yoga is basically the same, but it offers you the opportunity to take it up a notch, so it’s more challenging. We use our own body weight, so there are no machines or bands or anything and it’s SO good for increasing strength, balance, focus, stability and flexibility. If you look up TRAVIS ELLIOT POWER YOGA – that will give you an idea. I always offer modifications as you build up your strength, so you don’t have to be able to touch your toes or stand on one leg to join! Thanks for coming and look forward to more challenging flows this week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week. We did a new one – called TANGO (click for the video) which isn’t actually a Tango at all, it’s a CHARLESTON (yes, I know super confusing!), but it’s pretty easy and fun and there’s an opportunity, if you fancy it, to do some high kicks by taking it up a notch at the end (leaving out the twists). Charleston is such a happy dance – and that’s what it’s all about. Dancing indeed makes you happy! Come to class to get your dose!. And don’t worry if you missed it – I’ll go over it again this week.
The weekly playlists are on the FACEBOOK PAGE – Click the link.

TUESDAY 16th we will all head off to Wetherspoons (The Flying Boat) in Dartford after class for a Christmas drink. Everyone is welcome to come along! From around 12:30 onwards.

And finally – INTRODUCING DANCE GIFT VOUCHERS!
Do FRIENDS & FAMILY ask you what you would like for Christmas or birthdays? Or do you know someone who would LOVE one of these?

These are flexible DANCE CLASS gift cards – available for all classes – you can gift just one class, two, three, four, five, or more!

Joy that lasts longer than chocolate!
A brilliant Christmas or birthday gift – healthy, happy and full of sparkle!
Ideal for friends, mum’s, sisters or anyone who deserves a boost.
Confidence, connection & pure feel-good energy.
The perfect treat for anyone who loves to move, laugh and feel amazing!
Valid for 6 months.
ANY CLASSES

Just let me know which one you would like – see examples below – pay by BACS, PAYPAL or CASH in class and I’ll do the rest!

maria@dancegeneration.co.uk or 07811 823467

That’s it for now.
Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 16th NOVEMBER – https://mailchi.mp/0340d7ef26c0/weekly-update-13856240?e=0b783cd120

Hi everyone!

Hope you’ve had a good week. I have. Did I ever tell you I LOVE my job? I consider myself very blessed and lucky to be able to do what I do – but I couldn’t do it without YOU, so thank you for coming along to the classes.

Here’s your weekly review and update for the coming week:

DANCING-IN-LINE TUESDAY & MODERN LINE DANCING
Thank you for coming along this week – TUESDAY was super busy – always good for creating a lovely atmosphere. I hope you’re enjoying all the new dances we’ve been doing. I have been asked to do a THEMED DAY on a Tuesday (we normally do them Friday’s ) so how about a COUNTRY MUSIC one – just like the good old days? If you fancy that – let me know! It will probably be in the New Year now as there’s not many weeks left until Christmas, but all good things come to those who wait!

FRIDAY was a bit quiet – lots of people away, and that dreadful rain! We didn’t do any new dances – but I’ll probably roll out a couple of new ones if I can find any that I like (NOT Dominic the Donkey!) this week for you.
Current dances, new and old, being taught include:
LOVE POTION 666
BLUE ROSE IS
SMOKEY PLACES
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU

YOGA
This week we did a good solid Sun Salutation flow with some twists. Hope you enjoyed it. I try to vary the class flow each week to keep you focused and ‘in the moment’. One of the benefits of yoga is being conscious of how you’re moving. We do so many things that are unconscious, it’s really good for our brain health to focus on the conscious and the NOW element of our lives. Thanks for coming and look forward to more challenging flows this week.

DANCE FITNESS/ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week. The weekly playlists are on the FACEBOOK PAGE – Click the link. This week coming, as Steph and I had a choreo session last Sunday – I’ve got a few new ones lined up and ready to go. You’ll LOVE them. One is a really fab Charleston, which I’ll probably do this week. I know you all love a good Charleston as it’s such a happy dance – and really that’s what it’s all about. Dancing indeed makes you happy! Come to class to get your dose!

TUESDAY 16th we will all head off to Wetherspoons (The Flying Boat) in Dartford after class for a Christmas drink. Everyone is welcome to come along! From around 12:30 onwards.

And finally – INTRODUCING DANCE GIFT VOUCHERS!
Do FRIENDS & FAMILY ask you what you would like for Christmas or birthdays? Or do you know someone who would LOVE one of these?

These are flexible DANCE CLASS gift cards – available for all classes – you can gift just one class, two, three, four, five, or more!

Joy that lasts longer than chocolate!
A brilliant Christmas or birthday gift – healthy, happy and full of sparkle!
Ideal for friends, mum’s, sisters or anyone who deserves a boost.
Confidence, connection & pure feel-good energy.
The perfect treat for anyone who loves to move, laugh and feel amazing!
Valid for 6 months.
ANY CLASSES

Just let me know which one you would like – see examples below – pay by BACS, PAYPAL or CASH in class and I’ll do the rest!

maria@dancegeneration.co.uk or 07811 823467

That’s it for now.
Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 9th NOVEMBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/a52fccd3db56/weekly-update-13855965?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone!

Hope you’ve had a good week – I’ve had a FAB week! Here’s to another one coming up. See that gorgeous kitty on the pic? That’s Mitzi, my cat, on my bed, which I think she now thinks is hers!

Here’s your weekly review and update for the coming week:

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
Thank you for coming along this week – Friday was super busy – always good for creating a lovely atmosphere AND we had our COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED CLASS. Thank you to everyone who dressed the part and came along to dance like back in the good ole days. We did ALL these dances:
Cowboy Charleston
Jazzy Joe’s
Rocket to the Sun (danced to My Next Broken Heart)
Country Walkin’ (danced to Cotton Eyed Joe)
County Line (Neon Moon)
Glass of Wine (danced to Achy Breaky Heart)
Blue Rose Is
One Step Forward
King of the Road
Wishful Thinking
Half a Cha
Memory Lane
Closer
Love Potion 666
Somebody Like You
Bigger Houses
Just for Grins

All back to ‘normal’ next week – whatever that means! I’ll keep a few of the ones we did this week on the playlists.. not sure which ones yet, you’ll have to come to class to find out!

YOGA
This week we did a ladder Sun Salutation flow – one of my favourite ways to structure a class. Hope you enjoyed it. I like the intimacy of a small class – but could always squeeze in a few more, so if anyone has any friends who would like to come along, please let them know about the class. It’s not ‘yoga’ as you know it…see the website for more.

DANCE FITNESS/ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week. Awesome dancing and singing – as always! Steph and I are getting together this weekend – so maybe another new one coming up before we roll out all the Christmas ones. Bex is very excited – Run Run Rudolph is her favourite!

For all the music used in class – see the PLAYLISTS on the FACEBOOK PAGE

CHRISTMAS CLASS DATES
MONDAY DANCE FITNESS on the 22nd December will be your LAST CHANCE TO DANCE in 2025!
However, I’ll only run a class on that Monday if enough people (a minimum of 12) want to come along. I am asking for payment in advance (non-refundable if you don’t make it.) I’ll get a list going that you can add your name to.

ALL CLASSES WILL BE CLOSED over the holiday period and will re open MONDAY 5th JANUARY.

TUESDAY GOODMAN’S
Last class will be Tuesday 16th December. The floor is being re-done over the holiday period, so we re-open Tuesday 6th.

ZUMBA GIRLS PIZZA NIGHT OUT (Pizza Express Sidcup) – we normally hold this between Christmas and the New Year, but I am going to be away that week – but I don’t see why we can’t do something at the end of January if you would like to. Just let me know your thoughts and I’ll sort out a date. Or you could go without me! Waaaaaaa!

YOGA – Last class 16th December – NO CLASSES 23rd & 30th DECEMBER.

That’s it for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend – and look forward to seeing you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE 2nd NOVEMBER 2025- https://mailchi.mp/f6c32e6a4b53/weekly-update-13855649?e=0b783cd120

Hi everyone!

First of all – I know Halloween is over – but that little cat is so cute – I just had to use him! He cheered me up as I’ve been struggling a bit since Sunday as I bloody HATE it when the clocks get messed up – really throws me out… and the dark nights are a bit depressing, aren’t they?

Anyway – hope you all had a good week and here’s your weekly review and update.

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
Thanks for coming to the classes – we had some fabulous dancing this week. No new dances – just the ones we’ve been doing over the last couple of weeks:
LOVE POTION 666
HEART IN TWO
JOE’S COTTON EYES
TELL ME
Click the links for VIDEOS (not step sheets!)

And a our Oldie currently being revived:
I DON’T FEEL LIKE DANCING

COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED FRIDAY 7th
I’ve got my list going for our class coming up this Friday and I am definitely going to teach these three golden oldies:
COUNTY LINE (NEON MOON)
BLUE ROSE IS
JUST FOR GRINS (BILLY B BAD)
We will also do as many dances as we can – current and golden oldies – that are to Country Music – so things like Cabo San Lucas, King of the Road, Playboys, Half a Cha etc. Please feel free to dress up in your best Cowboy gear – and revisit the old days when Line Dancing was done almost exclusively to Modern Country music. Should be a lot of fun! If you’ve got any suggestions for dances/music – please let me know.

YOGA
This week we did a modified Warrior flow although I didn’t manage to work in a Warrior III – so I will do that this week – Warrior III pose – is a super challenging strength and balance pose. Here’s a link: https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/beginner-tips-for-warrior-3-pose

As always, I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to keep ourselves strong and flexible as we age and SCIENCE BASED YOGA will help you achieve all this and more. Looking forward to seeing you all at class again this week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week. I unleashed a new one on you this week : VIENI AL MARE – click the link for the video Steph has done (thanks Steph!). And I’m looking forward to the Christmas playlists already – which means we’ll be bringing out Run Run Rudolph (for those that have done it before – bet you can’t wait!) and All I Want for Christmas and Rockin’ Robin – to name but a few.

All classes running as normal. For all the music used in class last week – see below – or check the PLAYLISTS on the FACEBOOK PAGE
(although I know not everyone is on Facebook!) Please send me your favourites for the playlists this week!

One of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of running the dance classes for me is seeing people meet and make new friends. Often this happens as a gradual process – by seeing everyone every week and having a quick chat at classes – but it’s always lovely to be able to sit down and have a proper chat and a laugh together in a social setting – so that’s why I like to organise something for each of the classes at Christmas time. I’ll look at some possible dates this week for our annual get-together’s – but if you have any suggestions – let me know.

PODCASTS / OTHER STUFF
A long, but highly recommended podcast this week – this is PART II of a focus on women’s health – this one is mostly on EXERCISE, NUTRITION, FASTING, LONGEVITY, MUSCLE & BONE HEALTH (all my favourite subjects!)
There is a PART I which is more focused on fertility and peri menopause – if that’s more your thing) but both of them are super interesting – click the link above for PART II.

BIRTHGAP
And, as a lifelong learner and could have been Human Evolutionary Biological Anthropologist – BIRTHGAP is a well researched documentary I came across in my never ending quests for interesting things to watch! It’s about population decline. Definitely worth your time, although a bit scary and sad, to be honest. My opinion is that radical feminism, societal pressure and celebrity culture are mostly to blame (as well as the cost of having children and the shockingly unfair distribution of wealth across the globe… ) Very few people now value the true riches of life anymore.

And on that happy note – it makes me so grateful to be able to do what I do. So, finally – I just want to say a huge thank you for being part of the DANCE GENERATION community. For me, the classes are so much more than just learning to dance. The friendship, the smiles, the chatting, the music and everything else you gain from coming along to the classes is much more important than just learning a bunch of steps!

Thank you.

That’s it for now.
Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE 26th OCTOBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/5f1160f0869f/weekly-update-13855371?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend! Some fab playlists and busy classes this week – thank you so much for coming along. Did you put your clocks BACK last night? (I know we don’t have to go around actually doing that these days, but I enjoy an extra hour in bed – specially at the weekend!) AND – bonus! My car clock is now showing the right time again!

Here’s your updates:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
MONDAY * WEDNESDAY * THURSDAY
Definitely a new one this week. I feel a bit of Latin coming on! The two recent new ones: SAVE ME & MOVIN’ ON U P are now firmly on the ever growing list of tracks we dance to – variety is the spice of life as they say. We also did a few oldies this week and I think there may have been a distinct lack of slow ones overall – did you notice? Gotta keep moving! Please remember to send me requests for the playlists!

All PLAYLISTS for last weeks classes are on the FACEBOOK PAGE

YOGA
I hope everyone enjoyed the Moon Salutation again this week – which is a little bit different from the Sun Salutation, and a wee bit challenging too!. That’s good! No point in me taking you places you’ve been before. That’s a bit like reading the same book over and over again. You need to read different books to learn and grow – as if it doesn’t challenge you it won’t change you. Look forward to seeing you all this week. Spaces available in the class if you would like to join or know someone who would like to try it! More info here:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE
A new dance this week:
LOVE POTION 666 – click the link for the video – it got a 9/10 – which I am not surprised about as the music is fab!
The other two new ones are on week two:
HEART IN TWO
TELL ME
And week three on JOE’S COTTON EYES
We also revived DON’T FEEL LIKE DANCING
Click the links for the step sheets / videos and happy practising. Look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

BRAIN HEALTH / BEING IN THE MOMENT
I chatted – OK – maybe it was a bit of a rant (ish) about cognitive brain health on Friday. Sometimes when we move – we don’t do it CONSCIOUSLY. So movements become automatic. This is both good and bad news. Automatic behaviors can be helpful with tasks like making a cup of coffee or cleaning our teeth, as they don’t require that much focus or thought. However, as we age we need to keep the brain healthy by creating new pathways, learning new things and being conscious of our movements. Challenging our brains to be ‘in the moment’ and really focusing on the tasks we do helps slow down cognitive decline. We all know that movement is good for the body – but it’s also good for the brain too, especially if you are learning a new skill with new routines and sequences that involve both the mind and the body. But – if you are just ‘following along’ and not really consciously moving or learning the steps like in a dance – this won’t have the same benefits. And you’ve all heard me talk about those poor little creatures called Lemmings. They all follow each other and we all know what happens to them!
Anyway – happy practising and remembering the dances!

FRIDAY 7th NOVEMBER – COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED CLASS
Please feel free to dress up in your best Cowboy outfits and come on down to our Friday classes – with a good old Country Music theme. This means that most of the dances will be danced to Country Music. Even ones you already know. It’s great for the brain to challenge yourself like this – as even if you ‘know’ the dance – when you dance it to a different bit of music – sometimes it feels like a different dance altogether! Fortunately, we do use quite a fair bit of country music anyway – so don’t worry that you won’t be able to dance anything! I’ll go over EVERY dance before we do it – there will be lots of kicks, heel, toe’s, shuffles and slap yer thigh stuff – should be a lot of fun.

PODCASTS.
This weeks recommendation is Dr Rangan Chattergee talking to Dr Vonda Wright about BONE HEALTH.
https://drchatterjee.com/how-to-stay-mobile-independent-unbreakable-as-you-age-with-dr-vonda-wright/
Enjoy!

Looking forward to seeing you all this week. If anyone has any questions or comments, please let me know.

WEEKLY UPDATE 19th OCTOBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/8411a9f0d5e6/weekly-update-13855115?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Does that cat look a bit boss eyed or is that me? (Drank too much gin last night!!) Anyway – hope you enjoyed your classes last week – thank you for joining me.

UPDATES FOR THE WEEK

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MONDAY * WEDNESDAY * THURSDAY
A couple more oldies appeared on the playlists last week – notably SING SING SING and LA MORDITIDA. I’ve got over 14 years worth of routines to call upon – so it’s good to dance some of the oldies every now and again as well as choreograph new ones – talking of which – might roll out another this week. Who knows? Come to class to find out! If I do a new one – I will go over the moves in each section before we dance it. And- good news! We are back in the big hall as usual (the theatre group had a dress rehearsal for their upcoming production Wednesday ) which meant we were in the smaller hall and typically, we had a really busy class Wednesday – it was a bit cosy in there and hot! Fabulous singing though!
.
All PLAYLISTS for last weeks classes are on the FACEBOOK PAGE

YOGA
Good to see you all this week! I love teaching Yoga. For me it really complements the dancing and strength training I do and helps to remind me to slow down, breathe and be in the moment. I hope it does the same for you too!

We all lead such busy, frantic lives and don’t often take the time to really appreciate how we are moving, breathing or even feeling so Vinyasa Flow – which is the style of yoga my classes are based on, feels like a moving, feeling, breathing meditation that fires up your core muscles, challenges your balance and helps you to focus on being in the NOW! We tackled a MOON SALUTATION this week – which was quite different – so we’ll give that another go this week. Look forward to seeing you.

We have some spaces available if anyone has friends who would like to join – there’s also lots of information on the website about the classes: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

MODERN LINE FRIDAY
A couple of new dances this week (Friday) Here are the links to the steps sheets:
JOE’S COTTON EYES
HEART IN TWO
TELL ME – this one got a 10/10 – lovely, lovely dance!

DANCING IN LINE – TUESDAY
I’ll probably do the HEART IN TWO on Tuesday – but I have a little list of requests for some other oldies – so I’ll be working my way through that over the next few weeks.

Remember that on the website – there is a list of our FAVOURITE DANCES with step sheets/videos – AND it’s in alphabetical order. You can always message me if you can’t remember the name of a dance – as some of them are not called the same as the music!.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 7th – COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED DANCE DAY
Dress up and come on down to our Friday classes – with a good old Country Music theme. This means that most of the dances will be danced to Country Music. Even ones you already know. It’s great for the brain to challenge yourself like this – as even if you ‘know’ the dance – when you dance it to a different bit of music – sometimes it feels like a different dance altogether! Fortunately, we do use quite a fair bit of country music anyway – so don’t worry that you won’t be able to dance anything!. I’ll go over EVERY dance before we do it – there will be lots of kicks, heel, toe’s, shuffles and slap yer thigh stuff – should be a lot of fun. Please feel free to DRESS UP if you would like to.

HALLOWEEN
This year it’s FRIDAY 31st – so if anyone want to come along in a spooky T shirt or wear a witches hat – or whatever – please do – and I will search out a few suitable Halloween type music tracks to dance to. I love giving myself extra work!!

OTHER STUFF!
Fab podcast recommendation this week from LIZ EARLE about Menopause. (It’s Menopause awareness month)
Very interesting indeed.
WHAT WOMEN AREN’T TOLD ABOUT HORMONES
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/what-women-arent-told-about-hormones-with-dr-louise-newson/id1230372957?i=1000728201613
My tip is to listen to that instead of watching the TV! And if you do – let me know!

That’s it for this week.

Maria x

All details of ALL the classes and all sorts of other things you didn’t know you needed to know are on my website:
DANCE GENERATION

WEEKLY UPDATE – 12th OCTOBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/75f845569e64/weekly-update-13854888?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all enjoying the weekend. I have a houseful of guests – so just a quick update.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out to dance this week. It was a bit quieter than usual – so hope everyone is OK and here’s hoping to see you all this coming week. The playlists are on the DANCE FITNESS FACEBOOK PAGE – Click the link and please send me some requests! If you don’t tell me what you want – I’ll just put on what I like! got a few already for Monday, but plenty of room for more.

If you want to find out more about how the classes are structured and how Dance Fitness works on improving your cardio fitness as well as toning areas of the body – click here: DANCE FITNESS – HOW IT WORKS

DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY ELTHAM)
It was good to see everyone this week – we had a lovely busy class on Tuesday and hello to our new ladies – hope you enjoyed the dancing! No new dances – just the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks and the usual smattering of oldies. Check the last few weeks UPDATE and click the links if you want to have a little practice or as a refresher if you did them this week!
We did a new dance Friday – JOE’S COTTON EYES That was a bit of thigh slapping fun! Hope you enjoyed it!

FRIDAY 7th NOVEMBER – COUNTRY MUSIC THEMED CLASSES
I’m looking forward to this one! If you’ve not been to a themed class before, it means that ALL the dances we do will be on a certain theme – we’ve done Irish, Latin, and 60’s Rock n Roll in the past as well as Country. So this Country themed class will have lots of thigh slapping, four on the floor shuffles and kick ass Country music. Please feel free to ‘dress up’ if you would like to. I will! The new one we did this week JOE’S COTTON EYES – fits in quite nicely with this theme too! Please send me requests for next week too – I’ve already had a few good ones suggested.

Also – remember the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.

YOGA
As you all know – STRENGTH, BALANCE and FLEXIBILITY are all VITAL for physical mobility as we age – I know I’ll be accused of being boring – but if you are looking for ACTIVE retirement – then you need to put the work in. You’ll never wake up one morning fitter, stronger and more flexible than you were the day before – unless you do something to make that happen. Yoga is adaptable, challenging and relaxing – practising regularly helps you focus as well as working on learning how to improve co-ordination, build strength and stability. Why not join us?
TUESDAY EVENINGS 7:30pm Jubilee Hall South Darenth DA4.
See the website for more info:https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

EXTRA STUFF
Obviously most of the stuff I like to listen/watch/read is about health, nutrition, eating whole food, longevity etc – so try this: – it’s about EGGS!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/a5e34350fa2ba991

…and did you make the bread? THREE INGREDIENT ITALIAN HOMEMADE BREAD

Enjoy!

That’s it for this week. Look forward to seeing you.

WEEKLY UPDATE – 5th October 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/4a06ee5f7eb7/weekly-update-13854639?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all enjoying the weekend. It does feel a tad Autumny – is that a word? Thanks for coming out to dance this week and here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Some GORGEOUS playlists this week – they are all on the DANCE FITNESS FACEBOOK PAGE – Click the link. And welcome to all our new & old ladies (just thought I’d better clarify ‘old’ means dancers we haven’t seen for a while who have come back!) If you want to find out more about how the classes are structured and how Dance Fitness works on improving your cardio fitness as well as toning areas of the body – click here: DANCE FITNESS – HOW IT WORKS

This week coming – definitely no more new routines – as we’ve done two new ones over the last couple of weeks:a warm up to a remix of the M people track MOVIN’ ON UP which is pretty easy and the other a really great routine to SAVE ME – Olly Murs , that I co-choreographed with Steph. If you missed this week, Steph has done videos – just click the names of the tracks. The warm up chorus is a weeny bit different – but essentially the same routine. What’s on the playlist this week? You’ll have to come to class to find out!

YOGA
As you all know – STRENGTH, BALANCE and FLEXIBILITY are all VITAL for physical mobility as we age. I am dancing, running, lifting and doing yoga so that I can kick ass when I’m in my 80’s! If you are looking for ACTIVE retirement – then you need to put the work in. You’ll never wake up one morning fitter, stronger and more flexible than you were the day before – unless you do something to make that happen.
This week I’m planning a ladder/slow build flow, which is my favourite way to structure a class as we revisit lots of the poses in the sequence –our brains LOVE this kind of structuring as it creates a ‘safe and familiar’ feeling – and that’s in addition to the physical benefits of the stretching, balancing and strength building that we gain through practising yoga. I am going to add in some more standing poses this week (so less weight bearing on the wrists). Why not join us?

DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY ELTHAM)
It was good to see everyone this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. No new dances – just the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks and the usual smattering of oldies. Check the last few weeks UPDATE and click the links if you want to have a little practice or as a refresher if you did them this week!

FRIDAY 7th NOVEMBER
This is the date for our next THEMED CLASS – and this time it’s COUNTRY.. This means that ALL the dances will be danced to some thigh slapping, four on the floor shuffles and kick ass Country music. Please feel free to ‘dress up’ if you would like to. I will! AND – as always – requests please! Please send me requests for next week too – I’ve already had a few good ones suggested already!

Also – remember the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.

EXTRA STUFF
How about this for something different? THREE INGREDIENT ITALIAN HOMEMADE BREAD
I made this homemade rustic loaf this week – it’s dead easy! I did the ‘Stretch & Fold’ method. The Gen Z ate half of it warm with butter….:

Enjoy!

That’s it for this week. Look forward to seeing you.

WEEKLY UPDATE 28th SEPTEMBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/19fb273153d6/weekly-update-13854378?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend and enjoyed the classes last week. Got some great feedback on all the new dances – so thank you for that! I spend much of my time searching out great music, choreographing for the Dance fitness/Zumba (mostly with Steph) and learning routines to teach for the Line Dancing classes. I also do sequencing flow routines for yoga and try to keep up to date with all the latest science on health and nutrition and wellness. I aim to ensure all the classes are as good as they possibly can be – fun, relevant and never boring! So, thank you for your support of the dance classes as obviously couldn’t do it without you!

All classes running as normal this coming week, so please keep on sending me those requests.

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday)
I took a chance and rolled out two new dances this week – one was a warm up to a remix of the M people track MOVIN’ ON UP which was pretty easy.and the other was a really great routine to SAVE ME – Olly Murs , that I co-choreographed with Steph last weekend. If you missed this week – then good news! Steph has done videos – just click the names of the tracks. The warm up chorus is a weeny bit different – but essentially the same routine. Both will be on the playlists this week – I am looking forward to dancing them both with you!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMAN’S
Thanks for coming on Tuesday and Friday. The new dances are on week two and week one (for Tuesday) were TANGO (see below) Tuesday – and BIGGER HOUSES – which seems to be going down well. It’s a Nightclub rhythm – which we don’t do very often – so really good for the brain and we’ve just about sorted out that ending now – which is a bit tricky!
Other dances currently being taught include:
SOUTHERN DREAMS
TANGO
COUNTRY STRAIT
DOCTOR DOCTOR
PLAYBOYS
SIN CITY LIGHTS

WHY YOU SHOULD BE DANCING, LIFTING & STRETCHING!

I listened to a fabulous podcast this week – the link is below – about LONGEVITY. Longevity is a bit of a buzz word at the moment – but what does it really mean? Literally, longevity is READ MORE HERE:

https://dancegeneration.co.uk/blog/

PODCASTS, VIDEOS & STUFF
Here’s the recommended podcast:
Why You’re Aging Faster Than You Should, And How to Stop It!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-youre-aging-faster-than-you-should-and-how-to/id1795041554?i=1000721074658

Enjoy!

WEEKLY UPDATE – 21st SEPTEMBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/f2ed0ecc35b3/weekly-update-13854098?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend. You know that cat of mine that is BIG part of the dance classes? Well – I’m off to Blackheath today to meet the daughter of Rikki – who some of you may remember. Rikki used to come to class on Friday and she sadly died ten years ago – and Mitzi was originally her cat that I adopted, so we are going for a memorial walk around the gardens. And, no I’m not taking the cat…although think I should!

Thanks for coming along this week. All classes running as normal this week, so please keep on sending me those requests – we had some excellent ones this week.

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday)
Wednesday – I think we had the fastest class EVER – hope you all enjoyed that one! I did! I also went to visit Steph yesterday – so you know what that means! LOTS OF BRAND NEW EXCITING choreography – we did THREE new routines to some fabulous tracks one of which is this one: SAVE ME – Olly Murs

Plus a new warm up to this: MOVIN’ ON UP
I will probably roll either of those out this week – maybe both, plus some oldies we haven’t done for ages.
Let me know if you have any other requests and look forward to seeing you.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMAN’S
Thanks for coming on Tuesday and Friday. We did the new one TANGO (see below) Tuesday – and a brand new one FRIDAY called BIGGER HOUSES – I quite liked it. It’s a Nightclub rhythm – which we don’t do very often – so really good for the brain and it got scores ranging from three to eight! The end was a bit tricky – so we’ll work on that this week.
Other dances currently being taught include:
SOUTHERN DREAMS
TANGO
COUNTRY STRAIT
DOCTOR DOCTOR

TUESDAY YOGA
The Yoga class is still looking for some new recruits! I know I go on and on about this – but Yoga is basically MAGIC! According to AI – there is no single best form of exercise, but Yoga is a highly beneficial, holistic practice that offers unique benefits like improved flexibility, strength, balance, stress reduction, and heart health, which can complement other forms of exercise like aerobic training (that’s DANCING!) or strength training. The ideal exercise routine depends on individual goals, fitness levels, and preferences, with different styles of yoga providing varying levels of cardiovascular and strength-building benefits. Modern Power Yoga, based on Vinyasa Flow – IS a science based fitness approach to yoga – fusing the ancient elements – like the breath with physically challenging pose sequences, that really do all the above. My class is an ALL LEVELS class – encouraging everyone to work at their own level. Try it for FREE!
More info on the website: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

PODCASTS, VIDEOS & STUFF
Did you get a chance to listen to last weeks suggestion? If not – here it is again. Dr Rangan Chattergee talking to Dr Darshan Shah about daily habits that can add decades to your life, improving brain health, exercising for longevity and healthy ageing. What’s not to love!?

https://drchatterjee.com/the-most-important-daily-habits-that-could-add-decades-to-your-life-keep-your-brain-young-with-darshan-shah/

That’s it for this week. Look forward to seeing you.

WEEKLY UPDATE 14th SEPTEMBER 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/2d534b78e1bd/weekly-update-13853872?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend.. I am off to Bluewater for lunch today – so by the time you read this, I shall probably be snoozing the afternoon away on the sofa. We’ll see!

Thanks for coming along this week. We had lovely busy classes AND, a few more people at classes we haven’t seen for AGES! Welcome back – hope you enjoyed being back on the dance floor again and a big hello to our newer dancers – hope you’re enjoying the classes too. Let me know if you have any questions.

All classes running as normal this week, so please keep on sending me those requests for tracks.

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday)
Our new dance: SAPPHIRE – co choreographed with Steph – seems to be going down well and we’ve also revived oldie – CAN’T STOP THE FEELING – (no video – sorry!) which I’ve now remembered. (thanks Ursula!), so that’ll be in the mix now and I’m looking at a new warm up and some more oldies we haven’t done for ages. Let me know if you have any requests and look forward to seeing you.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMAN’S
Thanks for coming on Tuesday and Friday. We did the new one TANGO (see below) Tuesday – and Friday week two of that and the other two, plus we did SOUTHERN DREAMS. Might be a new one this week – I’ll see what’s out there that I can unleash on you!
TANGO
COUNTRY STRAIT
DOCTOR DOCTOR

TUESDAY YOGA
A slowish flow this week focusing on breath and movement together. Slowing the breath and being in the moment is really good for lowering your blood pressure and helping reduce stress.
Sorry about the car park being a bit busier than usual. There is a new Legs, Tums & Bums class in the other hall at 7:15pm. Personally, I think they should ALL be in my yoga class! Why do just LT&B when you can do a full body toning and strengthening class? I’m all for exercise (obviously) but what I don’t want is half a fit body! You have probably noticed that we ALWAYS do movements – in both dance and yoga – using BOTH sides of the body and in yoga especially, we do core work, back work, shoulders AND arms not just our legs, tums and bums!!
If anyone has any friends who want to try the class, please bring them along for FREE. It’s an ALL LEVELS class – so I encourage everyone to work at their own level and don’t try the hard stuff until you’re ready. There’s always more in Yoga.
More info on the website: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

PODCASTS, VIDEOS & STUFF
This week – try this one – Dr Rangan Chattergee talking to Dr Darshan Shah about daily habits that can add decades to your life, improving brain health, exercising for longevity and healthy ageing.

https://drchatterjee.com/the-most-important-daily-habits-that-could-add-decades-to-your-life-keep-your-brain-young-with-darshan-shah/

That’s it for this week. Look forward to seeing you.

WEEKLY UPDATE – 7th SEPTEMBER – https://mailchi.mp/86b74b639d99/weekly-update-13853658?e=f08b012b4b

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a fab weekend! The sun is STILL shining (amazing!). Long may it last. I’m definitely NOT ready to get the jumpers, thermals and gloves out just yet!

Thanks for coming along this week. We had lovely busy classes AND, a few people at classes we haven’t seen for AGES! Welcome back – hope you enjoyed being back on the dance floor again.

All classes running as normal this week.

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday)
We did a couple of new dances: SAPPHIRE – co choreographed with Steph – she’s done a video – so click the name for the link. And we revived an oldie – CAN’T STOP THE FEELING – (no video – sorry!) which some of us remembered, one of which was not me – but Ursula helped me out! I’ll add that to the playlist for the next few weeks. Keep sending me those requests and look forward to seeing you.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMAN’S
Thanks for coming on Tuesday and Friday. We didn’t do any new dances Tuesday – mainly as I forgot my Dance Log, so new ones coming your way this week. Friday we did another fab mix of old and new dances. And the new ones were:
TANGO
COUNTRY STRAIT
DOCTOR DOCTOR

I decided to drop the one we did last week with the funny middle bit – which was OK – as no one remembered it anyway!

TUESDAY YOGA

A challenging flow this week. Building on stability and balance. More of the same this week. If anyone has any friends who want to try the class, please bring them along for FREE. It’s an ALL LEVELS class – so I encourage everyone to work at their own level and don’t try the hard stuff until you’re ready. There’s always more in Yoga.
More info on the website: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

PODCASTS, VIDEOS & STUFF
This week – try this article about LONGEVITY and STRENGTH TRAINING – about a bunch of older women 60-100 years old who literally TRANSFORMED their lives with weights.
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/strength-training/a65604316/strength-training-heavy-lifting-women-over-60
Very interesting indeed.

That’s it for this week. Look forward to seeing you.

Love

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 31st AUGUST 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/23789b48a5b0/weekly-update-13853442?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a fab weekend! I’m feeling a tad delicate this morning from our night out last night – see below! But we all had a great evening! I hope to arrange some more nights out, so if you couldn’t make this one… maybe next time!

On to the updates for the week. All classes running as normal – and some NEW DANCES coming your way! Maybe even some new poses for YOGA… talking of which….

TUESDAY YOGA

New class time – just an hour – but still with over half an hour flow. It’s an ALL LEVELS class – so I encourage you to work with your own body – tune in and don’t try the hard stuff before you are ready! Just work within your capability as it takes time to build up strength and flexibility – so be patient. There is plenty of room in the class for more, so if you used to come and haven’t been for a while – be good to see you back if you fancy giving it another go or maybe you have a friend who would like to try the class out? The hour will keep me from waffling and we can be more focused! There’s more info on the website: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
Definitely a brand new one for all classes and an oldie revival – Can’t Stop The Feeling – which some of you may remember (or it might be brand new too if you’re a new dancer!) I will go over all the sections before we dance them anyway for both the new one and the oldie revival. Remember to send me requests! We already have a cool-down and some obligatory Pitbull, plus Conga on the list. What else I hear you ask? Well – come to class to find out!
Also – got a new poster… The Thursday one is the same – just with the Thursday class details.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMAN’S
Thanks for coming on Tuesday and Friday. A great mix of old and new dances. I have a couple of new ones to teach you this week, some of you have already had a sneaky preview of SAVE ME – but I might work on the middle section to make it more suitable for the first class – as the dance itself is quite fun, but the middle section sucks a bit!

Remember to check the WEEKLY UPDATE page for the steps sheets to the ones we’ve been doing lately (new and old) and the newly updated and sorted FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE also on the website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly.
Do you like our new poster?

Tuesday new poster too!

SING THE MUSICALS
Well – what can I say? What a great night! We all had a FABULOUS time. I shall look out for more fun trips out for us all. Hands up who is all croaky this morning from all that singing?

PODCASTS, VIDEOS & STUFF
This week – do you like COFFEE? Have a listen to this:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/foundmyfitness/id818198322?i=1000713097397
It’s about coffee, longevity and health, but it’s also about the sort of coffee, where it’s grown, beans or ground? What time is best to drink it – and what about caffeine?. And how moderate coffee drinking can increase cognitive function and vascular health – that’s brains and heart/blood flow.

That’s it for this week. Look forward to seeing you.

Love

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 24th AUGUST 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/eb5ce2d263d5/weekly-update-13853258?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re having a good Bank Holiday weekend. I am – I’ve a friend staying with me and we did Bluewater yesterday and today we are off to the gym (nothing gets in the way of a lifting session!) and then later, we’ve a walk planned and maybe a bit of blackberry picking if there are any left and a glass or two of wine later on.

Onto the updates for the week – remember there is NO CLASS tomorrow – Monday 25th August – Dance Fitness – so maybe a bit of Kitchen Zumba? I will miss you all! We had some GREAT playlists this week – and I’ve already some requests for Wednesday, so looking forward to seeing you then.

And just a heads up – I shall be rolling out a couple of new ones starting Monday 1st – so be prepared!!

TUESDAY YOGA

The class has been very quiet lately and struggling a bit with numbers, so from 2nd September I am dropping the extra 15 minutes and just doing an hour. There is still the 75 minute class running this week.
I’ve designed some new posters (above) that have now been put up on all the notice boards in the village, so maybe that will help too.
The class will remain an ALL LEVELS class – so I encourage all of you to work with your own body – tune in and don’t try the hard stuff before you are ready! That’s guaranteed to put you off coming as your mind will tell you it’s too hard and everybody else is better than you, blah blah….
Remember that it’s not yoga performance – but yoga practice. You don’t have to keep up or compare yourself to the person on the mat next to you. Yoga is non judgemental! You do the best you can with what you’ve got and if that means you wobble or fall over in a balancing pose, or you can’t do a chaturanga push up – that’s OK! It takes time to build up strength and flexibility, so be gentle on yourself!
If you used to come and haven’t been for a while – be good to see you back if you fancy giving it another go. The hour will keep me from waffling and we can be more focused! There’s more info on the website: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming this week. i really enjoyed our mix of old and new at both the classes this week. No new dances as won’t do any until September as lots of people away on holiday. See the WEEKLY UPDATE page for the steps sheets to the ones we’ve been doing lately (new and old!) and the newly updated and sorted FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE also on the website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly.
Do you like our new poster?

NEW BANK DETAILS
If you pay for your classes by BANK TRANSFER – please note new payment details effective immediately:
CO-OPERATIVE BANK
Business Account
DANCE GENERATION
08-92-50
63331800

PODCASTS, VIDEOS & STUFF
This week – you know I go on about how sweating is good for you? Well… try this!
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-liz-earle-wellbeing-show/id1230372957?i=1000719361795
It’s called The Sweaty Secret to Better Midlife Health
:

SING THE MUSICALS
Saturday 30th August. Most of you have your tickets – but if you’ve not got them yet, and you can’t get to classes this week, I will see you all in the foyer at 7pm. We are all together in one big block anyway and I have all the tickets on my phone. If you’ve got any questions – just message me.

FOR ALL CLASSES
If there is anything that you have discovered lately that has made an impact on you, your health (for the better) or your life in general – please share it with us this week. It could be a life hack, a podcast, a TV programme, a book, a recipe – ANYTHING. Can’t wait to hear them!

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

That’s it for this week. Look forward to seeing you.

Love

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 17th AUGUST 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/544d9ccbd5de/weekly-update-13853097?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend. I’m back from my writing holiday – drank a LOT of gin, did no exercise and lost a kilo (the food is rubbish – all sugar and carbs and things covered in sauces… not for me!). Good to be home and back eating proper food.

Anyway – first of all huge thanks to Bex who covered both Monday and Wednesday for me on the two hottest nights of the year…I heard you were all fabulous, sweaty and exhausted at the end of classes. That’s the way to do it! Playlists on the FB page – click DANCE PLAYLISTS

Onto the updates for the week – remember we still have some AUGUST CLASS CANCELLATIONS:
NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Tues 19th Goodmans only
Mon 25th August – Dance Fitness

TUESDAY YOGA
Missed you all Tuesday ( I was probably drinking gin at the time!) . Did anyone do a Tree Pose at around 8:30pm? How about a boat pose? No? Well – you will this week! Look forward to seeing you soon.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming this week – I was back in time to teach class, so hope you enjoyed it. No new dances – I probably won’t do any until September as lots of people away on holiday. See the WEEKLY UPDATE page for the steps sheets to the ones we’ve been doing lately (new and old!) and the newly updated and sorted FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE also on the website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly.

NEW BANK DETAILS
If you pay for your classes by BANK TRANSFER – please note new payment details effective immediately:
CO-OPERATIVE BANK
Business Account
DANCE GENERATION
08-92-50
63331800

PODCASTS, VIDEOS & STUFF
This week – there are some really good ones out there (I know I say that every week – but it’s true!) I won’t overwhelm you with choices – so just this one, as it’s my favourite this week and I’ve listened to it twice – always a good sign!

THE FOUR PILLARS OF LONGEVITY (You tube link)
https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/310-the-4-pillars-of-longevity-how-to-prevent/id1316938642?i=1000721742473 (apple podcast link)

SING THE MUSICALS
Saturday 30th August. I’ve got all the tickets ready – so I will bring them to classes this week. I’ve attempted to put you all in the same rows, but we are all together in one big block anyway. If you can’t make it to classes before the 30th – I’ll just see you in the foyer. If you’ve got any questions – just message me.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

That’s it for this week. Look forward to seeing you.

Love

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 10th AUGUST 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/d3b783429530/weekly-update-13852844?e=[UNIQID]

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend. I’m HAPPEEE as the sun is shining and the sky is blue!

First of all – thank you to everyone that came out to dance or do yoga last week. It was a bit quiet all round, but to be expected as it’s August and that means Summer Holidays AND it’s still pretty warm (not complaining!)

Remember the AUGUST CLASS CANCELLATIONS:
NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Tues 12th August – Goodmans & Yoga
Tues 19th Goodmans only
Mon 25th August – Dance Fitness

ALL other classes running as normal – but if in doubt – please check the website, the group messages or message me on: 07811 823467

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. We had some fantastic playlists! I especially enjoyed our Monday no-slow-ones-even-though-it-was-HOT class!
I’m away Mon-Wed this coming week up in the Derbyshire countryside at https://www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk/
I’m leaving you in the safe hands of Bex as she is covering for me so remember to send over your requests on the group – might send over a couple myself!

All the playlists for last week are here:
DANCE PLAYLISTS

YOGA
Fab class this week – lots of balancing and a few planks – NO CLASS this Tuesday, but feel free to stand on one leg in Tree Pose at around 8:30pm – and then maybe do a few boat poses too? Look forward to seeing you soon.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. See the WEEKLY UPDATE page for the steps sheets to the ones we’ve been doing lately (new and old!)

There is also a fully updated and sorted FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly. And not only that – they are in rough ALPHABETICAL ORDER! Some how missed off some real oldies – so thanks to everyone who let me know! Still can’t believe I left off Coastin’!

NEW BANK DETAILS
If you pay for your classes by BANK TRANSFER – please note new payment details effective immediately:
CO-OPERATIVE BANK
Business Account
DANCE GENERATION
08-92-50
63331800

PODCASTS & STUFF
This week – again I can’t chose sometimes as they come thick and fast and they are all excellent – so firstly, here’s an interesting Telegraph article about diets that mimic the popular so called ‘fat jabs’ – so if you don’t want the nasty side effects – there are alternatives:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da6f3967a35779af
And this is also good – especially if you’re confused about UPF!
https://zoe.com/learn/processed-food-risk-scale-sarah-berry

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

That’s it for this week – I am off to a Flash Fiction Workshop this afternoon and then to an event called Page to Stage, where I am one of the writers of a five minute play that is going to be cast this afternoon. Very exciting!

Love

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE = 3rd AUGUST 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/df516f013b78/weekly-update-13852703?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody!

Hope you’re all having a fun weekend. Thank you so much for those that came out last week – another bloody hot one! I really do appreciate your support and hope you enjoyed the classes. I expect class numbers to be a bit lower than normal over August, so if you’re going away or are already away – have a fab holiday and keep on moving and grooving!

We do have a few CLASS CANCELLATIONS coming up – so here’s just a reminder NO CLASSES on the following dates:

TUESDAY GOODMANS DANCING-IN-LINE
August 12th
August 19th

TUESDAY YOGA
August 12th

MONDAY DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
August Bank Holiday 25th

ALL OTHER CLASSES ARE RUNNING AS NORMAL! Please also check the website. www.dancegeneration.co.uk

Here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Keep those requests coming! We had some AMAZING CLASSES this week and some brilliant requests. All playlist are on the FACEBOOK PAGE.

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE UPDATE
No brand new dances this week – just recaps of the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks.
A SUMMER BREEZE
BOOTS OFF
And oldie revivals included
ALL WEEK LONG (SEVEN NIGHTS TO ROCK)
INSPIRATION
MOVING ON UP

AND … Guess what! I’ve FINALLY put all the step sheets/videos of our class FAVOURITE LINE DANCES (ones we do regularly) on the website – in alphabetical order! (had to have a lie down after that!)
CLICK HERE: –https://dancegeneration.co.uk/favourite-dances/
Thanks to the girls who pointed out the ones I’d missed. And if anyone has any more they think I should add – let me know.

SING THE MUSICALS – Saturday 30th August Orchard Theatre DARTFORD
I’ve printed off all the tickets, so I’ll bring them with me to classes this week and you can all fight over them! Here’s the seating plan – with our seat numbers blacked out (we have 41 people coming across all the classes!) Should be a fun night.

There are still tickets available for the show if you want to join us – but obviously you won’t be able to sit in the same rows as I think those are now sold – but we can still all have a drink in the bar and all that!
If you want to check the official website and see what seats are left – here’s the link:
https://booking.trafalgartickets.com/en/orchard-theatre-dartford/buyingflow/tickets/29614/58353/#tixs p

YOGA
NO CLASS on Tuesday 12th August.
But still one more week to go before then. We did a very slow simmering ‘settle into the pose’ type class this week, which is great for building strength and focus. Probably do more of a flow this week – but who knows? Come to class to find out..

PODCASTS
So many good ones out there full of the current buzz words like longevity, gut microbiome and Metabolic Flexibility. However! If there’s one thing you can do to improve YOUR health RIGHT NOW – it’s EXERCISE REGULARLY! I know if you are coming to classes – then you’re already doing that – so keep it up, but there’s always more you can do! The sad news is – if you’re sedentary most of the time – even if you come to classes once a week – it’s not really enough. Movement is the elixir of youth. Yoga is brilliant for strength, flexibility and focus and the dance fitness is aimed at increasing your VO2Max (cardio fitness), which is one of the major markers for longevity – not to mention is beneficial effects on co-ordination and balance.
Here’s my best picks:
DOAC – this one covers most of the subjects above!
LOW CARB MD – this is Dr Zoe Harcombe talking to Dr Tro – not just about diet, but also about climate change, the assisted suicide bill and more. Super interesting and probably my favoiuorite this week!
THE DOCTORS KITCHEN – Dr Rupy Aujla & Max Lugavere – discussing five foods under debate: seed oils, beef tallow, raw milk, eggs and soy

That’s your updates for this week – look forward to seeing you this week at classes.

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE 27th JULY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/5bcbe90d6920/weekly-update-13852496?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Thanks for joining me this week for a boogie or a stretch. And hats off and big thank you to all those who come along EVERY WEEK even if it’s bloody hot like it has been – I really appreciate your support of the classes and hope you’re feeling the benefits of being consistent. Motivation may get you there for the first couple of weeks – but being consistent and coming along every week – even if you don’t ‘feel’ like it – gets the results.

This coming week – all classes running as normal and although I don’t think it’s going to be quite as hot – I will make sure all classes are adjusted accordingly- ie there will be more breaks and drinking water encouraged. Remember we do have AIR CONDITIONING on Tuesday (Goodman’s) and Thursday (Dartford St Anselms) and there is also a fan system in Christchurch Hall, and double aspect doors at yoga – so if we open the doors we get a lovely through draft (and evening birdsong.. lovely!).

YOGA
Hope you enjoyed last week’s slow build ladder flow and our hamstring focused class. Spaces available in both classes if anyone has friends who would like to join – there’s also lots of information on the website about the classes: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

MODERN LINE & DANCING in LINE
Thank you for coming along this week. Hope you enjoyed the classes. We did a brand new one in the Friday beginners called SUMMER BREEZE and the oldie revival for the second class was an Intermediate lovely flowy cha cha called OKLAHOMA WIND (you all looked lovely doing this!)

No new ones planned – but do check back on the WEEKLY UPDATES for the ones we’ve been doing over the last month. On the website, you’ll find a page called FAVOURITE DANCES (click the link) with many of the dances we do regularly at classes if you fancy a practice at home.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
All classes running as normal this week and as I said earlier – I think it’s going to be a bit cooler – but make sure you do bring water and I’ll factor in extra water breaks – but always know that you don’t have to go mad, just keep moving and grooving and smiling! Steph and I had a choreo session last Sunday – so there’s some new ones coming your way – but we did a similar one to HOUSE OF BAMBOO called BUGLE BOY this week – which was a lot of fun – so hope you enjoyed that too! (Those links will take you to videos of the dances). All PLAYLISTS for last weeks classes are on the FACEBOOK PAGE – and bring on the requests for this week – it’s best to Whatsapp me 07811 823467 – either directly or through the group if you’re a member, then other members can see what’s been requested.

PODCASTS
I don’t know if any of you ever listen/watch any of the recommended podcasts – but here’s my best pick for this week:

DOAC: Vitamin D Expert Dr. Roger Seheult reveals how sunlight exposure, caffeine intake, and sleep can impact cancer risk, accelerate dementia, and fry your dopamine brain! https://youtu.be/wQJlGHVmdrA?si=ytP5OStbuEuw3sXF

Or if you prefer to watch something: The fantastic late Dr Michel Moseley – SECRETS of THE SUPERAGERS -on Channel 4 – I think that link takes you straight to Episode two – but do go back and watch the first one as well. Check out what he says about DANCING!

That’s it for this week! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and look forward to seeing you.

Love

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 20th July 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/3bba3c5eda73/weekly-update-13852304?e=0b783cd120

Hi everybody!

Hope you’re having a good weekend. I have finally managed to get back on line – no thanks to SKY or BT Openreach, but thanks to Steph who came over today for a choreo session (more about that later) and helped me hotspot my phone and ipad… I’ve no idea how much data I have, so this is going to be a quick update.. and keep your fingers crossed that BT gets its’ act together and fixes the cables…

Here’s your updates for the week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming along this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. It was just as hot as last week – but that doesn’t stop us! We did week two of ‘OMG’ (Oh My God ) – and just in case you didn’t make classes. it was co-choreographed with my friend Steph and she’s done a video – click the link in the name above. Our middle section is a bit different as we go round in a circle, but the chorus and the verses are the same. Steph and I have just had another session today – and we have THREE more exciting routines to share over the next couple of months – and yes, Pitbull might be featured!

YOGA – TUESDAY
Power Yoga is designed to build strength and flexibility along with increasing your balance, stability and focus – the classes are certainly doing that – so keep up the good work. Even if you do find it hard sometimes – that’s good, as if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!! If you are interested in the yoga and would like to know what the classes are like before you come along – here’s a link to a typical power yoga class taught by Travis Elliot – (CLICK HERE) my classes are similar. It is pretty fierce – but as with anything – it gets easier the more you do it and everything we do is modifiable, making the classes suitable for all levels. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

MODERN LINE & DANCING-IN-LINE
No new dances this week, but week two on BUGLE BOY – (click to be taken to the step sheet and video). My current favourite! No new ones planned this week either as lots of people away on holiday, but who knows what might happen! Thank you for coming along and look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

HOT WEATHER!
We have AIR CONDITIONING at Goodman’s (Tuesday classes) and also on Thursday at St Anselm’s. Sadly the Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes aren’t so blessed – but I will always make sure we do slower routines and have more water breaks if the weather is very hot. Make sure you bring water to drink and take breaks as you need them. Although having put all that, I think the weather IS going to be cooler for the next few days.

PODCASTS
A highly recommended podcast this week – Dr Rangan Chattergee – who always has on some super interesting guests – so give this a listen or watch:
LONGEVITY MADE EASY

CLASS CANCELLATIONS for AUGUST
Please note there will be NO CLASSES on TUESDAY 12th August (Goodmans & Yoga) as I am going to be in Derbyshire.

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you on the dance floor or the mat.

Maria x

PS. Sorry this is a bit late being sent out…

WEEKLY UPDATE – 13th JULY – https://mailchi.mp/3bba3c5eda73/weekly-update-13852304?e=0b783cd120

Hi everybody!

Hope you’re having a good weekend. If we are connected on Facebook – it looks like there has been quite a few parties, BBQ’s, general get together’s and drinks in the sunshine! Love it!

Here’s your updates for the week.

YOGA
We did a very challenging Sun Salutation Flow this week – I think you all did an AMAZING job as always!. Lots of balancing and three legged dogs, plus some single leg chatturangas – which are definitely not for the faint hearted – but they are super good for building up strength and control of the core muscles. If you’re interested in the POWER YOGA – please check the information on the website as this is not the sort of yoga where you lie around on the floor having a bit of a relaxing stretch! Power Yoga is designed to build strength, flexibility and increase your balance and stability as well as focus. We do some relaxation, but much of the class is standing. If you want to know a bit more, here’s a link to a typical power yoga class taught by Travis Elliot – (CLICK HERE) my classes are similar. It is pretty fierce – but as with anything – it gets easier the more you do it and everything we do is modifiable, making the classes suitable for all levels. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming along this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. Thank Goodness it wasn’t quite as hot as the week before. We did a brand new one called ‘OMG’ (Oh My God ) – which seemed to go down well – so hope you liked it. I will go over the sections again this week just in case you didn’t make classes – but it’s pretty easy. It was co-choreographed with my friend Steph and she’s done a video – click the link in the name above to get to the video. Our middle section is a bit different as we go round in a circle, but the chorus and the verses are the same. Steph and I have another choreo session planned soon – so there will be more fab routines to look forward to over the Summer.

MODERN LINE & DANCING-IN-LINE
New dance this week for both Tuesday and Friday was BUGLE BOY – (click to be taken to the step sheet and video). We all LOVED it – it’s not often we give a dance a 10/10 score! I’m already looking forward to dancing it this week. No new ones planned – but who knows what might happen! Thank you for coming along and look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.

HOT WEATHER!
Did you know we have AIR CONDITIONING at Goodman’s (Tuesday classes) and also on Thursday at St Anselm’s? Sadly the Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes aren’t so blessed – but I will always make sure we do slower routines and have more water breaks if the weather is very hot. Make sure you bring water to drink and take breaks as you need them.

PODCASTS
Not a podcast this week – but a recent newspaper article. If you love cheese, nuts, eggs, olives and steak – but have been too afraid to eat them because you have been told that these are BAD for you – read this!
(This is basically what I eat all the time!)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/df44a4a564692a71

CLASS CANCELLATIONS for AUGUST
And, finally – advance warning – please note there will be NO CLASSES on TUESDAY 12th August (Goodmans & Yoga) as I am going to be in Derbyshire.

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you on the sunny (or maybe that should be hot & sweaty) dance floor or the mat.

Maria x

PS. Sorry this is a bit late being sent out… I blame the tennis!

WEEKLY UPDATE 6th JULY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/d9df0158db40/weekly-update-13851890?e=0b783cd120

Hi everybody!

Hope you’re having a good weekend. Me and the cat were looking forward to sitting outside and enjoying a bit of sun, but whaddya know? It’s decided to take the weekend off!

Here’s your updates for the week.

YOGA
We did a Sun Salutation Flow this week – I think you all did an AMAZING job. It was challenging – lots of planks, yogi push ups and three legged dogs. This week – as it’s (was!) barefoot weather, I’m going to focus on our feet and our foundation (think balancing). In the Western world we don’t get much opportunity to walk around barefoot – you’d certainly get some funny looks if you went shopping in Tesco with no shoes on! But, we should go barefoot as often as we can as it’s really beneficial to our overall health. Here’s a link to find out more: https://www.healthline.com/health/walking-barefoot
See also this weeks recommended podcast below – that’s all about feet and health too!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week – especially Monday crew – you were all amazing as it was SO HOT! Wednesday was a bit quiet and Thursday was a disaster – and not just due to the weather! There was an accident on the Dartford Bridge earlier in the day, which basically gridlocked the whole of Dartford – I know many couldn’t even get to class the traffic was so bad. It took me 40 mins for what is normally a 10-15 minute journey. It’s not often in over 25 years of teaching that I have not even covered my hall hire and expenses for a class… but hey ho.. you win some, you lose some and thank you to those that did make it, we had a lovely dance anyway! Might unleash the new Pitbull one on you this week, who knows? Come to class to find out and fingers crossed for no more extreme weather/heat and other man made disasters.

MODERN LINE & DANCING-IN-LINE
New dance this week for Friday was called BOOTS OFF, which I will do this Tuesday – we gave it a seven – so it’s pretty good!. We also did week two of BOTTOMS UP. Click the names for the sheets and video and check last weeks update for a list of the latest ones we’ve been learning.

HOT WEATHER!
And just a reminder that we have AIR CONDITIONING at Goodman’s (Tuesday classes) and also on Thursday at St Anselm’s. I will always make sure we do slower routines and have more water breaks if the weather is very hot. And remember that sweating is actually GOOD for you – it is beneficial for the skin and helps the lymphatic system to rid the body of impurities. Here’s a nice easy reading article about sweating – https://www.healthline.com/health/sweating-benefits
(I’m sure I’ve mentioned all that before!)

PODCASTS
As ever so many good ones. I liked this one.. we often forget about our feet and how important they are – and not just for walking or dancing! Have a listen/watch.
https://youtu.be/CMzEnLkS2rQ?si=0BiEhKnJ917kweKM

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 29th JUNE 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/6ebf10d14d24/weekly-update-13851634?e=0b783cd120

Hi Y’all

Hope you’re all OK and having a lovely weekend. Me and the cat have been sitting outside this morning enjoying the sunshine. But even if it clouds over – the sun ALWAYS shines on the dance floor! Here’s your updates for the week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Bit quiet this week – it was pretty warm – not exactly the best weather for dancing in – so bravo to those who came along for a good sweat! Have I mentioned that sweating is good for you?
For all the DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE and please keep the requests coming. No new ones planned this week – but I’ve got one more new one (Pitbull!) to unleash on you next week, And remember that I will always try to make up weather appropriate playlists and add more breaks in if it’s hot.

DANCING in LINE (GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY)
Now, Friday & Tuesday classes will know that I always ask before we do a dance that we have done before – do you remember any of the steps? Normally the answer is no, although often some of you can remember a few of them or the name of the dance or the music…which is better than nothing!
Just thought it was worth a reminder that looking after your BRAIN HEALTH is just as important as looking after your physical health – and did you know that eating a diet high in UPF (Ultra Processed Food) or ‘junk foods’ (and in the UK about 60% of our diets are now based on UPF) – can affect your memory! And that’s not even taking into consideration how eating a bad diet impacts your overall health!
You all know I have a war on with sugar, starchy carbs and UPF, so this comes as no surprise to me – but have a read – it’s super interesting!https://studyfinds.org/snacking-on-junk-food-could-seriously-corrode-your-memory/

and this is worth a read too:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/df44a4a564692a71

No new dances this week – see lasts weeks update for the current dances and links to the videos and step sheets.

YOGA
Thank you for coming TUESDAY – we did a Looping Flow that went a bit off piste – and at one point no one knew – not even me – which way round we were supposed to be. It was a bit of a laugh though! If anyone wants to bring a friend or try the class out – I do have a few spaces left and there is lots more information on the style of Yoga that I teach here: POWER YOGA

PODCASTS
Hope you enjoyed the Bungalow Legs podcast last week – if you haven’t listened – here’s the link again – it’s definitely worth a listen!
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/zoe-science-nutrition/id1611216298?i=1000713559855

And this week – if there’s one subject we often don’t like to talk about in the Western world, it’s death and dying. Which is odd, seeing as it’s a definite inevitability. This is a very interesting and thought provoking podcast on what we can learn about life from the dying.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-peter-attia-drive/id1400828889

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you on the (sunny – or maybe that should be hot & sweaty) dance floor or the mat.

Maria xxx

PS: Are you a member of our WHATSAPP GROUPS? If you’re not and would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467 and I will add you – let me know which one you want to join.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them.

WEEKLY UPDATE 22nd JUNE 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/d7134ead4a56/weekly-update-13851340?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all enjoying the warm weather. I love it! The stickier the better for me (except of course when I have my hair blow dried straight – which was this week!). Typical.

I know not everyone loves the heat – so I am always mindful to make up the playlists accordingly. I’ll always factor in extra breaks when it’s hotter and recommend that you hydrate with a pinch of salt or some electrolytes in your water, as when we sweat, we do lose minerals as well as water from the body. Learn more here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-rehydrate

Here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
We had another week of fabulous classes – although a bit quieter than normal probably due to the heat. Keep the requests coming and remember to check the Facebook Page for all the music used in classes last week – here: DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE
Look out for the new one – COME BACK MY LOVE – on the playlists this week – it’s a suitable hot weather slow Jive! Click the name for the video.
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday classes all running as normal – see you on the dance floor!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. No new ones, lots of oldies – I love an oldie! Please send me requests for this week – I have a couple already.
Here’s the links to the newer ones we’ve been doing and some of the Oldie Revivals:
BABY I WANNA KNOW
ELLIOTS DREAM (I LOVE TO BOOGIE)
MACK THE KNIFE
AZIZAM
COME SWAY WITH ME
STITCH IT UP
BLUE AIN’T YOUR COLOR
CRAZY FOOT MAMBO
QUANDO WHEN QUANDO
Happy practising!

YOGA
A suitable hot weather class this week with a slowish balancing flow. I love it when we can open the doors and hear the birds singing before they go to bed. That’s one of the best things in the Summer!
I feel a Looping Flow coming up for Tuesday – which means we flow around the mat so that the sequence finishes facing the back of the mat and then we repeat the flow either moving all the way around in the same direction or going back the way we came. Great for focusing the brain and making sure you’re in the moment. There are still a few spaces available in the class for anyone who would like to try it! It’s like resistance training without using any bands or weights – just your own body-weight and the classes are suitable for ALL LEVELS as the poses and sequences can be modified to suit your individual fitness / strength level. You do not have to be flexible or able to stand on one leg to join in. You just have to be willing to give it a go.
See the website for more info: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

PODCASTS
This week – a REALLY GOOD podcast from ZOE Science & Nutrition with Professor Janet Lord.
You can watch here on youtube: https://youtu.be/bDGA82wts2g?si=gMtLE5gkAigJ5BMv
or if you prefer to just listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/zoe-science-nutrition/id1611216298?i=1000713559855
or here’s the link to the transcript if you find it easier to read; https://zoe.com/learn/inflammation-ageing-janet-lord

I particularly loved the bit about ‘Bungalow Legs’ – but it’s all brilliant – and if you’re interested in how to live longer and better – give it a listen!

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467 and I will add you – let me know which one you want to join.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them.

And lastly…
I thought this was funny – hope you do too!

WEEKLY UPDATE 15th JUNE – https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=1eed70aa33dddc2da84a2fd9e&id=b87b02c211

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all OK.

Quick update this week as I’ve given myself a task this weekend of helping the Gen Z re- arrange his bedroom – which looks like a dumping ground – I bet he has NO IDEA what is in the wardrobe or under the bed!

Anyway – here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday classes all running as normal – we had such fabulous classes this week – lots of really excellent requests, so keep those coming.
For the DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the smattering of oldies, new ones and the music changes. We did a new one Friday called BABY I WANNA KNOW – which we gave an eight score – so pretty good! It’s a cover version of DJ Otzi – Hey Baby. It’s been given what they call a ‘four on the floor shuffle’ rhythm. If you’re interested – here’s an example of the rhythm: https://youtu.be/uUfMwoyHKVk?si=94i5ldC4mB88u34Y
It’s used a lot in County music and it’s a really lovely mid tempo shuffle to dance to. We do lots of four on the floor shuffles!
Here’s the links to the newer ones we’ve been doing and some of the Oldie Revivals:
AZIZAM
BOTTOMS UP
COME SWAY WITH ME
WISHFUL THINKING
STITCH IT UP
BLUE AIN’T YOUR COLOR
Happy practising!

YOGA
Fab class this week – with a really slow build up. We didn’t focus on planks or chatturangas – I think they were missed! So I’ll add some of those in this week. Sometimes the flows have a mind of their own! I might try adding them in to a Looping Flow – which means we flow around the mat so that the sequence finishes facing the back of the mat and then we repeat the flow either moving all the way around or going back the same way. Good for the brain!

PODCASTS
This week – so many to choose from – and obviously I’m focused on Health, Longevity and Food.
This one is really good – mostly about how food affects the brain and links to dementia:
https://lizearlewellbeing.com/podcast/the-surprising-gut-brain-connection-with-dr-emily-leeming/

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467 and I will add you – let me know which one you want to join.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them.

WEEKLY UPDATE 8th JUNE – https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=1eed70aa33dddc2da84a2fd9e&id=bcdf15aded

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all doing OK and have managed to dodge the rain this weekend! We managed a walk this afternoon – no rain – but it wasn’t very sunny either – so I’m looking forward to the week ahead as the sun ALWAYS shines on the dance floor!

Thanks for coming this week – we had super busy classes this week – which always creates a fabulous atmosphere -so here’s to more of the same this week coming.Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
I definitely have a new one already lined up for you this week that Steph and I choreographed a few weeks back (I was going to do it last week – but there were a few people away, plus I had so many requests, I decided to get all those in instead). This one is called COME BACK MY LOVE and it’s a slowish cheesy jive. Steph has done a video – so click the name for a sneaky preview!
I’ve also got a new Pitbull one lined up to roll out over the Summer! Very exciting!

DANCING in LINE (GOODMANS)
We had a miracle on Tuesday – I was super proud of everyone who remembered the restarts in HOLD ME NOW! We didn’t do any new dances but lots of lovely oldies and one’s we’ve done before – like STITCH IT UP and ISLANDS IN THE STREAM.
See last week’s update for links to the videos of the ones we’ve been doing recently.

YOGA TUESDAY
We did a slow Sun Salutation A based flow with some challenging balance flows, plus just a few Chaturangas (as promised). More core, balance and strength work awaits you this week. I know you’re all up for it. See here for info on the Yoga classes is anyone has any friends who would like to come along. https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

MODERN LINE (FRIDAY)
Thanks for coming Friday. No brand new dances in the first class – but we tackle an oldie- STITCH IT UP and requests from the floor included RUNAWAY RUMBA and WISHFUL THINKING. We did a new one in the second class called BOTTOMS UP. We gave it a SIX/SEVEN – maybe a few too many restarts and tags and it was pretty fast too – so we’ll give it another couple of weeks and see how it goes. HOUSE OF BAMBOO and AZIZAM still firm favourites!

PODCASTS
I’m sure you could probably guess that I’m super interested in anything on HEALTH, EXERCISE, LONGEVITY & DIET and I would rather listen to a podcast or watch a youtube video than watch rubbish TV or listen to commercial radio. Everyday is an opportunity to learn something new, especially if it helps us live longer healthier lives.

This weeks recommendation is science journalist – Max Lugavere (who I really like as a podcast host – he has some super interesting guests) this one is about EXERCISE, FOOD and BRAIN HEALTH and basically how good exercise (and yes of course they mention DANCING) is for helping with depression and improving mental as well as physical health.
That’s the link to the youtube video – but if you prefer to just listen: APPLE PODCAST

if you do get a chance to watch/listen – let me know what you think!

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you on the dance floor or the mat.

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE 1st JUNE 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/65ed44e353fb/weekly-update-13850500?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a fab weekend. The weather has been OK (don’t say it too loud!), so I’ve been topping up my Vitamin D!

Here’s your updates:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks for coming this week! Sadly, there was no Monday class, but I think we made up for that with a stonking good class Wednesday – we sure did dance our socks off! Lots of oldies – all the new ones and as always lots of requests, so keep those coming! Already got a couple that we couldn’t fit in last week, but always room for more. All classes running as normal this week.
Playlists for last weeks Wed & Thurs classes are here:
https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria/

DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY
Thank you for coming this week – it was a bit quiet as lots of you were away – so hope you all had a fab time! Please do give me any requests you might want. We did week two of COME SWAY WITH ME and MUCARA WALK. Look forward to seeing you all this week.

FRIDAY CLASSES
Thank you to everyone who came along Friday – we packed in quite a lot of dances: Week Two of GALWAY MOON in the 11:30 class and a smattering of dances we hadn’t done for a few weeks in the 12:45 class – including WHAT A VIEW and HEEL TOE RODEO. AZIZAM and HOUSE OF BAMBOO are both still going strong and we also did week two of an oldie revival – MUCARA WALK in honour of the late Steve Healey who was dance director of Linedancer Magazine. Click the dance names to be taken to Copperknob for the step sheets and videos

YOGA
Classes running as normal this week. We did a slow flow this week, with the focus on the breath, so hope to do more of that this week coming. I also found a really interesting article (Telegraph) on how to improve your posture and the importance of good posture – which I have linked below if you would like to read it:

SIMPLE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

I also wrote a blog post a while back about the importance of balance and posture – with a slightly different take on it. Click here if you haven’t read my blog on the importance of balance.

DANCING GIRLS NIGHT OUT

It’s SATURDAY 30th AUGUST at the Orchard Theatre Dartford. Tickets are £27.50 (group price).
If you would like to come along for some sing-a-long-boogie type fun, please can I have your ticket payments by FRIDAY 6TH JUNE. Cash or Bank Transfer. It you want to pay by BACS – please put AUG30 in the reference – so I don’t get it mixed up with class payments!
Details for Bank Transfers is:
Santander Business Account
Dance Generation
09-06-66
43683704

If anyone has any questions, suggestions or comments on the classes – let me know!

Look forward to seeing you this week.

Love

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 25th MAY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/a7eeb0cde2d6/weekly-update-13850430?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a fab long weekend. Here’s your updates:

DANCE FITNESS/ZUMBA
Thanks for coming this week! Lovely classes, but sadly. NO CLASS tomorrow – Monday (it’s another Bank Holiday – thank Goodness there are no more until end August!). It’ll be Kitchen Zumba for us! You can all practice HOUSE OF BAMBOO! Wednesday & Thursday classes running as normal and I have a new one lined up for you. A slowish Jive – I bet you’ll know the song too! Please send me your requests – I have about four or five already – and just to give you an idea, an average class with no breaks (you didn’t want any of those anyway – did you?!) we can fit in about 17/18 tracks, so always room for requests!

Playlists for all classes are here:
https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria/

DANCING in LINE
Tuesday classes all running as normal. Please do give me any requests you might want. New this week was COME SWAY WITH ME and MUCARA WALK. No new ones planned this week as I know a lot of you are away on holiday for the Half Term. If you are away – have a lovely holiday and look forward to seeing you the week after.

FRIDAY CLASSES
Thank you to everyone who came along Friday – we packed in quite a lot of dances: The new one was GALWAY MOON in both the 11:30 class and the 12:45 class. HOUSE OF BAMBOO still going strong and we also did MUCARA WALK in honour of the late Steve Healey who was dance director of Linedancer Magazine. It’s always been one of my favourite dances and i actually never knew he choreographed it as it was published under a pseudonym. Click the dance names to be taken to Copperknob for the step sheets and videos

YOGA
Classes running as normal this week. Hope your hamstrings and hip flexors were feeling the benefits of the pigeon pose we did last week! This week, more gorgeous flowing and breathing with the emphasis on twists and standing balancing – as you all know that balance – especially as we get older – is really important. However, balance isn’t all about wobbling around one leg! Click here if you haven’t read my blog on the importance of balance.

DANCING GIRLS NIGHT OUT
If you would like to join us for this – please let me know!

It’s SATURDAY 30th AUGUST at the Orchard Theatre Dartford. Tickets are £31.50 if anyone fancies joining us for some sing-a-long-boogie type fun. Let me know! Looks like a good night out! I’m going to phone the Orchard Tuesday and enquire about group bookings – so hopefully it will be a bit cheaper.

If anyone has any questions, suggestions or comments on the classes – let me know!

Look forward to seeing you this week.

Love

Maria xxx

PS: Click here for class timetable: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

WEEKLY UPDATE – 18th MAY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/ccec985338d6/weekly-update-13850158?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Felt a bit ropey this morning.. I blame Eurovision, wine, chocolate and potato wedges…I only watch it (obviously) to check and see if there are any decent music tracks out there suitable for dancing to – and there were none. Shoulda gone to bed early! Anyway – after a few strong coffees and a cat that demanded I feed her breakfast – I felt better!

Here’s your weekly updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks to all those who came along this week, all classes were fabulous – and hardly any slow ones (do you like the slow ones??). We did our brand new one – VOLARE. Steph has done a video (click the link) – although our version is slightly different – but even if you’ve missed the walk through – it’s pretty easy, so you’ll pick it up in no time. It’s a great sing-a-long one! And we are nailing MAKE A MOVE too! Look out for some oldies on the playlist over the next few weeks and maybe another new one! Might treat you all the HOUSE OF BAMBOO – seeing as the whole country is doing it!

Playlists for all classes are here: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria/

DANCING GIRLS NIGHT OUT
We are thinking of getting a group together to go along to this:

It’s SATURDAY 30th AUGUST at the Orchard Theatre Dartford. Tickets are £31.50 if anyone fancies joining us for some sing-a-long-boogie type fun. Let me know! Looks like a good night out!

And a quick reminder that there is NO CLASS BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 26th MAY.
(I’m really done with Bank Holidays)

GOODMAN’S DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY CLASS
Good to see you all this week we did week two of HOUSE OF BAMBOO and an old dance HALFWAY HUSTLE and we are really getting to grips with FOREVER & A DAY (click the names for step sheets and video). This coming week I’m going to do a samba – MUCARA WALK as well as a new Cha Cha. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming Friday. We did a brand new Cha Cha called COME SWAY WITH ME – which was super good for the brain as we’ve used the music many times over the years and it’s got all the steps you already know in it – but in a different order. Made you think! We also did some lovely old ones and week three of AZIZAM, which is still number one on the COPPERKNOB CHART.

YOGA CLASS
The Yoga classes have been very quiet lately apart from a few regular and loyal yogi’s who are always there no matter what – so just wanted to shout out to you guys! Thank you. If you’re interested in the POWER YOGA – please check the information on the website as the classes are not the sort of yoga where you lie around on the floor having a bit of a relaxing stretch! They are designed to build strength, flexibility and increase your balance and stability as well as focus. Here is a link to a typical power yoga class taught by Travis Elliot – (CLICK HERE) my classes are similar. It is pretty fierce – but as with anything – it gets easier the more you do it and everything we do is modifiable, making the classes suitable for all levels. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

PODCASTS / VIDEOS
This weeks recommendation: Dr Mark Hyman is a Functional Medicine Doctor.
Functional medicine doctors use a more holistic approach to treat chronic conditions. This includes taking into consideration your lifestyle, genetics, mental health, and environment when making a treatment plan. In this podcast he’s talking essential supplements – but particular Vitamin D.
TRANSFORM YOUR HEALTH – Magnesium, Omega 3 and Vitamin D? Dr Mark Hyman

If anyone has any questions, suggestions or comments on the classes – let me know!

Look forward to seeing you this week.

Love

Maria xxx

PS: Click here for class timetable: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

WEEKLY UPDATE – 11th MAY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/21d4cf295612/weekly-update-13849867?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Thank you to all those who came out to dance and stretch this week – hope you enjoyed the classes as much as I did!

Here’s your weekly updates.

YOGA CLASS
Another lovely class this week – where we did a looping sun salutation based flow. Challenging, strength building and really good for focus. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks to all those who came along this week. We did our brand new one – VOLARE. Steph has done a video (click the link) – although our version is slightly different – but even if you’ve missed the walk through – it’s pretty easy, so you’ll pick it up in no time. Looking forward to being back in the big hall this week – as Wednesday class was a bit cosy in the small hall, but a great atmosphere and a fab playlist made up for that. Look forward to seeing you.
Playlists for Wednesday and Thursday classes are here: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria/

GOODMAN’S DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY CLASS
Good to see everyone this week – and thank you for bringing the right money – I was stressing out a bit over all the pound coins I’d need! We did HOUSE OF BAMBOO again in the first class and FOREVER & A DAY (click the names for step sheets and video)in the second along with our usual smattering of other old and new dances. Got a couple of good oldies lined up for you that we haven’t done in ages (the old ones ARE the best!) Look forward to seeing you Tuesday.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming Friday. No brand new dances – but we did some lovely old ones: HALFWAY HUSTLE, RIO and UNLOVE ME in the first class as well as week three on HOUSE OF BAMBOO. The second class got JUST A MEMORY and AZIZAM again. Still on the lookout for a new one to teach you this week. Most of the new ones IMHO are just rubbish, but I’ll keep looking!!

PODCASTS
This weeks recommendation:
FOOD – Why the big food Industry is Killing Us (ZOE)
EXERCISE – Why you should be Strength Training (Dr’s Kitchen)
LIFE – How To Be Bolder in Mid Life & Beyond (Liz Earle)

Take your pick – they are all great!

Love

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 4th MAY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/4aee3e7688ce/weekly-update-13849583?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Thank you to all those who came out to dance and stretch this week – we had some fabulous playlists at all classes – and now we have a lovely sunny Bank Holiday weekend! Summer is coming!

YOGA CLASS
Lovely class this week – we did a solid ladder flow with Bird of Paradise as our ‘give it a go’ pose… well done if you gave it a shot and well done if you didn’t too (probably the more sensible option!) Remember, the journey to the pose is as important as the final destination! I think we’ll do another Ladder Flow for this week – but who knows? Come to class to find out! See you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks to all those who came along this week. Last weekend I went to visit Steph and we choreographed THREE new ones – so this was the first of those. It’s called VOLARE – I don’t think she’s done a video yet but it’s pretty easy and you all looked like you enjoyed it AND you can SING! Click the name for a link to the music.
Also – a reminder that there is NO CLASS TOMORROW – Monday 5th MAY as it’s another damn BANK HOLIDAY but Wednesday and Thursday running as normal.

GOODMAN’S DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY CLASS
Good to see everyone this week – I thought you all did an amazing job again on FOREVER & A DAY (click for sheet and video). We did HOUSE OF BAMBOO in the first class – far too easy for you, but it was fun! Also a reminder that starting this week Goodman’s is raising the price of all their classes (not just mine!) by £1 – the single class will be £9 and the double class will be £12. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming Friday. The first class did HOUSE OF BAMBOO again (we like it!) and another oldie – SCOTIA SAMBA (that was the Maverick track). The second class did AZIZAM again. (I’m not sure about it, but it’s still the number one dance on the Line Dance Chart). We also did FOREVER & A DAY again. I’m on the lookout for a couple of new ones for this week – as well as any requests.

PODCASTS
Hope you got a chance to have a listen/watch to last weeks recommendations – if not – here they are again.
Liz Earle (she’s one of my favourites in case you hadn’t guessed!) with Dr Rupy Aujla talking about both PROTEIN & FIBRE:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fibre-vs-protein-which-is-most-important-with-dr-rupy-aujla/id1230372957?i=1000699485266
or Dr Rupy himself on Protein and his new book: https://youtu.be/pupuieqdMHk?si=M0yRU1sHR01E9Grf

And whilst on the subject of food – not a podcast but a BBC documentary that came out about six months ago – which if you haven’t watched – please do – you’ll never look at food the same way again.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0025gqs/irresistible-why-we-cant-stop-eating#

That’s all for now. Enjoy the Bank holiday weekend!

Love

Maria xxx

PS: All the classes are what I like to call, ‘Beginner Friendly’, so why not bring a new friend with you? Come along, dance, sing, smile, bend, stretch and get that body moving – I guarantee you’ll feel SO much better for it!

Click here for class timetable: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

WEEKLY UPDATE 27th APRIL 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/25ee3146570a/weekly-update-13849326?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Thank you to all those who came out to dance and stretch this week – I missed you all Monday, but back in the swing of it now!

YOGA CLASS
Lovely class this week – we did some strength work with the walkout to planks and some mat based poses for a change – notably Lizard and Half Split – don’t know about you – but my inner thighs were sure telling me I’d done something! This week coming I’m looking at doing a solid ladder flow (where we add on a pose each time we start from Tadasana) – as we haven’t done one of these sequences for a while. See you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks to all those who came along Wednesday and Thursday. And apologies for this being a bit late – but I’ve just got back from a day with Steph…you know what that means! THREE new dances are now in the bag for you – one jive, one reggaeton (Pitbull of course) and a Latin sort of cha cha cumbia chop job (if you know what I mean) Our latest one – MAKE A MOVE – seems to have gone down really well, so fingers crossed these will too. Click the name for the video.
Looking forward to dancing with you this week – please send me your requests – I already have BAD BOYS and CRESPO BAILAR on the list for Monday. Oh and before I forget – a reminder that there is NO CLASS on Monday 5th MAY as it’s another damn BANK HOLIDAY. I know…. sigh. Kitchen Zumba it will be!

GOODMAN’S DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY CLASS
Good to see everyone this week – I thought you all did an amazing job especially on FOREVER & A DAY (click for sheet and video). I’ve got a really easy one lined up for you this week that we did Friday – HOUSE OF BAMBOO – I think it’s far too easy for you! Also a reminder that Goodman’s is raising the price of all their classes (not just mine!) by £1 starting in May, so from May 6th – the single class will be £9 and the double class will be £12.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming Friday. The first class did HOUSE OF BAMBOO (we liked it!) and the second class did AZIZAM (jury still out on this one – even though it is the number one dance on the Line Dance Chart) plus an oldie revival back by popular demand called FOREVER & A DAY – which is about 15 years old, but it’s such a good dance with lots of different steps and timings. If you hadn’t done it before – hope you enjoyed it!

PODCASTS
Lots of stuff out there at the moment about PROTEIN – so here’s my top picks:
Liz Earle (she’s one of my favourites in case you hadn’t guessed!) with Dr Rupy Aujla talking about both PROTEIN & FIBRE:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fibre-vs-protein-which-is-most-important-with-dr-rupy-aujla/id1230372957?i=1000699485266
or Dr Rupy himself on Protein and his new book: https://youtu.be/pupuieqdMHk?si=M0yRU1sHR01E9Grf

That’s all for now. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Love

Maria xxx

Click here for class timetable: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

WEEKLY UPDATE 20th APRIL 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/7c5b4da68c1d/weekly-update-13849078?e=f08b012b4b

Hi Everyone

HAPPY EASTER! Hope you’re all having a fabulous long weekend and the sun is shining where you are – it is here!

Thanks for joining me at classes this week and here’s your quick update as I’m sure you’ve better things to do than read emails.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
First of all – remember – NO CLASS TOMORROW – EASTER MONDAY – so our first DANCE FITNESS CLASS will be WEDNESDAY – come along and dance off all that Easter Excess…a fast and furious sing-a-long playlist of all your favourites, plus the new one (Make a Move) and revival of Solo Para Ti awaits!

All PLAYLISTS for last week are on the FACEBOOK PAGE so if you fancy a kitchen boogie before Wednesday – no excuses!

YOGA
Thank you for your continued support of the Yoga. We did a funky pose variation class which I hope you enjoyed and look forward to seeing you Tuesday. And while I remember – here’s some more information and a short video on the BOX BREATHING technique we did at the beginning of class this week, if you’re interested to know more.

GOODMANS DANCING IN LINE
Fabulous work this week children! Especially the second class who tackled FOREVER & A DAY admirably! I will do that again this week coming. Click the name for the step sheet and videos if you fancy a practice. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday as normal.

MODERN LINE
I missed you all FRIDAY – hope you missed me. I spent most of the day taking advantage of the free parking on the M25, the M3 and the A303 – I definitely would rather have been dancing!
I’m planning on a new dance for each class this coming week as well as our normal smattering of oldies and ones we used to love but have forgotten.

Any requests, suggestions or feedback on the classes is always welcome.

See you soon

Maria
PS. The cat said she thought my choice of pic this week was ‘cruel’. I imagine that’s exactly how she would look if I tried to stick some pink bunny ears on her. However, I thought it was funny. Cats have no sense of humour, do they?

WEEKLY UPDATE 13th APRIL 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/0c4a01772fba/weekly-update-13848866?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

A nice quick weekly update as I’m out to lunch today with my daughter and have to negotiate a trip around the M25… Lucky me!

DATES & EASTER CLASS DATES
First of all – please note the CLASS CANCELLATIONS this week due to EASTER:
NO CLASSES
Thursday 17th April
Good Friday 18th April
(and Easter Monday 21st – but you’ll get another quick update before that one!)

All other classes are running as normal.

YOGA
Thank you for coming along this week. We did a looping flow – which is super challenging for the brain! And, maybe one of these days I won’t get my lefts and rights mixed up! I’m planning on doing some pose variations with you this week – which means choosing one pose and looking at ways to modify and/or change it, such as Down Dog – which we can modify to a three legged dog or a wide legged dog or something like Triangle pose – moving from the traditional pose to Reverse Triangle to my favourite – Fallen Triangle. We will also be looking at STABILITY – which differs slightly from BALANCE – but both are very important, especially as we age.

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
Monday and Wednesday classes running – so if you normally come Thursdays – why not come to either or those instead? Same fabulous routines!
We did a new one called MAKE A MOVE last week – which seemed to go down well. if you missed the walk through – click the name for the video that Steph did. The dance moves are pretty easy – but the sequencing takes some brain power! And, please keep sending me requests for the playlists. For ALL Playlists click here: PLAYLISTS

DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY
Good to see you all this week – our usual mix of old and new dances – we did week three of DIRTY OLD TOWN and week two of SCOTIA SAMBA. Click the links for the step sheets What’s on the playlist this week? You’ll have to come to class to find out! And – if you normally come Friday – you’re very welcome to pop along to Tuesday classes instead.

Click here for the weekly CLASS TIMETABLE.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
No new ones this week – week three of – DIRTY OLD TOWN – and week four of POR TU CULPA and week two on the stomp stomp clap slap dance (I think I might re-name it!) called DOUBLE R.
NO CLASS this Friday as it’s Good Friday, so wishing you all a fabulous Easter, happy practising and see you all the following Friday.

That’s it for now. Hope to see you this week – but if you can’t make it – have a lovely, lovely Easter – and as ever, thank you for coming along to my classes and please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

See you soon!

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 6th APRIL 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/a17a6a8f52ca/weekly-update-13848552?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I’m now recovering from the clock change and I’m glad the weather was kind to us this week – made it a bit easier!

First of all a reminder of the EASTER CLASS CANCELLATIONS – NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Thursday 17th April
Good Friday 18th April
Easter Monday 21st April

I expect classes will be a bit quieter over the next few weeks due to the Easter Holidays and I know some of you are away, so if you’re off somewhere even warmer than here, or ski-ing, wishing you all a fab time! Here’s your updates for last week and the week ahead.

YOGA
Thanks for coming to classes – we did some ‘off piste’ stuff this week – some wall sits and some balance work – but all with the one goal in mind – which is to help you build up your strength, increase focus and work on flexibility. Years ago, most people wanted to learn the traditional practice of Yoga, they wanted to be able to do Lotus pose and headstands and learn meditation, but these days, the vast majority of people are far more interested in the functional and physical benefits of what yoga can give, than actual yoga itself. This move from traditional Hatha/Yin type yoga to Modern Vinyasa and Ashtanga (power) yoga helps us with functional movements – so that we learn to open up a stiff body, regain lost flexibility and increase strength. I teach a blend of Ashtanga Vinyasa type yoga, and don’t be put off by the word POWER! It’s an ALL LEVELS class and every pose and sequence we do is designed to be easily modified to be suitable for where ever you are in your fitness journey.
If you have not been before and would like to try the class for FREE, pop along – details on the website:
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/: I’ll lend you a mat!.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Lovely busy classes this week – great playlists! Thank you for your requests. I have a brand new one for you this week that Steph and I choreographed a few weeks back – it’s called MAKE A MOVE – and fortunately Steph has done a video! Click the name for the link – so if anyone fancies a sneaky peak – it’s there! It’s got simple moves – nothing we haven’t done before – but the sequencing is a bit of a challenge! (Obviously VERY good for the brain!) I look forward to doing this one. I will go over all the sections BEFORE we dance it – and fingers crossed I remember the damn sequence!

TUESDAY DANCING IN LINE
Thank you for coming along to the class. We did week two of DIRTY OLD TOWN and we also did (as promised) SCOTIA SAMBA. Click the link for the step sheet. I have a few requests lined up for this week – what are they? You’ll have to come to class to find out!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming out to dance Friday – hope you had fun! We did week two of – DIRTY OLD TOWN – and week three of POR TU CULPA . We also did a fun Heel, Stomp & Slap dance called DOUBLE R. All it needed was a cowboy hat, a wooden floor and some boots. If anyone has any requests – please let me know.

PODCASTS
Two to choose from this week (although I’ve got them stacked up for you… so many good ones out there!)

First of all – PETER ATTIA – one of my favourite longevity doctors – this is only 45 mins and he’s being interviewed by his daughter, Olivia, about healthy living and longevity in older adults. CLICK HERE.

And the other one is Liz Earle (again – I think she’s doing a grand job for mid life and beyond women in particular) – called THE SECRET TO GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP.

If you get a chance to listen/watch, I hope you enjoy them.

If you have any questions, thoughts or suggestions about the classes – please let me know and as always, thank you for coming along, dancing, smiling, singing, balancing – and look forward to seeing you on the floor or on the mat.

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 30th MARCH 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/a4f1e05eae1f/weekly-update-13848186?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday everyone and if you’re celebrating – Happy Mother’s Day too!

Hope you all also remembered the clocks went forwards. I had all good intentions of embracing the clock change, but the truth is I actually bloody hate the clock changes – and I don’t care if it’s forwards OR back – it messes with my sleep patterns and gives me jet lag for a week. However, I do like the lighter evenings and at least these days you don’t have to actually go around and change them all yourself anymore!

First of all EASTER CLASS CANCELLATIONS
There are NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Thursday 17th April
Good Friday 18th April
Easter Monday 21st April

Here’s your updates for last week and the week ahead.

YOGA
I’m starting with Yoga this week as the classes have been very quiet of late. Could be the weather, but not really sure what is going on – but I just want to thank the handful that ALWAYS show up to class – rain or shine or even freezing. I know I go on about how important it is to build up your strength, increase focus and work on flexibility – and this is so that we can be independent and look after ourselves – especially as we age. Life is no fun when you can’t get off the toilet, reach up to get things, pick stuff up off the floor and are afraid of going out in case you fall over.
The Power Yoga is a good place to start if you’re not ready for full on lifting weights – and don’t be put off by the word POWER! I teach ALL LEVELS and every pose and sequence we do is designed to be easily modified to be suitable for your level.
It’s called YOGA PRACTICE not COMPETITION and if you’re not as strong or as flexible as the person on the mat next to you – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you showed up, tried your hardest and did the work to support YOUR health and well-being.
If you have not been before and would like to try the class for FREE, pop along – details on the website:
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/: I’ll lend you a mat!.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Lovely busy classes this week – great playlists! Thank you for your requests. I love doing the ones we haven’t done for ages as sometimes you forget how good they are and how the music ‘helps’ you to remember the moves. Really good for stimulating memory and improving brain function too. I am always looking for requests and I normally do the PLAYLISTS for the evening classes on the day, so let me know what you want and I’ll always try to get them on.

TUESDAY DANCING IN LINE
Thank you for coming along to the class. The new one this week was an easy, sing-along one called DIRTY OLD TOWN. Hope you enjoyed it. Click the link for the step sheet. We’ll do that again this week. I also have a request for Scotia Samba – AKA Dance The Night Away, which some of you will remember. Looking forward to doing that one this week coming.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming out to dance Friday – we did the same new one in the first class as Tuesday – DIRTY OLD TOWN – It got a score of 9 – so I guess most of you liked it. I think it’s a perfect dance for Friday beginner class. The choreographer – Gary Lafferty – is always good at serving up dances that have great music and easy to follow steps. We also did week two of POR TU CULPA – in the second class, love this one too, especially the funky Latin music. Click the name above to be taken to the step sheet and click here for the VIDEO.

PODCASTS
So many good ones are stacking up in my MUST LISTEN pile – so no new ones this week – but here are the links to a couple I have recommended recently in case you haven’t had a chance to check them out.

Dr Rangan Chattergee and Mel Robbins talking about the ‘LET THEM THEORY’.
Liz Earle and Dr Kate Muir: Dr KATE MUIR – WHY STRONG BONES SAVE LIVES

WEEKLY UPDATE 23rd MARCH 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/ffedd21fe307/weekly-update-13847890?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday everyone and hope you’ve enjoyed the spring like weather we’ve had this week. It is officially SPRING now and next weekend, the clocks go forward, so lighter evenings too – can’t wait!

Here’s your updates for last week and the week ahead.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
We had some fun classes this last week – lots of oldies! It’s always good to throw in ones we’ve not done for ages and mix up the playlists a bit. If you’ve been coming for a long time – these older routines are definitely still in there and it always amazes me how quickly they come back. Really good for stimulating memory and improving brain function too.

TUESDAY DANCING IN LINE
In the wake of St Patrick’s Day – we did some Irish ones this week – I will keep GOOD TIME GIRLS on the playlist this week and I’ve got a new one planned for you…a nice easy, sing-along one. You’ll love it – promise!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming out to dance Friday – no new ones for the first class (but got one already lined up for you this week) however, we did a new one in the second class called POR TU CULPA – which is currently number six in the Copperknob chart. We gave it eight out of ten. Great funky Latin music. Click the name above to be taken to the step sheet and click here for the VIDEO.

YOGA
Bit quiet this week – where were you all? We did some Goddess squats – for inner thighs, quads and hamstrings and some work on the shoulders using straps with a view to building up strength for those who wanted to try some inversions. Even if handstands aren’t your thing, improving shoulder mobility and strength is very important. As adults we don’t spent a lot of time with our hands above our heads, or weight bearing on our wrists. Working to improve the range of movement in the shoulders makes everyday things like putting on jackets and doing up your bra much easier and strong wrists help you grip and stabilise your hands so you can hold things. Without strong hands and wrists, it’s harder to do everyday tasks like getting dressed, preparing food and turning on taps and opening jars. This week, it’s back to the slow build flows focusing on those shoulders again with core strength work and maybe plank to planks and shoulder taps as well as Warrior poses for balance.

PODCASTS
Again – so many good ones to choose from! Obviously I err towards ones that support my work – so anything on diet, health, fitness, strength training and functional movements are my go to.
This week it’s a food focused one, looking at the latest protein research. How much we are eating, why you should be eating more – especially as you get older (as most people don’t eat enough) and tips and hacks to increase your protein intake.
https://youtu.be/_s8Tu99bcSA?si=9BLqDBNoT44PGI0
This is the link to the youtube video – but you can also get it here – on apple podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-doctors-kitchen-podcast/id1316938642?i=1000698813401
I hope you enjoy it.

PS: Remember to send me any requests you have!

WEEKLY UPDATE 16th MARCH 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/45ba2a2343ff/weekly-update-13847628?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Welcome to Weekly Update – and thank you for coming along to the dance & yoga classes last week!

Here’s your updates:

MODERN LINE FRIDAY
Big thanks to everyone who came Friday for our Irish themed nod to St Patrick’s Day – lovely to see 50 shades of green on the dance floor! And – I know I wore purple – I feel I need to explain myself again, so here’s the link to the PURPLE SHAMROCK plant. It’s actually called Oxalis triangularis. The reference to Irish Day was the shamrock – which is a type of clover, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. So, now you know!

Here’s a picture of the plant. AND – did you know that it’s actually edible too? The leaves look like butterflies and they close up at night.

DANCING IN LINE TUESDAY
You guys have some Irish ones coming up this week too – think things like Little Nancy Mulligan, Tell Me Ma, Coastin’ and Friday At The Dance, plus I might do Irish Stew, which I forgot Friday!

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
Thank you for coming along this week – we had super busy classes – and fast ones too! I am slowly working to incorporate some more of those faster oldies into the playlists –I think you all secretly like the fast ones! And apologies for over-running on both Monday and Wednesday – we were having SUCH a good time – I didn’t notice the time!

REQUESTS: If you’ve any dance requests – please let me know as I normally don’t do the playlists for the evening classes until the afternoon on the day. If you’re looking for inspiration – check the PDF download of ALL the routines we’ve done since I started teaching. CLICK HERE.
I also post the weekly playlists on the DANCE FITNESS FACEBOOK PAGE .

YOGA
Absolutely brilliant work this week – not quite as challenging as the week before – sometimes it’s good to take it down a notch or two and relax into the poses and focus on the breath. Still – we did a few poses we’ve not done for a while – Revolved Triangle and Pyramid, plus some balancing postures – which as you all know are not just about balance. Poses like these are also working your core muscles, they are challenging your proprioception and also your focus. You may not immediately notice but working on balance whilst on the mat has far-reaching benefits in your everyday life.

Join me Tuesday for more Yogi fun – who knows what might happen – could it be a Fallen Triangle or a Drinking Bird or….? Come to class to find out!

PODCASTS
Goodness me! So many excellent ones to choose from this week – but as over the last couple of weeks I’ve gone for strength, menopause, bone health etc, this week – thanks to a recommendation from Steph – I’m flagging this one up:
Dr Rangan Chattergee and Mel Robbins talking about the ‘LET THEM THEORY’. Brilliant! Hope you enjoy it.

That’s all for now.

WEEKLY UPDATE – 9th MARCH 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/f73faa9f3e4d/weekly-update-13847309?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope ya’ll had a good week and you’ve been enjoying the sunshine. Roll on Summer!

If you’re a new dancer who has recently joined us (or even someone has been coming for years!) – I hope you’re beginning to see some changes, feeling fitter, more bendy or perhaps you’re sleeping better? One of the paradoxes of exercise and movement is that the MORE you do – the MORE you can do, so the MORE you WANT to do! How FAB is that?!

My aim has always been to make the classes fun, but challenging at the same time – as if it doesn’t challenge you – it won’t change you. I want to teach you something new, get you to use your brain as well as your body – so that you come away from the classes with a sense of achievement and I want to make sure the classes are inclusive, so that you look forward to coming and you have fun while you are there and maybe even make some new friends too.

What really matters though, is that you showed up to class, danced, stretched, smiled at the person next to you and did the physical and mental work it takes to invest in yourself – becoming fitter, stronger and healthier. In fact – I think the absolutely HARDEST part of ANY class is actually getting to it in the first place. So, if you showed up – thank you!

Here’s your updates for this week:

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY & FRIDAY)
First of all – here’s the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks:
REAL MEN CRY (Friday only)
HOLD ME NOW
I SOLD MY SOUL
FALLIN’ IN LOVE
A DOOR
HEEL TOE RODEO (Friday only)

All classes running as normal this week – FRIDAY 14th – it’s almost St Patrick’s Day, so we’ve got our IRISH DANCE DAY which is always a bit of fun. I found a little video on youtube of a few of our favourites – so this will give you a taster of what we’ll be up to:
https://youtu.be/RdsSz1a8i7g?si=k7Qm7VXfxmi9zDoB

And TUESDAY CLASSES – you’ll get a TASTE OF THE IRISH on the 18th.

If you’re thinking, “OMG, I can’t remember ANY of the Irish dances!” – don’t worry as I will go over all the steps BEFORE we dance each routine, so at least you know what you’re supposed to do – even if you can’t do it! Let me know if you have any requests – you can Whatsapp or message me on 07811 823647.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
All classes running as normal this week. We did a new routine last week which seemed to go down well – Dance Yourself Dizzy – hands up all those who went home singing it! (I know I did!)
I always post the PLAYLIST for each class on my Facebook group – which is here: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria/
And send me those requests!

YOGA
Classes running as normal. We did some super core work (as promised), so more of the same this week. Many of us go through our days not really paying any attention to how we move or breathe and thus, never get to experience the benefits of conscious, slow and deliberate movement linked with breath. In Power Yoga (Vinyasa) we use the breath to link the poses – creating a flowing sort of meditation (almost like a dance), which uses body weight to build strong muscles and the breath to increase focus. No one has taken me up on this offer yet – but if you have not been before and would like to try out the class – PLEASE – come on down and try for FREE. You do not need to be super flexible or able to stand on one leg to join, you just need to be willing to give it a go and be up for a challenge! I’ll lend you a mat!
More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

PODCASTS
I hope you got a chance to listen to last week’s recommended Podcast – here’s the link again in case you didn’t.
WHY STRONG BONES SAVE LIVES

That’s it for this week!

Have a great what’s left of the weekend and look forward to seeing you soon.

Love Maria
x

PS:
JUST SAY HELLO!
Thank you to everyone who has made all our new dancers and yogis welcome over the last few weeks. I think it does take courage to come along to an established class as a newbie – where almost everyone seems to know each other AND what they’re doing – apart from you. So thank you. Some we can help and some we can’t – but always remember we are all doing our best.

WEEKLY UPDATE 2nd MARCH 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/20bb5d59754c/weekly-update-13847065?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re having a good weekend. Thank you for coming along this week to the classes and if you have any questions/suggestions/comments/requests – please let me know.

Here’s your updates:

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY & FRIDAY)
All classes running as normal this week. No new dances this week – just recaps of all the ones we’ve done since January.
REAL MEN CRY (Friday only)
HOLD ME NOW
I SOLD MY SOUL
FALLIN’ IN LOVE
A DOOR
HEEL TOE RODEO (Friday only)
THE MAN WITH THE HAT (although not keen on this one!)

I’m on the hunt out for a couple of new routines for you – and just to let you know, I will be scheduling in some Irish tunes on Friday 14th and Tuesday 18th to mark St Patrick’s Day. Let me know if you have any Irish flavoured requests – and I don’t mean Baileys or Guinness (or do I?).

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
All classes running as normal this week. I’ve got a new Disco one lined up for this week called Dance Yourself Dizzy (if you’re as old as me you’re probably already singing the song in your head!) which I think you’ll enjoy doing – and please keep letting me know what you would like on the playlist – the Whatsapp Group was red hot last week, especially when it came to who likes what routine/music – there are some clear winners – but some of the routines we do are sometimes loved or not loved so much – so let’s just say, wouldn’t it be boring if we all liked the same things?!

Remember to check the PLAYLISTS: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria/

YOGA
Classes running as normal. This week we’ll be doing some core strengthening work using our own body weight – a great place to start if you’re interested in building up your strength – which I hope you all are, as muscle strength is fundamental to having a better quality of life – see PODCASTS below to learn more about being strong. If you would like to try out the class and have not been before – PLEASE – come on down and try for FREE. You do not need to be super flexible or able to stand on one leg to join, you just need to be willing to give it a go and be up for a challenge! I’ll lend you a mat!
More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

PODCASTS
I love Liz Earle – I think she is one of the most relatable ‘celebrities’ out there – who is trying to help us (and by that I mean middle age plus women – as although I do have a few men who come along, the majority are women) be as fit and as healthy as we can. She has on some super interesting guests and I always come away with some new tweaks or things to look into. This week I listened to: Dr KATE MUIR – WHY STRONG BONES SAVE LIVES
who talks about HRT, bone density and osteoporosis, weight/resistance training and lots of other stuff very relevant to women’s health past midlife. Let me know what you think..

That’s it for this week!

Have a great what’s left of the weekend and look forward to seeing you soon.

WEEKLY UPDATE 23rd FEBRUARY -2025 – https://mailchi.mp/49934da724f8/weekly-update-13846792?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope this Sunday finds you all well and enjoying the much warmer weather.. how long will it last? Well – let’s be realistic.. it is still February!

Thank you for coming along this week – hope everyone who was away for Half Term is RARING to get back on it – I know I am, despite having had a bad knee over the last week or so (I have a Bakers Cyst behind my left knee) but I know movement IS medicine and doing nothing just makes it stiff and more painful, so as long as I’m mindful – dancing is actually doing it good.

Here’s your updates for the week.

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE
All classes running as normal this week. We did another couple of new ones this week on Friday – one went down OK – and the other? Let’s just say I’ve not been very successful picking beginner dances so far this year.. Must try harder!

New for this week were:
THE MAN WITH THE HAT
REAL MEN CRY
Week two on
HOLD ME NOW & I SOLD MY SOUL
And week three for FALLIN’ IN LOVE

We also did some of our CLASS FAVOURITES:
UNTIL THE DAWN (MARVIN GAYE)
TEXAS BLUE
CABO SAN LUCAS

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
All classes running as normal this week. I’m super proud of you all for nailing the Jason Derullo – LOVE NOT WAR routine! It looked amazing this week! Could be a new one coming up as Steph is coming over today, so I think I can confidently predict there will be some choreographing. Not sure what tracks we’ve got on the choreo playlist to have a look at yet, but we will always try to make sure that the music we choose will make you want to get up and dance!
Remember to check the PLAYLISTS – and keep sending me those requests!
https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria/

YOGA
Classes running as normal. We did a good challenging strength building flow this week, firing up our core and focusing on the shoulders. Using your own body weight for resistance is a great place to start if you’re interested in building up your strength – which I hope you all are, as muscle strength is fundamental to having a better quality of life.
If you would like to try it out and have not been before – I invite you to come on down and try the class for FREE! You do not need to be flexible or able to stand on one leg to join, you just need to be willing to give it a go and be up for a challenge! I’ll lend you a mat!
More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

LOSING WEIGHT & LOW CARB NUTRITION – LLVLC
I’m sure you’ve all seen and heard on the news about how important it is to eat a diet that is low in UPF, high in fibre and with proper amounts of protein. If you are interested in learning about this and looking into following a similar diet to the one I follow – which is a diet that supports my Metabolic Health, helps me maintain a healthy weight and basically just feel full of energy AND fabulous! Come and talk to me! Or – how about joining my FREE FACEBOOK GROUP? Lots of tips, information and recipes on there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977

That’s it for this week!

Love Maria
x

WEEKLY UPDATE 16th FEBRUARY 2025: https://mailchi.mp/3ce669346920/weekly-update-13846519?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend.

Thank you for coming along this week – it was a bit quiet overall – no doubt the dreary weather didn’t help and there is still that dreadful cough and cold that just won’t go away doing the rounds – so if you’re one of the poor souls who is still feeling a bit yeugh – we all wish you well!
This week coming is Half Term (Goodness me – that came around quick!), so I expect classes might be a little quieter too. If you’re going away somewhere to get some winter sun – have a wonderful time and I’m not jealous! (much!).

Here’s your updates for the week.

DANCE FITNESS/ZUMBA
All classes running as normal this week. We have done TWO new ones this year so far: No Lo Trates and Don’t Blame It On Me – both have gone down a treat. We’ve also revived quite a few oldies. We did Mambo Italiano this week and Love Not War (I think we’re finally nailing that one!) Maybe a few more oldies planned for this week – but who knows? I’ve been teaching Zumba/Dance Fitness for almost 14 years now and there are SO MANY routines that we haven’t done for YEARS – so might bring even more old favourites back – if I can remember them!
I always post the PLAYLISTS here: FACEBOOK DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA WITH MARIA
so maybe check that out or the FULL LIST on the website here: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ZUMBA-FULL-LIST-DISPLAY.pdf
for requests and inspiration!

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE
All classes running as normal this week. We did another new one this week for Friday (Tuesday class you have it coming!):
HOLD ME NOW
and recaps of the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks:
I SOLD MY SOUL
FALLIN’ IN LOVE
We also did some of our CLASS FAVOURITES – click that link to be taken to the website where most of the dances we do regularly have step sheets and video links. Sorry they are not in alphabetical order. Must get around to sorting that one day!

YOGA
Classes running as normal. Often a Power Yoga class is NOT quite what you expect Yoga to be like – there’s not much lying around on the floor relaxing – these classes are about strength, balance AND flexibility. We move with the breath and some sequences can be pretty challenging. More flowing to look forward to this week and if you’ve not been before, but would like to try out the class for FREE – I invite you to come on down. You do not need to be flexible or able to stand on one leg to join. You just need to be willing to give it a go and be up for a challenge! I’ll lend you a mat!
More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

LOSING WEIGHT & LOW CARB NUTRITION – LLVLC
If you are interested in learning about and looking into following a LOW CARB NUTRITION LIFESTYLE to support your Metabolic Health, lose weight and feel FABULOUS – have you joined my FACEBOOK GROUP? Lots of tips, information and recipes on there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977

That’s it for this week!

Love Maria
x

PS:
JUST SAY HELLO!
And – a little plea from me. We have had some new ladies join over the last few weeks and coming to an established class as a newbie – where almost everyone else seems to know each other AND what they’re doing – apart from you, can be a bit scary and intimidating. If you spot a new person, a smile and a quick ‘hello’ can make them feel more comfortable and relaxed.

WEEKLY UPDATE 9th FEBRUARY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/949dc6f3ef7f/weekly-update-13846253?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday Everybody!

Hope you’re all doing OK. Thank you to all those who came along this week – well done and keep it up! As ever, my mission is to help you all become fitter, healthier, less stressed and to look after yourselves and even though I teach dance and movement for a living – and believe exercise is fundamental for our overall health – if you are trying to lose weight, exercise alone won’t really give you great returns on your efforts. What you fuel your body with (food) has a much greater impact on your overall health and weight loss.

With this in mind, in addition to coming to the classes, I also invite you all to take a good look at your diets and see if there are any tweaks you can make to cut back on sugar and UPF. There are some tips on my HEALTH COACHING PAGE on the website that suggest simple swaps and tweaks to our diets and lifestyles that can make BIG differences to our health and support us when we exercise too and I also have a free to join FACEBOOK GROUP which is mostly about the benefits of adopting a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) way of eating – which is how I have been eating for about four years. The group is full of tips, recipes and information from what to eat to reduce your blood pressure, keep blood sugars from spiking, how the food we eat can cause inflammation (and thus chronic pain), and what foods can support your immune system, promote better sleep and help you lose weight.

YOGA
Strength Training, especially for women, is getting a lot of press coverage at the moment as having more muscle is an indicator of longevity. (Also see PODCASTS). I expect you’ve all heard that as we get older it is important to keep flexible AND strong, but you don’t have to go to the gym to lift weights (unless you want to!) as any ‘Resistance’ type exercise will also do this.
.
The type of yoga I teach is not the gentle lying around on the floor having a bit of a stretch type yoga. My classes focus on building up strength, using your own body weight as resistance (similar to Pilates) as well as increasing your range of movement/flexibility and working on balance and focus. We move consciously, with the breath (also very important for health) which helps to focus the mind and bring you into the moment, which is brilliant for stress relief too.
If that sounds like something you would like to explore – and you have not been before – I invite you to come on down and try the class out for FREE! More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

This week we did lots of balance and core work challenges – especially the Plank to Plank and the three legged dogs – well done for giving them a go and remember that wobbling is ALL part of the learning process. The journey to the ‘perfect’ pose is just as important as when you finally get there!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA CLASSES
Thank you for coming this week! Hope you enjoyed the classes. Thank you for your requests – as ever a few that taxed the memory – but that’s good for your brains! You can Whatsapp me your requests via the group – see below how to join if you’re not already on there. AND – if you need a bit of a practice – many of you know that I choreograph a lot of the routines with my friend Steph. Steph and I have been working together for many years (like 20 plus!) and she’s super organised and always does a video of our dances for her ladies, so that they can practice – especially if they missed the walk through – so here is her Youtube Channel link:
https://www.youtube.com/@zumbastephg/videos

You’ll see LOTS of the dances we do on there – although bear in mind that her classes are Zumba Gold – which is a bit slower/gentler than the Zumba Fitness we do, so you might notice slightly different arm movements and less or no turns and no jumps in some of the videos – but essentially they are the same routines choreographed to be suitable for both Fitness & Gold.

Here’s just some of our dances that there are videos for:
NO LO TRATES
DON’T BLAME IT ON ME
EL ABUSADOR
FREED FROM DESIRE
BETTER DAYS
SPICY MARGARITA
HANDS ON ME
YO QUIERO BAILAR
SEXY LADY
CARIBBEAN PLANS
CAN’T TAME HER
SUCH A NIGHT
SEASIDE
and lots more….

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE
Thank you for coming along this week and that you enjoyed the classes! Wishing all those with that dreadful ‘just won’t go away’ cough that’s out there are feeling better. We did another new dance called I SOLD MY SOUL for the Beginners and week two of FALLIN’ IN LOVE – which we really like. We also did recaps of:

A DOOR
MR SHOWMAN
BURLESQUE (Tuesday only)
FIRST TO LAST (Friday only)
WHEN I CRY (Friday only)
CALIFORNIA BLUE (Friday only)

PODCASTS
This week – a really good one from Dr Casey Means and Dr Gabrielle Lyon about the importance of Strength training as we get older – especially for women.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/270-why-you-need-to-build-and-maintain-muscle-to-lose/id1563263076?i=1000687100565

WHATSAPP GROUPS
If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467and tell me which group you would like to be added to. There are FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA and a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them.

If anyone has questions about the classes, or you would like more information about health and wellness, diet, exercise, cognitive health and eating a proper human diet, see my HEALTH COACHING page.

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 2nd FEBRUARY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/985bb64e91f8/weekly-update-13845966?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday everyone

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend – the sun is shining and we are one step closer to SPRING – hooray! Don’t know about you – but I’m done with dark, wet and gloomy days. Although I do like to remind everyone that the sun ALWAYS shines on the dance floor and I’m planning lots of gorgeous music and routines coming your way this week!

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE
Lovely busy classes this week – thank you for coming along. Hope you enjoyed the classes! Hope everyone who is still coughing is feeling better. We did a lovely new dance on Friday called FALLIN’ IN LOVE – which if you missed, I think you’ll really like it.
We also did recaps of:

A DOOR
MR SHOWMAN
HEEL TOE RODEO
And
BURLESQUE (Tuesday only)
FRIDAY AT THE DANCE (Tuesday only)
FIRST TO LAST (Friday only)
WHEN I CRY (Friday only)

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks for coming along this week! Keep the requests coming! You can Whatsapp me via the group – see below how to join if you’re not already on there.
Some of you might know that I choreograph a lot of the routines with my friend Steph. Steph and I have been working together for many years (like 20 plus!) she now teaches Zumba Gold – but when we both taught Children’s Classes – we used to share most of the choreography for our children’s classes too.

Steph is super organised and she always does a video of our dances for her ladies, so that they can practice – especially if they missed the walk through – so here is her Youtube Channel link:
https://www.youtube.com/@zumbastephg/videos

Here’s just some of them:
NO LO TRATES
DON’T BLAME IT ON ME
SEXY LADY
EL ABUSADOR
FREED FROM DESIRE
BETTER DAYS
SPICY MARGARITA
HANDS ON ME
YO QUIERO BAILAR,
CARIBBEAN PLANS
CAN’T TAME HER
SUCH A NIGHT
SEASIDE
and lots more….

YOGA
We did plenty of balance and core work challenges this week – my favourite! This flowing, balancing type of yoga focuses very much on strength as well as flexibility and balance, so if you are interested in building up your strength and becoming healthier, fitter and more balanced – come on down and try the class out! More info on the website: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

WHATSAPP GROUPS
If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467and tell me which group you would like to be added to.
There are FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA and a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them.

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 26th JANUARY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/8f62a4b54340/weekly-update-13845695?e=f08b012b4b

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday! Hope you’re all doing OK. Thank you for coming out to classes – hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. Spring is on the way!

First of all – a reminder that exercise and movement are SO important for both our physical health and our mental health. Generations ago – humans didn’t need to ‘go’ to exercise classes or to the gym or running or jogging, as our lives were naturally filled with movement: walking, carrying, gathering, lifting, etc, but now, as modern life has become so comfortable, we have to make time for movement. (See also PODCASTS below).

ANY exercise is better than none, but sadly, many people see exercise as a bit of a chore – like something we know we should do but we don’t really WANT to do, so finding exercise/movement that you LIKE doing and you enjoy – whatever it is – means you’re more likely to do it! Moving with other people also has many ‘hidden’ benefits, like lowering stress levels, increasing feelings of ‘belonging’ and increasing our ‘happy hormones’.

If you’re new to classes – and you haven’t done much movement and your first class was a bit more of a challenge than you thought it would be – give it a few more weeks. Coming along just once or twice doesn’t really give you much idea of how the classes can benefit you in the long term. And I speak from experience. I took up Karate when I was 49 years old. I went three times before I decided it was too hard, I didn’t like it and I was useless at it…but the story didn’t end there…READ MORE…

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA CLASSES
All classes running as normal this coming week – and if you didn’t make it this week – you missed another new one called, ‘Don’t Blame It On Me’ – it’s a sort of Charleston, jiving, clappy little number. But never fear! I will go over the sections again this week coming. We also did the other January new one – No Lo Trates – which is fast becoming a class favourite.

JUST SAY HELLO!
And – a little plea from me. We have had some new ladies join over the last few weeks and coming to an established class as a newbie – where almost everyone else seems to know each other AND what they’re doing – apart from you, can be a bit scary and intimidating. If you spot a new person, a smile and a quick ‘hello’ can make them feel more comfortable and relaxed.

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE
Thank you for coming out to dance this week. Especially Friday, with all the wind and rain. New dances over the last couple of weeks for MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE are here:

A DOOR
MR SHOWMAN
HEEL TOE RODEO

We also did:
BURLESQUE (Tuesday only)
FRIDAY AT THE DANCE
FIRST TO LAST (Friday only)

Got another couple of new ones lined up for you – and PLEASE send me requests, otherwise I will just do the ones I like -which you might not!

YOGA
We did a pretty fierce Sun Salutation A & B class this week, so thank you for sticking with it! Promise to be a little more gentle with you this week as we go back to ladder flows. Obviously, I am working on your BALANCE, STRENGTH & FLEXIBILITY – which all work together. Flexibility without strength and strength without flexibility aren’t going to help you physically function better, but both together – along with the other element – BALANCE – will.
See the website for more info. https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

PODCASTS
Again – so many good ones to chose from. You might be wondering how I get time to listen/watch. Well – I hardly watch ANY television – perhaps a bit of Graham Norton on a Friday night and some Call the Midwife on Sunday. And the rest of the time – even when I’m out walking or doing housework or even shopping, I’m listening to the podcasts. I truly believe every day is an opportunity to learn something new.
I’m super interested in movement, health and wellness – and particularly how humans evolved physically and how this relates to modern humans with regards to diet, exercise and lifestyle, so this week’s podcast is Human Evolutionary Biologist, Professor Daniel Lieberman talking to Dr Rangan Chatterjee on this very subject. CLICK HERE.

And last week’s recommendation got some really good feedback, so if you didn’t get a chance to have a listen to that one – here it is again. It’s from Liz Earle talking to Davinia Taylor – called: EAT FAT to LOSE FAT – DavinaTaylor

Let me know what you think!

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

PS: Remember to check the Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE – 19th JANUARY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/9dc47801cb9f/weekly-update-13845466?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all doing OK. Thank you for coming out to classes this week – hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!

There is nothing like a class full of great music, with smiling, happy faces as this creates a lovely atmosphere and it also helps us all to feel part of something – which is brilliant for our mental health too!

If you’re new to classes – getting fit and learning new skills isn’t like losing your virginity – it doesn’t happen just once! You have to keep doing it to get the rewards and coming along to the classes just once doesn’t really give you much idea of how they can benefit you. But don’t give up! If you came along to your first class and it wasn’t as easy as you thought it was going to be and you weren’t quite getting that happy feeling – give it a few more weeks! You’ll definitely get there.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA CLASSES
If you didn’t make it to Dance Fitness this week you missed a really good week! We did the new one – Lo Trates No – we did some old ones and even some we couldn’t even remember! (OK – so it was me who couldn’t remember them!) I was hoping to rely on Bex for a couple – but, poor love, she was struck down with the flu lurgy, so wishing her a speedy recovery.

Might unleash the new jive on you this week – clappy, happy and sing-along – you’ll love it! I’ll go through the sections before we dance it.

You’ve probably noticed that a lot of the routines are made up of similar moves – but in a different order. Routines like this – similar but not the same – create new pathways between the hemispheres of the brain – which is brilliant for brain health! So, along with working your physical body – the routines are helping to work your brain too. After all – there is no point in having a super-fit body if you’re completely doolally! Or vice versa.

The MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE classes also include routines that work in the same way – so if you’re wondering why I do similar routines back to back – that’s why. It also helps to focus the brain and make you ‘conscious’ of your movements. Thank you for coming along this week. Please let me know any requests you have.

New dances over the last couple of weeks for MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE were:
A DOOR
MR SHOWMAN
HEEL TOE RODEO

Planning some oldie revivals next week: BURLESQUE, FRIDAY AT THE DANCE & FIRST TO LAST

YOGA
There is growing evidence that now suggests the more muscle you have – the healthier you are. Here’s a short clip from a podcast that you might find interesting- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbYjqg4EzUQ.
My yoga class is focused on BALANCE, STRENGTH & FLEXIBILITY – which all work together to keep your joints and muscles functioning well. See the website for more info.
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/
I only have a few spaces left if you would like to join.

HEALTH COACHING
Everyone tends to over indulge in junk foods and sweet stuff over Christmas, so if you’re one of the guilty ones and you’ve put on a bit of weight or are feeling a bit ‘yeugh’ and sluggish from eating so much – there are some tips at the bottom of the HEALTH COACHING PAGE on my website, suggesting some small tweaks that can make BIG differences in our quest to eat better and adopt a healthier lifestyle. If you want a bit more support – I offer Personal Health Coaching – see the information on my website and if you would like to chat, please let me know.

PODCASTS
Wow! There are so many to choose from this week – I’ve listened to at least three that I think you should ALL listen to – especially if you’re interested in optimal health and wellness. But here’s my favourite – it’s from Liz Earle talking to Davina Taylor about all sorts of things – but mainly diet and how to eat fat to lose fat! Yes, I know that’s not what they tell you to do. Works for me though!
EAT FAT to LOSE FAT – DavinaTaylor
Let me know what you think!

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

PS: Don’t forget to check the Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE – 12th JANUARY – https://mailchi.mp/7f8ee2e95518/weekly-update-13845206?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

WELCOME BACK!
Good to see so many of you this week – thank you for coming and I hope you all felt better having done a bit of movement and some catching up with your dancing friends after Christmas. Fingers crossed no snow is on the way, but it’s damn chilly out there. The cat has been inside the house for three days straight…

All classes running as normal this week. Here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks to all those who came along this week – the new routine seems to have gone down really well – I mean how can you not like it!? The music is a Pitbull collaboration with Daddy Yankee and Natty Natasha (whoever she is!) and the rhythm is a Reggaeton/Cumbia. If you missed the walk through – it’s pretty easy! I’ve also got a jive lined up for later in the month (Michael Buble) – looking forward to that too.
This year marks my 14th year of teaching DANCE FITNESS and there are so many routines that we’ve danced and loved over the years, so look out for them appearing on the playlists as well as the new ones. Here is also a link to a list of ALL the dances we have done – it’s a PDF, and there are three or four pages, which you’ll get if you click on it:
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/dance-fitness/attachment/zumba-full-list-display/

YOGA CLASS
We did a good solid flow class this week – nothing too challenging and the hall wasn’t too chilly – but might bring that little heater again with me. I recommend wearing an extra layer, maybe bring some socks and a blanket, especially for the relaxation at the end of the class. See you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

GOODMAN’S TUESDAY CLASSES
Good to see you all! Hope you liked the new ones – see below for step sheets. And please send me requests!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thank you for coming out Friday – and hope you enjoyed the new ones – here are the links to the Step Sheets:
A DOOR
MR SHOWMAN
HEEL TOE RODEO

(I’ve been told that there is more than one dance out to the music for HEEL TOE RODEO – so I’ll look around for another new one for you this week.)
Happy practising!

Click here for class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

OLD BLOG
I wrote this one a couple of years ago – but it’s all still true! If you made any NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS about your health and fitness… Here’s why they are…READ MORE

PODCASTS
Hope you had a chance to listen to the ZOE one last week – here’s the link if you didn’t
HOW TO EAT IN 2025 (Zoe)

This week – it’s one from Dr Rangan Chatterjee talking to a Dr Mark Hyman, who is a Functional Medical doctor about what we can do to reverse Chronic Disease. Let me know what you think!
REVERSING CHRONIC DISEASE

That’s all for now. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Love

Maria xxx

PS: THANK YOU FROM LILY
My son’s girlfriend, Lily, says thank you to those who helped out with the questions for her dissertation, which has now been submitted.

WEEKLY UPDATE – 5th JANUARY 2025 – https://mailchi.mp/eab8f9375d37/weekly-update-13844957?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

HAPPY NEW YEAR & Welcome back!
Thank you to all those who came out to dance this week. It was a bit quiet, but I am hopeful that you’re all raring to go this week and have finally eaten all the left over chocolates, cheese and drunk all the gin (OK, that’s just me!).

All the classes are back running as normal this week, starting with Monday evening’s DANCE FITNESS. All of the classes are, ‘Beginner Friendly’, so why not bring a new friend with you? Come along, dance, sing, smile, bend, stretch and get that body moving – I guarantee you’ll feel SO much better for it!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks to all those who came along Thursday. It felt SO GOOD to move again! Got a brand new one lined up for you this week which I am excited to share. Choreographed by me & Steph just before Christmas, the music is a Pitbull collaboration with Daddy Yankee (hands up who loves a bit of Reggaeton/Cumbia and Pitbull!) and I will go through all the sections before we dance it.
I’ve got another lined up for later in the month as well as reviving some oldies and goodies. This year marks my 14th year of teaching DANCE FITNESS and there are so many routines that we’ve danced and loved over the years, so look out for them appearing on the playlists as well as the new ones. Click here for class timetable:
www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

YOGA CLASS
Looking forward to easing you into the New Year with a solid, heat building ladder flow. It might be a bit chilly (having looked at the weather forecast), so wear an extra layer, maybe bring some socks and a blanket, especially for the relaxation at the end of the class. Nothing worse than trying to relax when you’re f f freezing! See you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

GOODMAN’S TUESDAY CLASSES
Looking forward to seeing you all back on the dance floor this week! Got a couple of new ones for you tested and approved by Friday classes. See below.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thank you for coming out Friday – and hope you enjoyed the new one – here are the links to the Step Sheets:
A DOOR
MR SHOWMAN
Happy practising!

CAN YOU HELP?
My son’s girlfriend, Lily, is writing her dissertation and she is looking for people to help with her research. Her essay is on: Has the Use of Modern Technology Had an Effect on West End Revivals in the Last Decade? Click here if you would like to answer a few questions and help out

NEW BLOG – BETTER TOGETHER
Here’s something that might surprise you: The WHO (World Health Organisation) has recently announced that loneliness is becoming a global health crisis. Social Isolation has been increasing DESPITE... READ MORE

PODCASTS
I’m recommending a very interesting ZOE podcast citing SEVEN THINGS you can do to support your health and adopt better habits in 2025. Not sure I agree with them ALL, especially the plant based stuff as humans have been eating meat for thousands of years, so I don’t understand how that could possibly be detrimental to your health. and I’m not going veggie or vegan anytime soon (been there, done that, won’t do it again..), but taking steps towards healthier eating habits is always a good thing. Let me know what you think!
HOW TO EAT IN 2025 (Zoe)

That’s all for now. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Love

Maria xxx

PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playslists and updates!

PPS: PERSONAL HEALTH COACHING – KICK START YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS in 2025
Never has there been so much emphasis on health and fitness and there is lots of new and exciting science supporting a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) approach to eating – not just for weight loss – but for overall metabolic health. My passion has always been to help people towards a healthier, fitter more balanced lifestyle. So – in addition to teaching dance, fitness, yoga and karate, I also offer Health Coaching.

Essentially, Health Coaching is completely different from what is normally labelled Personal Training. It’s not sweaty gym, lifting weights or HIIT type workouts. It’s taking a much broader and holistic look at your health markers. Personal Health Coaching obviously includes exercise but it’s also about diet and things like optimising your sleep and dealing with stress too.

I am not a medical professional but I am a qualified Nutrition Network Advisor and I hold a Level 3 NVQ in Diet & Nutrition. If you want to learn more, then take a look at my Personal Health Coaching page and also check out LLVLC – which is all about eating for Metabolic Health.
Or call/message me on 07811 823467 or email maria@dancegeneration.co.uk

WEEKLY UPDATE – 29th DECEMBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/7ce1f0920140/weekly-update-13844820?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

HAPPY NEW YEAR (well almost!)

Hope you’ve all had a fabulous Christmas and you’re looking forward to seeing in the New Year – whatever you are up to. Can you BELIEVE it’s 2025?! I LOVE spending Christmas and New Year with friends and family – eating, drinking, chatting and all that – but at the same time, I’m not really a fan of having my ‘routine’ messed with – so I can’t wait to get back to normal and moving again!

Anyway – before we get back on the dance floor – we have our ZUMBA GIRLS NIGHT OUT coming up on Monday 30th. Still spaces if you want to join us – see here for details:

NEW YEAR CLASSES START DATE
All classes (DANCE & YOGA) resume as from THURSDAY 2nd January. I am so looking forward to getting moving again – especially as I have eaten a LOT of cheese, many, many mince pies smothered with brandy cream and drunk far too much gin…

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS
I’ve got a couple of brand new routines I’m excited to share with you. Yes, one is Pitbull! I won’t unleash him on you this week as our very first class is Thursday and I suspect some people might still be away and if you do make it – we might all be feeling a bit sluggish from all the late nights, the food and the alcohol (maybe that’s just me?!) But – I’ll be gentle. Promise!

FRIDAY ELTHAM CHRISTCHURCH CLASSES
Back on FRIDAY 3rd – I will ease you in gently to this too!

GOODMAN’S TUESDAY CLASSES
Tuesday 7th is our next class – sounds like AGES away… hope we all remember the dances by then!

YOGA CLASS
All back to normal Tuesday 7th at 7:30pm Come join me for a lovely flowing, stretch. I can feel my mat calling me already!

No PODCASTS or LOW CARB, HEALTHY LIFESTYLE BLOGS this week – but for 2025….watch out!

That’s it for this week. Have a fab New Years Eve whatever you are up to and look forward to seeing you all soon for another year of FUN, FITNESS & FRIENDSHIP.

Love

Maria

PS: Here’s our LAST CHANCE TO DANCE pic – how fabulous do we look? And this was AFTER class!

WEEKLY UPDATE – 22nd DECEMBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/30bce10de104/weekly-update-13844656?e=f08b012b4b

Hi Everyone

Are you READY? I’m ready – in fact I’m over ready…

I braved Bluewater yesterday (foolish decision as it took me 20 minutes to negotiate my way out of the car park!) ) and bought another sparkly top to wear on Xmas Day (I already have two, so I’ll be changing my outfit every four hours)… I went food shopping again and can confirm I probably have enough food for about 20 people – and there are only three of us. I panic bought some more smoked salmon, a large slab of Cornish Crunchier Cheddar and a back up packet of pigs in blankets as obviously 16 wasn’t enough.. but hey.. YOLO (as my daughter would say). Bring it on!

Anyway. Just wanted to say – THANK YOU all for coming out to dance this week! Thank you also for all the lovely cards and presents and hope you enjoyed the Goodman’s Lunch, the Yoga after class drinks and the Friday Line Dance Party – I did! Jackson was super pleased you didn’t eat ALL the mince pies on Friday – I mean – what would he have for breakfast if you had? And thanks for being such good sports and releasing that Inner Dance Goddess, even before we’d had a drink!

However – before we hang up our dancing shoes for this year we have our LAST CHANCE TO DANCE class tomorrow evening – come on down for a booty shake – 8pm New Eltham Methodist Centre. What’s on the PLAYLIST? Come along and find out!

ZUMBA NIGHT OUT
If you would like to join us for our PIZZA NIGHT OUT on the 30th December. Here’s the details:
Meet at 7-7:30pm at PIZZA EXPRESS SIDCUP. I have booked at table for 15 – but we can add to that if we need to.

And finally – if you missed it last week – click below for my TEN TIPS for a LOW CARB CHRISTMAS!
CLICK HERE FOR TEN EASY TIPS!

That’s all for this week.

If I don’t see you on Monday – thank you for all your support and coming to classes this year and here’s wishing you all a wonderful, peaceful and love filled Christmas and a happy healthy New Year.

Love

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 15th DECEMBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/281a160f7c3a/weekly-update-13844392?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Not that long now till Christmas! Got my tree up – test tasted a few chocolates (Green & Blacks Organic 85% of course!) at the weekend and drank a bit more gin than usual and cried my way through the Strictly Come Dancing final – hands up if you just knew Chris was going to win!

Anyway – still got time to get in some moves before we break for Xmas and I hope you’ve got our CHRISTMAS SOCIALS in the diary. See below for the dates of our Line Dance Party, the Yoga after class drinks, Goodmans Lunch and the Zumba Pizza Night Out.

Thank you for coming out to dance this week! As it gets closer to Christmas and there’s after work drinks, get together’s and Christmas shopping to be done, classes sometimes take a bit of a back seat – so well done if you did make it – investing in keeping fit and healthy is never wasted! Hope you enjoyed the smattering of Christmas music that we did a few dances to – there will be more of the same in the playlists this week to get you in the Christmas mood.

Here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thank you for coming this week. More Run Run Rudolf, a bit of Mariah Carey and of course, Pitbull. Keep the requests coming! For this weeks PLAYLISTS see the FACEBOOK PAGE: We are running as normal this week (Mon/Wed/ Thurs) and Monday 23rd is your LAST CHANCE TO DANCE before we break until the New Year.

YOGA
Good to see you all this week. We did a Sun Salutation Flow with an added Bird of Paradise – click the link for a reminder (or maybe not!)
This week – a nice gentle (ish) class with lots of heart openers ready for the festive season – and remember we are popping to the THE BRIDGES after class for a quick drink, so hope to see you!

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
Thank you for coming along this week – the usual mix of old and new and thanks for your requests – PLEASE keep them coming. No new dances this week – I’m not planning anything brand new until the new year as this week is our last classes until the New Year.
We did a couple for Christmas:
ROCKIN ROBIN
MEXICAN CANTINA
and ones we haven’t done for AGES:
WISHFUL THINKING
CALYPSO MEXICO

GOODMANS XMAS LUNCH
Many thanks to Maxine for sorting this out – we are heading over to EFES after class this week – 17th – if you’d like to join us I’m told there’s plenty of space, even if you only pop along for a quick drink.

FRIDAY CHRISTMAS LINE DANCE PARTY. I know it says doors open at 12 noon on the poster – but you can come in anytime from 11:30 and help set up the tables and make some tea (or drink some sherry!). There is NO class on the 27th, so if you can’t make it this week – here’s wishing you a very Happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you back on the 3rd January. My week involves making 100 mini mince pies… and getting them into the freezer before Jackson eats them! Wish me luck!

ZUMBA NIGHT OUT
If you would like to join us for our PIZZA NIGHT OUT on the 30th December. Meet at 7-7:30pm at PIZZA EXPRESS SIDCUP. I have booked at table for 15 – but we can add to that if we need to. Let me know if you’d like to come as so far I think there are only THREE of us!

That’s all for this week.

Love

Maria xxx

PS: Wrote this earlier – but thought I’d update you on the mince pie making before I send it.. going well – 24 done so far, but I expect that to turn into about 12 once Jackson claps eyes on them!

WEEKLY UPDATE – 8th DECEMBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/339563e428fd/weekly-update-13844025?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Not that long now till Christmas! Have you got your tree up yet? It’s still a bit early for me – maybe next week.

Anyway – LOTS of dancing and yoga and general shenanigans to get in before we break for Xmas and I hope you are looking forward to our CHRISTMAS SOCIALS as much as I am! Making friends and being part of a group is one of the best things about the dance and yoga classes for me. See below for the dates of our Line Dance Party, the Yoga after class drinks, Goodmans Lunch and the Zumba Pizza Night Out..

If you joined me this last week – thank you – hope you enjoyed the smattering of Christmas music that we did a few dances to – there will be more featuring in the playlists this week to get you in the mood, if you’re not there already.

Here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thank you for coming this week. We had a lot of fun with Pitbull, Run Run Rudolf and the new one we’ve been doing. Quite a lot of people off this week, so if you’re one of the unfortunate ones who went down with one of the lurgies, I hope you’re feeling better and look forward to seeing you back dancing this week. For this weeks PLAYLISTS see the FACEBOOK PAGE:

YOGA
Good to see you all this week. We did a strong Warrior and Downdog flow – with a few planks, which I am sure your wrists told you about!. This week I’m planning a lovely slow build flow that will focus on core strength and balance (my favourites) – yes with a few planks – so I hope you’re ready for that. Not decided what the peak pose will be yet – come to class to find out!

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
Thank you for coming along this week – the usual mix of old and new and thanks for your requests – PLEASE keep them coming.
(New) dances this week included:
MEXICAN CANTINA – in contra Lines – which was such fun..
ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE (that’s one of mine that we do at ALL classes, so no sheet – you have to rely on your memory for that!)
And a new one called SOUR – which only got scored a 5 – might give it one more week and see how it goes
We also did:
LONELY DRUM
WINTERGREEN

GOODMANS XMAS LUNCH
Many thanks to Maxine for sorting this out – we’ll be heading over to EFES after class on Tuesday 17th – if you’d like to join us and haven’t put your name down – see Maxine at classes.

Details for our CHRISTMAS LINE DANCE PARTY.

If you would like to join us for our PIZZA NIGHT OUT on the 30th December: Meet at 7-7:30pm at PIZZA EXPRESS SIDCUP on MONDAY 30th December: I have booked at table for 15 – but we can add to that if we need to.
.

YOGA AFTER CLASS DRINKS

That’s it for this week.

Love

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE 1st DECEMBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/079ae83b6424/weekly-update-13843857?e=0b783cd120

Goodness me!

December here we are.. and Christmas is a-coming!

Hope you’re all OK and having a good weekend.

Thanks for coming out to dance this week, hope you enjoyed the classes and thank you so much for all the lovely birthday wishes, cards and presents and specially to the girls who took me out for a yummy Italian meal Friday night! Now to focus on Christmas!

In case you didn’t see last week’s update or haven’t checked the website – here’s the Class Schedule over the Christmas period:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
As you can see from the above dates – I am planning to run a class on MONDAY 23rd – but I am asking for payment in advance – so if you would like to come along to our LAST CHANCE TO DANCE – please let me know!

Thanks for your lovely feedback on the new dance that Steph and I choreographed a few weeks back – for video click here – B ETTER DAYS. As you read this – I will be with Steph and we’ll be having another of our choreo sessions (along with some R&R, some real food and Strictly – what more could a girl want?!)
We’ll be rolling out the Christmas tracks this month – not too many – just a few here and there, but I have to confess to looking forward to some Run Run Rudolph and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree! Hope you are too!
Playlists for this week are here: PLAYLISTS.

If you would like to join us for our PIZZA NIGHT OUT on the 30th December – more details coming soon.
AND – did you get a chance to check out the FULL LIST of TRACKS that we have dances and routines to? CLICK HERE

Look forward to seeing you all this week. And keep the requests coming!

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
A big thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week. No new ones – but we did some fabulous oldies. Did you know that most of the dances we do regularly are listed – with video and step sheet links – here: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/favourite-dances/

Details for our CHRISTMAS LINE DANCE PARTY.

YOGA
Loved class this week – we did some different front body opening poses: Camel. Bow and Hero for a change – but back to our flows this week, which will (hopefully) help you stay in the stress free zone on the lead up to Christmas. There are spaces in the class if anyone would like to pop along. You do not need to be able to stand on one leg or touch your toes to join. You just need to be willing to give it a go! Look forward to seeing you on the mat. Look forward to seeing you at classes.
More info here: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

That’s it for this week.

Love

Maria xxx

PS: SHAMELESS PLUG:
If you’ve got children or grandchildren or even great grand-children and are looking for a unique something to give them for Christmas… how about a copy of either of my children’s picture books?
Both of them are beautifully illustrated, read aloud stories that teach us the importance of human connection.
See: www.mariahenningshunt.co.uk
…or come and see me at classes and I will even personalise and sign each copy for you
Copies are £11.00 including postage or £8 if you collect from me in person.

PPS: BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
Still no sign of the certificate – but here’s the official THANK YOU email:
https://e-mail.breastcancernow.org/q/1f0xGrNcLrNMdv55GRGV0sf/wv

WEEKLY UPDATE 24th NOVEMBER – https://mailchi.mp/52a2b714aa78/weekly-update-13843554

HI Everyone!

Hope you’re all OK and having a fab weekend. Rubbish weather innit? Good job the sun ALWAYS shines on the dance floor!

Thanks for coming out to dance this week. It’s always more difficult to get to classes when it’s cold, damp, blowing a gale (like today!) maybe dark – AND most of the roads are full of roadworks, burst water mains and there’s nowhere to park – so thank you if you made it!

Only a few week’s left till Christmas and the way the dates fall – there is a WHOLE WEEK of no classes – shocking! Here’s the Class Schedule over the Christmas period.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thank you for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the easy new one – if you need a reminder – Steph and I choreographed it a few weeks back – and she’s done one of her videos – click here: B ETTER DAYS
As Steph teaches GOLD level classes (which are a bit less fierce than our classes) – there are often some step variations in all her videos – some of the gallops, high kicks and fast turns etc., are modified – but essentially these are the same routines structured to fit both Gold and Fitness classes.
And look out! Here comes Rudolph! We will start to roll out some of the Christmas songs in December (not yet as it’s still November and I’ve not had my birthday yet) AND – I can’t remember all the steps to either Jingle Bell Rock (or the Mariah Carey one which we do every year – good job there’s a video!) – I’m hoping it will come back to me by the beginning of December, otherwise I’ll have to make something else up! Playlist for this week are here: PLAYLISTS. And if you would like to join us for our PIZZA NIGHT OUT – more details coming soon.

AND – as the weather was so rubbish yesterday – I updated the FULL LIST of TRACKS that we have dances and routines to – how many do you know?
CLICK HERE

Look forward to seeing you all this week. And keep the requests coming!

YOGA
Fab class this week – as promised, another good solid Sun Salutation Flow, which forms the base of all the flows we do. Resistance training – whether it be with weights or your own body weight is now proven to ward off sarcopenia (muscle wastage) and keep your brain healthy. Power Yoga fuses the traditional elements of yoga such as the focus on the breath with strong flowing, balancing and twisting poses, that fire up your core muscles, building strength and creating awareness as we move. This is really good for stress relief too. I have spaces in the class if anyone would like to come along. You do not need to be able to stand on one leg or touch your toes to join. You just need to be willing to give it go! Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
A big thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week. A new one for Friday second class:
RATTLESNAKE KISS
and some Oldie Revivals:
SWEET SWEET SMILE
SWAMP THANG

And here are the details for our CHRISTMAS LINE DANCE PARTY:

PODCASTS
This weeks recommended listening is from Dr Rangan Chattergee – who talks about how our comfortable lives are killing us! Listen/watch here.
The Uncomfortable Truth Of Life Nobody Talks About

That’s all for this week. Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love

Maria xxx

PPS: BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
Still no sign of the certificate – but here’s the official THANK YOU email:
https://e-mail.breastcancernow.org/q/1f0xGrNcLrNMdv55GRGV0sf/wv

WEEKLY UPDATE 17th NOVEMBER – https://mailchi.mp/a095be5662d1/weekly-update-13843354?e=0b783cd120

HI Everyone!

Hope you’re all OK and having a fab weekend. Mine’s a busy one – so a quickie weekly classes update.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. Thank you for all your lovely requests! I’ve got a new one for you this week – a sort of slowish pre cooldown one that I know you’ll love! Steph and I choreographed it a few weeks back – and she’s done one of her videos – so if you want a sneaky peek – click here: B ETTER DAYS
As Steph teaches GOLD level classes (which are a bit less fierce than our classes) – there are often some step variations in all her videos – some of the gallops, high kicks and fast turns etc., are modified – but essentially these are the same routines structured to fit both Gold and Fitness classes.
Playlist for this week are here: PLAYLISTS.
Look forward to seeing you all this week.

YOGA
Fab class this week – as promised, a good solid Sun Salutation Flow – with a fair number of planks and yogi press ups. Three of the most important things you can focus on that will help you lead a longer, healthier life are strength, balance and flexibility. Power Yoga can give you all three! I have spaces in the class if anyone would like to give it a go. Look forward to seeing you.

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
A big thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week. We did some more oldie revivals but no brand new ones, I’m looking out for some new ones for this week.
Some of the dances carried over from our Rock & Roll day we did again were:
CHICKEN WALK JIVE & WALK RIGHT BACK
And please send me requests! If you don’t tell me what you like – I’ll just put on what I like!

PODCASTS
This weeks recommended listening is from The Ultimate Health Podcast and it’s BRAIN HEALTH and things you can do to prevent ALZHEIMER’S.
https://ultimatehealthpodcast.com/louisa-nicola-alzheimers/

BLOG POST
Did you get a chance to have a look at my latest Blog? Click here if you would like to read it:
WHY YOUR EXERCISE & HEALTH REGIME IS NOT WORKING & HOW TO FIX IT

That’s all for this week. Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love

Maria xxx

PS: BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
Got this email sent to me last week – still no sign of the certificate though:
https://e-mail.breastcancernow.org/q/1f0xGrNcLrNMdv55GRGV0sf/wv

WEEKLY UPDATE 10th NOVEMBER 2024 –

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Hope you’re all OK and having a fab weekend. I’m still recovering from Friday’s epic dancing day (see below!) My brain was FRIED! Here’s your weekly classes update.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. Thank you for all your lovely requests! If you missed this week and would like to see the playlists – click here: PLAYLISTS.
Look forward to helping you dance yourself into that little black party dress as Christmas IS coming, so as I speak (write) I am starting to think about adding some of our Christmas songs to the playlist – but I won’t do that until December, which is good as it gives me a few weeks to remember the moves!! Look forward to seeing you all this week.

BLOG POST
I’ve written my latest Blog on Why – when we embark on a ‘get Healthy and fit’ regime – it often doesn’t quite give us the results we are looking for. Click here if you would like to read it:
WHY YOUR EXERCISE & HEALTH REGIME IS NOT WORKING & HOW TO FIX IT

YOGA
We did a mostly standing class this week with some more Lizard poses and some Warriors but definitely not enough planks and no fallen triangles! Whatever next?! I think this week will be a a good solid Sun Salutation Flow – but who knows what might happen on the mat? Look forward to seeing you.

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
A big thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week. We did some more oldie revivals but no brand new ones, Playlists for Tuesday & Friday posted on the Whatsapp groups – and if you missed the 60’s JIVE, STROLL, ROCK & ROLL THEMED CLASS – here’s what we danced:
Glass of Wine
Lipstick Powder & Paint (danced to Such a Night)
Until The dawn (danced to Penny Arcade)
All Shook Up
Halfway Hustle
The Bomp
Lucky Lips
Walk Right Back
Don’t Say Goodbye (New Shoes)
Twistem
Just A Memory
Triple Mix
Chicken Walk Jive
Frankie & Johnny
Black Coffee (danced to Crocodile Rock)
Peaches & Cream,
Runaway Cha
Rock & Roll Bride

We had a lot of fun – lots of jive kicks, boogie walks, jazz boxes and windmill turns!
Some of the dances I will carry over into the next few weeks – like CHICKEN WALK JIVE & ALL SHOOK UP and WALK RIGHT BACK.

PODCASTS
This weeks recommended listening is about healing the body through MOVEMENT. Pop your headphones in and go for a walk – it’s a long one!
https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/491-how-to-heal-your-body-and-mind-through-movement/id1333552422?i=1000675741182

That’s all for this week. Look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love

Maria xxx

PS: BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
Got this email send during the week – still no sign of the certificate though:
https://e-mail.breastcancernow.org/q/1f0xGrNcLrNMdv55GRGV0sf/wv

WEEKLY UPDATE – 3rd November 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/94a66bbf4375/weekly-update-13842782?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Hope you’re all OK and now settled into British Winter Time after the clocks went back last weekend. Don’t know about you, but the change always throws me for at least a week!

Here’s your weekly classes update.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
Just a quick update on this and to say thank you again for your generous donations for Breast Cancer Support – our final total was an AMAZING £182.11, which was paid in last week – so I’m just waiting for the certificate to be sent to me, so as soon as I’ve got it – I’ll display it at classes.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. We were a bit quiet as it was Half Term, but those that came – especially Monday and Wednesday – we did 18 back to back routines, including the new warm up, most of our newest dances AND some real oldies! Thank you for your most excellent requests too. If you missed this week and would like to see the playlists – click here: PLAYLISTS.

YOGA
This week we did an easy mat based class this week, which included some poses I don’t often do – like Pigeon and Lizard. Both these poses help increase the range of motion in the hips, stretching the hip flexors and the hamstrings. They are also beneficial as stress relievers. Planning on a good solid Sun Salutation Flow this week for increasing strength and balance. Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
A big thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week. We did some more oldie revivals but no brand new ones. Playlists for Tuesday & Friday posted on the Whatsapp groups.
Here’s the Step Sheet Links for the newest ones and the oldie revials.
NEW DANCES:
DON’T BLAME IT ON ME (week 3)
TWENTY TWO (22) (week 4)
ROCK STEP SCISSOR STEP (new)
WHAT A VIEW (week 4)
MOVING ON UP (new)
OLDIE REVIVALS:
WALK RIGHT BACK (as a taster for the Friday 60’s theme!)

60’s JIVE, STROLL, ROCK & ROLL THEMED CLASS – FRIDAY 8th NOVEMBER
I’m looking forward to Friday and our Jive/Rock & Roll/60’s themed class, so hope you are too! Dances I have on my list include: Halfway to Paradise, Walk Right Back, New Shoes, Peaches & Cream, The Bomp, Just a Memory, Lucky Lips, Runaway Cha, Black Coffee, Triple Mix, Such a Night and if we’ve time, I’ll do Chicken Walk Jive (which I used to love!) and All Shook Up too – which was one of the first dances I ever learnt way back in 1996! It’s a fun dance if you’ve never done it before and if you like Elvis.. well, you’ll love it.
I will go over EVERY dance before we dance it and I promise they will all have steps you already know – but guess what? They are in a different order! So if you’ve not been to a themed day before and are thinking OMG! I won’t know any of the dances – don’t worry – I guarantee it’ll be fun! And if anyone has any requests or suggestions, please let me know.

PODCASTS
This weeks recommended listening is one of my favourite Longevity Doctors, Peter Attia MD
LONGEVITY SECRETS
In this podcast (video) he talks about what actions you can take to live a long and healthy life given that the latest statistics tell us that LIFESPAN is around 80 years, but HEALTHSPAN is only 60. And the good news is that we can actually DO lots of things to ensure that not only we live longer, but in better health.
That’s your updates for this week – look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 27th OCTOBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/81358b9c9362/weekly-update-13842508?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Hope you’re all OK – the cat woke me this morning as she doesn’t give a … about the clocks – good job it’s a lovely day out there.. I would be far crosser if it was raining!

Here’s your weekly classes update.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
First of all, thank you so much for your generous donations for Breast Cancer Support – we raised just over £160. I’ll get the money paid in and ask them to send us a ‘Donation Certificate’.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. Week two of our new warm up, which seems to be going down well and we revived some other old dances this week – like the Olly Murs one and Tip Pon It. All classes running as normal this week – and as it’s Halloween Week – I will probably do a couple of spooky themed dances… any guesses? You’ll have to come to class to find out!
Look forward to seeing you on the dance floor. Playlists for this week are here: PLAYLISTS.

YOGA
This week we did a very twisty class. Lying twists, seated twists, prayer twists, chair twists – you name one – we probably did it!
Twisting poses are thought to be beneficial to the digestive system as well as increasing spine mobility and relieving blocked energies.. Contrary to what you might think, they can also help with lower back pain. Learn More: https://www.doyou.com/5-health-benefits-of-yoga-twists/ere:
Not sure what I’m going to unleash on you this week – but keep up the good work – and remember, if it doesn’t challenge you – it won’t change you. Bring your mat, your smiles and be open to some more challenging fun!

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
A big thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week. We did some more oldie revivals and a couple of new ones on Friday – see below for Step Sheet Links. .
NEW DANCES:
DON’T BLAME IT ON ME (week 2)
TWENTY TWO (22) (week 3)
ROCK STEP SCISSOR STEP (new)
WHAT A VIEW (week 3)
MOVING ON UP (new)
Oldie revivals
HELLO DOLLY
MILLER MAGIC
MUCARA WALK

Playlists (Tuesday & Friday) posted on the Whatsapp groups – if you’re not a member – see below on how to join.

60’s JIVE, STROLL, ROCK & ROLL THEMED CLASS – FRIDAY 8th NOVEMBER
Pop this date in your diary for a fun morning/afternoon to do some different dances. If you’ve been dancing a while – think dances like Halfway to Paradise, New Shoes. Rock & Roll Bride, Just A Memory, Lucky Lips – that kind of thing. I will go over EVERY dance before we dance it. So if you’ve not been to a themed day before and are thinking OMG! I won’t know any of the dances – don’t worry – I guarantee it’ll be fun! And if anyone has any requests or suggestions, please let me know.

PODCASTS & AN APOLOGY
I know I go on about BRAIN HEALTH and MEMORY a LOT in classes – but it’s SO important. Dancing, as you know, is one of the best ways to keep our brains healthy as we age. I also know I go on a lot about the evils of SUGAR and UPF. Friday class had a bit of a lecture this week – so I apologise if you felt I was going on a bit TOO much…. you’re probably right!
Anyway – here’s a couple of things you might find interesting about the link between brain health and eating a diet high in UPF.
PODCAST from ZOE Science & Nutrition (Tim Spector)
How UPF DAMAGES YOUR BRAIN
GUARDIAN Article
32 Harmful Effects of UPF

That’s your updates for this week – look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE 20th October 2024 –

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Hope you’re all having a good weekend. Here’s your weekly classes update, a reminder about our Wear Something Pink this week for Breast Cancer Awareness and more!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – MON/WED/THURS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. We did a new warm up – FREED FROM DESIRE – I know you all knew the words to the song – so fab singing as well and hope you liked it – especially the galloping bit! All classes running as normal this week – some of the schools have broken up – but we DON’T break for half terms! if you’re away on holiday – have a fab time and if not – look forward to seeing you on the dance floor.
Dance playlists for this week are here: PLAYLISTS

NECP LATIN & BALLROOM EVENING
A few of us went to the Latin & Ballroom evening last night hosted by the NECP at the Methodist Church. It really was a lot of fun – and an opportunity to do something a bit different and it was great to see that lots of the moves we were taught – we already knew them as we do them in Zumba! (Result!) NECP are going to do another evening, so as soon as we know the dates, I’ll let you know and maybe a few more of you will join us.

YOGA
This week we did a rather lovely looping flow. If you missed it and are fluent in Yogi speak – here’s the peak sequence – just in case you want to practice at home!
Mountain posture / Side Bend / Forward Fold / Halfway Lift / High Lunge / Warrior II / Reverse Warrior / Star pose / Wide Leg Forward Fold / Star pose / Warrior II / Plank / Chatturanga / Up Dog or Cobra /
Down Dog / Three Legged Dog / Knee to Nose x 3 / Fallen Triangle / Down Dog / Forward Fold / Halfway Lift / Mountain (and then repeat leading with the other side)

More to come this week – keep up the good work – and remember, if it doesn’t challenge you – it won’t change you. Bring your mat, your smiles and be open to some more challenging fun!

DANCING-IN-LINE & MODERN LINE DANCING
A big thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week. No new dances – just the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks and a couple of oldie revivals.
NEW DANCES:
DON’T BLAME IT ON ME
TWENTY TWO (22)
WHAT A VIEW
MILLER MAGIC
CRAZY FOOT MAMBO
MUCARA WALK

Playlists (Tuesday & Friday) posted on the Whatsapp groups – if you’re not a member – see below on how to join.

60’s JIVE, STROLL, ROCK & ROLL THEMED CLASS
I’ve been promising this for a few weeks, so the date is FRIDAY 8th NOVEMBER. A fun opportunity to do something a bit different. If you’ve been dancing a while – think dances like Halfway to Paradise, New Shoes. Rock & Roll Bride, Just A Memory, Lucky Lips – that kind of thing. I will go over EVERY dance before we dance it. So if you’ve not been to a themed day before and are thinking OMG! I won’t know any of the dances – don’t worry – I guarantee it’ll be fun!

PODCASTS
HIGHLY recommended this week: https://youtu.be/G0lTyhvOeJs?si=nRLPUUDFl037q9pM
If you care about humanity, health, the planet and the future of the human race – I really do recommend you watch/listen to this. It’s mainly health focused and a little slanted towards the US – but the issues they talk about are global issues that we are all facing and should be aware of.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Thanks to Lucie for suggesting this idea.. I’m hopeful I’ll have a little pink donation box for us this week – but show your support and wear something pink to classes this week!

That’s your update for this week – look forward to seeing you at classes.

Love

Maria xxx

PS: WHATSAPP GOUPS
I have a DANCE Generation group – and within that separate groups for the different classes and a JUBILEE YOGA group on Whatsapp. f you want to join any of them – :just drop me a WHATSAPP MESSAGE and I’ll add you.
My number is 07811 823467 (I might come up as Kippychick – there’s a story there!). Please tell me your name and what group you would like to be added to.

WEEKLY UPDATE 13th October 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/5db3a11d80ac/weekly-update-13842089?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Happy Sunday! Hope you’re all having a fab weekend. I’ve been to the gym this morning to lift weights (I LOVE lifting weights – it’s one of the the BEST exercises to keep your body healthy – see below!) and I’m looking forward to seeing you all next week!

Here’s your updates.

YOGA
There’s lots of evidence out there now that RESISTANCE EXERCISE (using body weight, bands or actually lifting weights – more on that later!) is essential to guard against becoming weak and frail as we age. I teach POWER YOGA – which is using body weight as your resistance, but is NOT ‘yoga’ as you probably know it. It’s a more modern take on yoga – fusing the traditional elements – such as the conscious breath and the poses (asanas) with powerful and challenging flowing sequences specifically designed to increase your strength, flexibility and balance in both the body and mind.

If lifting weights isn’t for you – why not give this a go? You don’t need to be strong, flexible or able to stand on one leg to join the class – but what you do need is to be WILLING to give it go! You’ll probably suck at it for the first few weeks, but you’ll be surprised how fast you can build up your strength and gain more movement and flexibility. You WILL find it challenging. If it doesn’t challenge you – it won’t change you.
More details on my class: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/yoga/

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
This week coming, following the choreo session last Sunday with Steph – I have a new WARM UP to unleash on you to the song FREED FROM DESIRE. You’ll probably know the song – so you can sing AND dance! Our newest routine – WE’RE ON OUR WAY (click the link for the video) is in the mix now and keep the requests coming – we had some BRILLIANT playlists this week. If you want to check them out – here they are:
PLAYLISTS

DANCING IN LINE/MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming out to dance this week! We did a couple of new ones that went down well.
NEW DANCES:
DON’T BLAME IT ON ME (new) – this one got an 8/10
TWENTY TWO (22) (week 2)
WHAT A VIEW (new) – this one got an 8/10

And OLDIE REVIVALS:
MILLER MAGIC
CRAZY FOOT MAMBO
YO QUIERO BAILAR

LIFTING, LIFTING, LIFTING – WHY YOU SHOULD BOTHER!
As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass – this is called Sarcopenia. It happens slowly from about the age of 30 onwards and affects everyone, but especially women, due to our hormones. If you are post-menopausal you are even more at risk as you will generally have LESS oestrogen (a hormone produced by your ovaries), which can reduce your bone density and increase muscle loss.

As well as helping prevent muscle loss, strength training (using weights and resistance) can help to keep your bones strong too. Maintaining your bone density is also super important as we age. If you lose bone density you’re at greater risk of developing osteoporosis and are more likely to suffer a bone fracture if you fall.

As we age our joints also suffer from wear and tear. Being overweight exacerbates this, but doing strengthening exercises can build up the muscles around your joints, which in turn helps to keep the joints stable and strong.

It’s not just cardiovascular exercise, such as dancing, that can benefit your heart health. Strength training is also good for your cardio fitness. Just one hour of weightlifting per week can reduce your risk of having a heart attack and stroke as you age. It is thought that strength training can also help with lowering blood pressure too.

I started lifting weights just over two years ago, after reading how important muscle is as we age and as a progression on from the Power Yoga classe. It’s now an essential part of my ‘Keeping The Old Woman Away’ routine. Being able to farmers carry half my body weight for a minute or lift 100kg off the floor in a dead lift – both functional human movements – makes me feel AMAZING!

And in case you were wondering if lifting weights will make you look like Arnie (Arnold Schwarzenegger) it definitely won’t unless you take steroids!

Learn more:
FOREVER STRONG

Have a fab rest of the weekend… and look forward to seeing you this week!
Love
Maria x

PS. If you’re not doing anything this coming Saturday – 19th – New Eltham Methodist Centre is having a LATIN & BALLROOM evening. It sounds like fun and Erine, Anne and I are planning to go as any excuse to dance!! Why not join us?
There is a little poster up in the hall – but here it is:

PPS: Just a thought – as the nights draw in and it gets darker and colder, it does become more of a challenge for some to get out to classes. Remember that moving in unison with other people creates unconscious feelings of ‘belonging’, so when you come to classes you’re doing more than just ‘exercising’. You’re also on an unconscious level, nurturing your mental health as movement with others helps to make you feel happier as well as making you healthier and fitter.

WEEKLY UPDATE 6th OCTOBER 2024

Hi Everyone

Thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week – hope you enjoyed the classes as much as I did! Sorry this is a bit late.. I have been choreographing some new Dance Fitness/Zumba routines with Steph who popped over today!

As we head into Autumn and Winter, it does become more of a challenge for some people to get out to classes. If you came to classes this week – I talked briefly about how moving in unison with other people creates unconscious feelings of ‘belonging’, so maybe knowing that dancing or doing yoga or even just moving with others in the same room is helping you feel happier as well as making you healthier and fitter will hopefully will keep you coming along!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Lots of lovely dancing and music this week – lots of great requests and we did a new one called, ‘WE’RE ON OUR WAY‘, so that will be on the plalylist this week too. My lovely friend Steph has done a video – click the name for the link – so if you missed the walk through, check that out. And, I can now confirm there will definitely be some exciting new dances coming up before Christmas!

AND… Good news! Thursday class survived the first week at the new venue!
Check the All Classes Timetable on the website for information!

DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY ELTHAM)
We did another new one Friday called MARGAREASONS and we also did:
TWENTY TWO (22)
DOLLY WOULD
MARIA’S DANCE 24
MADE IN MEXICO
Oldie revivals:
MILLER MAGIC
CRAZY FOOT MAMBO

Click the links if you want to have a little practice or as a refresher if you did them this week and please send me requests for next week!

Also – please check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.

YOGA
This week we did a good solid plank/sun salutation flow – ending in a floating Half Moon – now that’s a challenge! Good work for all those that came along – you’re all AMAZING!
This week – truthfully no idea what I’m going to throw at you – you’ll have to come to class to find out!

BLOG POST
Spent all Saturday morning writing a BLOG POST this week on FIXING THE NHS – which I posted on Facebook and they have removed my post TWICE as apparently it’s SPAM and breaks rules… I didn’t realise that I had SO much power and impact! It’s just my opinion! Click the link if you would like to read it:

Anyway – that’s your updates – and as they say EVERY WEEK at the end of Strictly, “KEEP DANCING!”

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 29th SEPTEMBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/6f4b022d38e7/weekly-update-13841368?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Thank you to everyone who came out to dance this week – hope you enjoyed the classes as much as I did!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Lots of lovely dancing and music this week – I’m really enjoying bringing back some of those oldies – such as ‘Margherita Cheese’ and ‘Shaky Shaky’. We also did some newer ones we haven’t done for ages! So many good dances out there to choose from – which is why I need your help with those requests! Keep them coming!

AND – good news! THURSDAY CLASS HAS A NEW VENUE!
Starting this week – 3rd October – we will be at:
St Anselm’s Parish Centre
West Hill
DARTFORD
DA1 2HJ
It’s literally less than 500 metres from DGGS at the top of West Hill. It’s a lovely big hall, wooden floor, air conditioning and a large free car park. What’s not to love? Same time: 7:30 – 8:30pm. Same great music!
Look forward to seeing you there!

DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY ELTHAM)
We did another new one Friday called TWENTY TWO (22) – this one got an eight out of ten!
Still going with DOLLY WOULD – and we also did:
MARIA’S DANCE 24
MADE IN MEXICO
Oldie revivals:
CRAZY FOOT MAMBO
TIL YOU CAN’T
DISAPPEARING TAIL LIGHTS

Click the links if you want to have a little practice or as a refresher if you did them this week and please send me requests for next week!

Also – please check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.

YOGA
As you know – the style of Yoga I teach can be pretty fierce sometimes! It is mainly science based – focusing more on the physical benefits of strength, balance & flexibility that you gain from the practice, but we also focus on ‘conscious’ movement – using the breath to guide and help us ‘be in the moment’ as we move through the poses. Practising consciously like this can have far reaching benefits in our everyday lives as well as on the mat as it helps us to be really present.
This week we did a good solid plank/sun salutation flow – great to see how much stronger we are all getting and how our balancing is also improving and I’ve another slow build flow planned, with the focus (as ever) on balance and core strength. I found this article on how Yoga can help us as we age – thought you might find it interesting too:
HEALTHY AGING & YOGA
Look forward to seeing you this week.

And did you check out @drpeterlovatt? I have his little book – The Dance Cure
I think I might start quoting bits out of it as it’s really brilliant. But then – you all knew deep down that dancing and movement is the UNIVERSAL CURE, didn’t you?

That’s your updates – and as they say EVERY WEEK at the end of Strictly, “KEEP DANCING!”

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 22nd SEPTEMBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/56a9cc1b3343/weekly-update-13841336?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Just a quick one this week as I am hopefully enjoying the sunshine on the South Coast this weekend – and no, I don’t plan on going swimming in the sea… although I might go for a 5K & a bit run along the seafront! Or I may not. Might just drink wine and chill…

Anyway – thanks for coming out to dance this week and here’s your updates:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Lots of lovely dancing and music this week – we bought back an old favourite called, ‘Margherita Cheese’ – well that was our name for it. I think the jury is out – and it’s having a bit of a love/hate reaction! It’s pretty fierce – but ten years ago when we first did it – ALL the dances were like that!
I look forward to dancing that one again with you this week – and if you missed it – it’s another Reggaeton. Here’s a link to the music (it’s not quite the same as the mix I have was a special Zumba one – but it’s close enough! En Su Marcas
AND – went to have a look at a new venue for Thursday – not sure about it TBH – will update you all this week.
If you liked any of the dances we did this week – check the playlists here: DANCE PLAYLISTS
and then send me requests!

For YOGA – we enjoyed (well – hope you did too as I did!) a very slooooow build stacking/ladder flow this week – strong but steady. As I mentioned last week – never underestimate the power of holding a pose, where you can settle in and really feel it. So good for building up your strength as well as both focus AND balance. Look forward to seeing you this week!

DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY ELTHAM)
It was good to see everyone this week – we did a new one Friday called DOLLY WOULD (we gave it a 6 maybe a 7 out of ten – so pretty good!) Tuesday class you’ll get it this week coming. We also did:
MARIA’S DANCE 24 (week 4)
MADE IN MEXICO (week 4)
Oldie revivals:
JERUSALEMA
CHANSON D’AMOUR
DANS LE TANGO
SHANIA’S MOMENT
GOOD TO GO

Click the links if you want to have a little practice or as a refresher if you did them this week and don’t forget to send me requests for next week!

Also – please check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.

AND – far be it that you would accuse me of being boring and repetitive – but don’t forget that the BEST thing for your BRAIN HEALTH as well as your PHYSICAL HEALTH is….. DANCING! Dr Michael Mosley says so! Click here for more:
https://www.channel5.com/michael-mosley-wonders-of-the-human-body

AND – if you’re an Instagram user – drop this chap a follow: @drpeterlovatt He’s very engaging and inspirational! I promise you’ll love him!
He’s the author of a fabulous book called The Dance Cure
Basically – DANCE & movement is the answer to everything (after love and low carb eating of course!)

That’s it for this week – look forward to seeing you this week!

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 15th SEPTEMBER 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/fe61d302104e/weekly-update-13841093?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all enjoying the weekend. Can’t but help comment on the weather – as we went from Arctic to balmy and back again this week – I have no idea what to wear, if I should take a coat or if it’s safe to go barefoot in the garden!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks for dancing this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. Here’s your updates – but first of all I have a few CANCELLATIONS for THURSDAY CLASSES coming up.
There are NO CLASSES on these dates:
19th September – that’s this week
24th October
21st November
I am a bit fed up with DGGS cancelling me – especially at short notice – so I am actively looking for a new venue – but it needs to be in or as close to DARTFORD as possible, so if you know of anywhere – please let me know.

Lots of lovely dancing and music this week – and I am planning on bringing back an old favourite called, ‘Margherita Cheese’ – well that was our name for it – this week. I look forward to dancing that one with you! if you’ve not done it before – it’s another Reggaeton.

If you missed my BLOG post last week – it’s all about how the routines are structured and how to remember them easily! Here’s the link again:
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/blog/

AND – don’t forget that the BEST thing for your BRAIN HEALTH as well as your PHYSICAL HEALTH is….. DANCING! Click here for the Michael Mosley C5 programe:
https://www.channel5.com/michael-mosley-wonders-of-the-human-body

All the playlists for last week are here:
DANCE PLAYLISTS

For YOGA – we enjoyed a very slooooow build stacking/ladder flow this week – strong but steady. Never underestimate the power of holding a pose, where you can settle in and really feel the strength and focus you are building. More to come this week!

DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY ELTHAM)
It was good to see everyone this week – no new dances – but LOTS of good oldies that we’d forgotten!
Playlists already on the groups – but here’s the old/new ones:
New:
MARIA’S DANCE 24 (week 3)
MADE IN MEXICO (week 3)
Oldie revivals:
DANS LE TANGO
MEXI-FEST
CHANSON D’AMOUR

Click the links if you want to have a little practice or as a refresher if you did them this week and don’t forget to send me requests for next week!

Also – please check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.

That’s it for this week – look forward to seeing you this week!

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 8th SEPTEMBER 2024

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all enjoying the weekend. It does feel a tad Autumny – is that a word? Thanks for coming out to dance this week and here’s your updates.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
This week – definitely maybe a new routine! Who knows what might happen?! That’s the exciting bit! You’ll have to come to class to find out!
Welcome to all our new & old ladies (just thought I’d better clarify ‘old’ means the ones we haven’t seen for a while who have come back!) If you want to find out more about how the classes are structured and how Dance Fitness works on improving your cardio fitness as well as toning areas of the body – click here: DANCE FITNESS – HOW IT WORKS
All the playlists for last week are here:
DANCE PLAYLISTS

For YOGA – I’m planning on keeping with the stacking/ladder/slow build flow, which is my favourite way to structure a class as we revisit lots of the poses in the sequence – adding on or adding in as we move through the flow. Our brains LOVE this kind of structuring as it creates a ‘safe and familiar’ feeling – and that’s in addition to the physical benefits of the stretching, balancing and strength building that we gain through practising yoga.

DANCING IN LINE (TUESDAY GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY ELTHAM)
It was good to see everyone this week and especially to be back at Goodman’s after three weeks off! Lovely busy Friday classes too! Both classes did some new dances – which of course I will be re-doing this week.
A BAR SONG
MARIA’S DANCE 24
MADE IN MEXICO
Oldie revivals:
TELEPATHY

Click the links if you want to have a little practice or as a refresher if you did them this week!

Our dance playlists were posted on the Whatsapp Groups. Please send me requests for next week – I’ve already had a few good ones suggested already!

Also – please check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.

EXCITING NEWS!
What’s the best thing you can do to keep your brain healthy? I’ll give you a clue – it ain’t Crosswords or Sudoko! This Dr Michael Mosley programme gives you the answers. If you didn’t manage to catch it this week – here’s the link:
https://www.channel5.com/michael-mosley-wonders-of-the-human-body
If you don’t have time to watch the whole programme – you MUST watch the last ten minutes..

PODCASTS? A BLOG POST INSTEAD!
No podcasts this week – but a BLOG POST from me:
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/blog/

METABOLIC HEALTH/LOW CARB EATING
As you all know I am passionate about diet, nutrition and metabolic health. I set up a group on Facebook about two years ago – it’s all FREE and it’s for anyone who is interested to learn more about LCHF eating, metabolic health and eating REAL foods.
Click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977

It’s not just about weight loss – but about health, so you’ll find information, delicious recipes and you can ask questions on the group as well as get support from other members.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Look forward to seeing you this week!

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 1st SEPTEMBER 2024

Hi Everyone

September already! Where does the time go? Thank you to those that came out to dance this week – it was a tad quiet overall – lots of people still on holiday but we had fun – and we did some new routines too!

Here’s your updates for the week:

GOODMANS DANCING IN LINE
Missed you all this week as the studio was closed. But we are back Tuesday! Hooray!
In the meantime – did you see this? A tribute to our very own Len.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78538lnl60o

YOGA
Still easing back into Yoga this week with a steady Sun Salutation flow, a couple of trees and a few planks. We did the funky Boat poses using blocks again too. Thank you for coming along and look forward to seeing you on the mat this week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. Hopefully now that the holiday’s are over – we’ll see some more of you back dancing! If you’ve not been for a while – we’ve done a couple of easy new ones in August … both SO easy you’ll pick them up in no time. Look forward to seeing you. Send me your requests!

All the playlists for last week are here:
DANCE PLAYLISTS

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming on Friday. We had another week of some super oldies mixed in with some newer dances and we did TWO new ones:
MARIA’S DANCE 24
MADE IN MEXICO
and WEEK TWO of SOUTHERN GOSPEL

Our dance list was posted on the Whatsapp Group.

Also – please check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.

PODCASTS
Just a couple of interesting ones this week: Obviously most of my podcasts are about health, well-being, diet, exercise, muscle, brain health etc. EVERYDAY is a school day here – I really do learn SO much!
SECRETS TO A LONG & HEALTHY LIFE
CARDIOLOGIST: YOUR DOCTOR IS WRONG ABOUT CHOLESTEROL

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Look forward to seeing you this week!

Maria x

PS:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977

If you’re not on FACEBOOK – I have added a page on the website as well – click here: https://dancegeneration.co.uk/llvlc/

The website is essentially the same as the Group – with nutrition tips, recipes, ideas etc as well as links to interesting articles and the exciting new emerging science about how our diets impact our overall health. You are what you eat!.

WEEKLY UPDATE 25th AUGUST 2024

Hi Everyone

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend. Hopefully as you’re reading this I shall be in Somerset, staying with my sister, who lives in a gorgeous cottage on a dairy farm. Right now I’m debating whether to take my wellies as well as a hippie type dress for wafting along the streets of Glastonbury…

Thank you to those that came out to dance this week – it was a tad quiet overall – lots of people on holiday but we had fun – and we did some new routines too!

As it’s the Bank holiday Weekend – Reminders of the class cancellations this week
NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Mon 26th August – Dance Fitness
Tues 27th August – Goodmans ONLY

ALL other classes running as normal – but if in doubt – please check the website, the group messages or message me on: 07811 823467

Here’s your updates for the week:

YOGA
Eased back into Yoga this week after a week off with a Sun Salutation B based flow with some Triangles and a Pyramid pose. We even did some funky Boat poses using blocks. Thank you for coming along and look forward to seeing you this week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. We had small, but perfectly formed classes AND we did a brand new one choreographed with Steph called El Abusador. There is no video yet (the link will take you to the music – it’s a reggaeton) – but you won’t need one as it’s super easy! Honest!
If you missed the walk-thru – I will be going over it this week coming.

All the playlists for last week are here:
DANCE PLAYLISTS

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
Thanks for coming on Friday. Playlist was posted on the Whatsapp Group. We did lots of different dances this week – many of which are on the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website – which has links to the sheets and videos of dances we do regularly.
We also did a new one in the 12:45 class called SOUTHERN GOSPEL.

PODCASTS
Didn’t get much chance to listen to any podcasts this week – but here’s a recap to some of the ones I’ve mentioned over the last few weeks.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF OLIVE OIL
HEALTHY AGEING DOCTOR
THE FASTING EXPERT

That’s it for this week – we’re probably now heading off for a muddy walk across the farm!

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Look forward to seeing you this week!

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 18th AUGUST 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/9b212c658020/weekly-update-13840150?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend.

Thank you to those that came out to dance this week and HUGE thanks to Bex for looking after the Dance Fitness/Zumba classes for me while I was up in Derbyshire at my writing retreat.

And just a reminder of the class cancellations this week:

AUGUST CLASS CANCELLATIONS:
NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Tues 20th August – Goodmans ONLY – yes sorry – we’ve had to cancel this week as there was a leak in the men’s toilet and the builders are in repairing the floor .
Mon 26th August – Dance Fitness
Tues 27th August – Goodmans ONLY

ALL other classes running as normal – but if in doubt – please check the website, the group messages or message me on: 07811 823467

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. Bex said it was REALLY warm. I joke that Derbyshire is always a bit soggy – but we had some excellent sunny weather up there too. I did manage a couple of 5K runs, but I did miss my dancing – so I’m looking forward to getting back this week. Please send me your dance requests.
AND – I’m also visiting my friend Steph today (Sunday) where I am sure we will be creating some more awesome choreography to share with you. Bring it on!
.
All the playlists for last week are here:
DANCE PLAYLISTS

YOGA
No class last week (I was drinking gin and directing my play – see below!) – but I am pretty sure you ALL stood on one leg in Tree pose and did some Boat poses like I suggested – didn’t you? Look forward to seeing you Tuesday.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
I got back from Derbyshire Friday morning at 2am as what should have been a straightforward journey down the M1 and round the M25 ended up a nightmare as the M1 was closed from J14a – J11 and the alternative route south was the A14 to the M11 – but that was also closed.
Somehow eventually ended up going south on the A1 after a cross-country trip through lots of little villages and down country lanes, where I had to put my life in the hands of the satnav. And it was bloody raining!
Anyway thanks for coming on Friday. Playlist was posted on the Whatsapp Group, but also check the FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website which has links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly. I’ll be adding a few more that should be on there – but somehow were missed off, so thank you for letting me know about those.

PODCASTS
No podcasts this week – BUT I did win an award at my Writing Summer School. I won a ‘Swannie’ for my five minute play – which was voted BEST PLAY OVERALL by the judges!

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 11th August 2024: https://mailchi.mp/f4ac51fb4cc9/weekly-update-13839991?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend. I’m HAPPEEE as the sun is shining here!

First of all – thank you to everyone that came out to dance or do yoga last week. And just a reminder that this week coming up I do have some class cancellations – see below:

AUGUST CLASS CANCELLATIONS:
NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Tues 13th August – Goodmans & Yoga
Thur 15th August – Dance Fitness
and the Bank Holiday weekend
Mon 26th August – Dance Fitness
Tues 27th August – Goodmans ONLY

ALL other classes running as normal – but if in doubt – please check the website, the group messages or message me on: 07811 823467

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. We did the new one – MARIANA MAMBO
Really easy – lovely sunny sounding music and co-choreographed by me and Steph – click the link in the name for the video. As always – there are some slight variations – maybe some different arms or we often do turns where she doesn’t and etc – but essentially it’s the same routine.
I’m away this week but you’ll be in the safe hands of Bex as she is covering Monday & Wednesday classes – remember to send over your requests – might send over a couple myself!

All the playlists for last week are here:
DANCE PLAYLISTS

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. We did a new one Tuesday which is week two for Friday class called FRANKIE & JOHNNY. A bit different and good for practising half turning Monterey steps. Click the link for sheet.
We had a bit of fun Friday at our virtual BBQ – the playlist was posted on the group Whatsapp. See below if you would like to join if you’re not already a member.

See the WEEKLY UPDATE page for the steps sheets to the ones we’ve been doing lately (new and old!)

There is also a FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly. I’ll be adding a few more that should be on there – but somehow were missed off, so thank you for letting me know about those!

PODCASTS
This week – I enjoyed this one:
Dr GABRIELLE LYON
Dr Gabrielle Lyon is the author of the book Forever Strong – which is about how muscle is the organ of longevity – this is her podcast.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them..

WEEKLY UPDATE 4th AUGUST 2024: https://mailchi.mp/2a21a337b0d0/weekly-update-13839819?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend and you like the ever hopeful that the sun WILL come out cat. The sky is as dull as dishwater here this morning.

First of all – thank you to everyone that came out to dance or do yoga last week. I really do appreciate your support, as it’s still been warm and muggy despite the lack of sun. If you’re off on holiday – wishing you a fab time and keep dancing! If you’re not going away this month – I do have some class cancellations coming up for August – see below:

AUGUST CLASS CANCELLATIONS:
NO CLASSES on the following dates:
Tues 13th August – Goodmans & Yoga
Thur 15th August – Dance Fitness
Mon 26th August – Dance Fitness
Tues 27th August – Goodmans ONLY

ALL other classes running as normal – but if in doubt – please check the website, the group messages or message me on: 07811 823467

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. Lots of fabulous requests, so keep them coming. We did a new one Wednesday & Thursday (Monday class you’ll get it tomorrow!) called MARIANA MAMBO. Co-choreographed by me and Steph – click the link in the name for the video. As always – there are some slight variations – maybe some different arms or we often do turns where she doesn’t and etc – but essentially it’s the same routine.

All classes running as normal this week – so look forward to seeing you. All the playlists for last week are here:
DANCE PLAYLISTS

YOGA
Fab class this week – a not as challenging as some we’ve done – bit lacking in planks – Looping Flow although I think some of you would beg to differ about the not enough planks! But we all had a lovely chat as always and sampled the Black Bean Brownies, which seemed to go down a treat. Might bring some of the Earl Grey Tea Cake this week (who knows?)
Look forward to seeing you on the mat!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. We did a new one Friday (Tuesday class it’s coming up) called FRANKIE & JOHNNY. A bit different and good for practising half turning Monterey steps. Click the link for sheet.
See the WEEKLY UPDATE page for the steps sheets to the ones we’ve been doing lately (new and old!)

There is also a FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly. I’ve just added La Galleguita as I think that’s definitely made the grade!

PODCASTS
This week – I enjoyed this one:
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF OLIVE OIL
I love learning something new – everyday is a school day for me. Really interesting – and you can bore all your friends with your new knowledge!

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join – drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them..

WEEKLY UPDATE 28th JULY 2024: https://mailchi.mp/4813c74c4e4a/weekly-update-13839605?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend. The sun is shining here!

First of all – thank you so much for those that came out last week – danced or did yoga. I really do appreciate your support, especially as it’s been quite hot and muggy. Now the Summer holiday’s are here, I expect class numbers to be a bit lower than normal – so if you’re away – have a fab holiday and keep dancing!

A reminder that we do have AIR CONDITIONING at Goodman’s on Tuesday and on Thursday at the Grammar School and for all other classes – I’ll open all the doors and windows that we can and make sure we do some slower routines and have more water breaks.

And another reminder that sweating is actually GOOD for you – (I know I’m so boring as I say this EVERY WEEK – especially in the summer!) but allowing yourself to sweat is really beneficial for your skin and helps your lymphatic system to rid the body of impurities. See this nice easy reading article about sweating!
https://www.healthline.com/health/sweating-benefits

If you do embrace sweating – just make sure you’re drinking enough water – add a pinch of salt to it: I recommend this salt: CELTIC SEA SALT
I even put a pinch in my black coffee too!

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. Lots of fabulous requests, so keep them coming. I do have a new one to roll out this week and a couple of oldies we’ve not done for ages. All classes running as normal – so look forward to seeing you. All the playlists are here:

For the DANCE PLAYLISTS

YOGA
Fab class this week – not a Looping Flow although I think we should probably do one this week – we had a lovely chat – did you check out the Squatty Pott y?
This week – I discovered a super low chocolate brownie recipe – with a secret ingredient. I’ll bring some for you to taste this week and let me know if you would like the recipe. Look forward to seeing you on the mat!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. We didn’t do any new ones this week – just the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks. See below for step sheets!

WHY DALLAS
RUNAWAY CHA (AKA ROSA DEL MAR)
LA CULPA
MACK THE KNIFE
BLACK COFFEE
LOOSE BOOTS
LA GALLEGUITA
KILL THE SPIDERS
INSPIRATION

Remember that there is a FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly. I’ve just added La Galleguita as I think that’s definitely made the grade!

PODCASTS
This week – I enjoyed this one: https://www.yogabody.com/podcast/
Number 630. Not as long as some of the others and not quite as in-depth as I like them, but very good nonetheless.

AND – if you do have time (actually make time!) – take a listen to the one I recommended last week and what my friend Steph described as…

“Possibly THE best podcast I have ever listened to. It’s all lifestyle!”

HEALTHY AGEING DOCTOR

These links are for the APPLE PODCASTS – but you can generally get them on Youtube and Spotify as well.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join -.drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them..

WEEKLY UPDATE 21st JULY 2024: https://mailchi.mp/7c1e3364e699/weekly-update-13826638?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all having a good weekend.

First of all – it’s warm out there! And I know not everyone loves it like I do – although I prefer the blue sky and sunshine type of hot rather than grey clouds and mugginess, so here’s hoping the sun shines a bit more this week. It really does make you feel happier. Like movement!

Just a reminder that we have AIR CONDITIONING at Goodman’s on Tuesday and on Thursday at the Grammar School.

For all other classes – I’ll open all the doors and windows that we can and make sure we do some slower routines and have more water breaks.

And remember that sweating is actually GOOD for you – it is beneficial for the skin and helps the lymphatic system to rid the body of impurities. See this nice easy reading article about sweating!
https://www.healthline.com/health/sweating-benefits

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you for coming out this week to dance. All classes running as normal – so bring on the requests! Look forward to seeing you. All the playlists are here:

For the DANCE PLAYLISTS

YOGA
Fab class this week – we did another Looping Flow with a slow build up to three legged chatturanga and a fallen triangle and almost ran out of time to do boats! What!?
We had a lovely chat about all sorts of things – but particularly the Squatty Pott y (you had to be there!) Remember this week that if there is anything that you have found out lately that has made an impact on your health (for the better) please share it with us this week. Can’t wait to hear what you come up with.
Look forward to seeing you on the mat!

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. Special thanks to Friday class for coming out to dance on the hottest day of the year! We didn’t do any new ones this week – just the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks. See below for step sheets!

WHY DALLAS
RUNAWAY CHA (AKA ROSA DEL MAR))
T BONE SHUFFLE
BLACK COFFEE
LOOSE BOOTS
And here’s the links to the others we’ve been doing recently:
LA GALLEGUITA
LITTLE RED BOOK
FULL THROTTLE

PODCASTS
This week – as always, so many good ones to chose from – so it’s super hard to pick just one. But this week – back to one of my favourite subjects – UPF and FOOD. You are what you eat – really!

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/part-191-calley-means-on-how-the-sickcare-system-cons/id1393265937?i=1000608532482

This podcast basically looks at the relationship between chronic preventable lifestyle diseases and the foods we eat – but more importantly, what we can do to take control of our own health, rather than taking drugs and why the Big Food and Big Pharma companies don’t want you to do this.

And here’s the link to last weeks podcast as well – as this was one of the best ones I’ve listened to in a long time. If you didn’t get a chance to listen – I really encourage you to give it a go. Pop in some headphones or just carry your phone around in a pocket as you do housework or cooking or go for a walk.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/409-foods-and-exercises-to-protect-brain-health-fight/id1379050662?i=1000661763184

These links are for the APPLE PODCASTS – but you can generally get them on Youtube and Spotify as well.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 14th JULY 2024: https://mailchi.mp/5c5844da27dd/weekly-update-13826526?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all OK and looking forward to the Men’s Wimbledon Final and the England match today. As I write this (which is actually Saturday evening/Sunday morning) I’m planning on watching both and will of course have a tipple of my Wimbledon Gin!

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Just a quick thank you so much for coming out to dance Wednesday evening – (just in case you’d forgotten, it was the football semi final) we had a small but perfectly formed class – and the playlist was made up on the night – which was fun to do as I had no idea what anyone was going to ask for in advance, so had to dig deep for a couple of them as we hadn’t done them for so long, I’d forgotten the moves – good for the brain though (see below!). And, I got back home in time to see the winning goal!
This week Monday, Wednesday & Thursday classes all running as normal – so bring on the requests! Look forward to seeing you.

For the DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes. We did a new one Friday called WHY DALLAS and we also had some fun with TEA & COFFEE – which is one wall of T Bone Shuffle followed by one wall of Black Coffee – and LOOSE BOOTS – see below for step sheets!

WHY DALLAS (new)
T BONE SHUFFLE
BLACK COFFEE
LOOSE BOOTS
And here’s the links to the others we’ve been doing recently:
LA GALLEGUITA
LITTLE RED BOOK
EASY COME, EASY GO
BROKEN SOUL
FULL THROTTLE

Remember that there is a FAVOURITE DANCES PAGE on my website with links to the sheets and videos of dances that we do regularly.
Happy practising!

YOGA
Fab class this week – we finally did that Looping Flow I’d be promising for weeks – so I might do another this week – but who knows? What I do know is that everyone is getting stronger and more flexible and balanced – which is what it’s all about! Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

PODCASTS
This week – as always, so many good ones to chose from – here’s just one that I absolutely loved and was super interesting too about BRAIN HEALTH & EXERCISE & FOOD and LOTS more!

If you’re a regular at classes – you’ll know that I talk about brain health a lot and I really encourage you to have a listen to this. About ten minutes in he says this:

“…interestingly, and it’s the same for both mental health and for cognitive function, the exercise with the biggest effect size is….”

I’m sure you can probably guess the answer, but he goes on to tell you WHY and lots more you can do to keep your brain healthy as you get older.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/409-foods-and-exercises-to-protect-brain-health-fight/id1379050662?i=1000661763184

This is the APPLE PODCAST link – but you can get this on Youtube and Spotify as well.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join -.drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them..

WEEKLY UPDATE 7th JULY 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/be98d6ecdaa1/weekly-update-13826014?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all OK.

Quick update this week as I’ve given myself a task this weekend of clearing out the box room – which has become more of a dumping ground over the last year or so – so much so – I have NO IDEA what I might find in the wardrobe or under the bed!

Anyway – here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday classes all running as normal – bring on the requests! And just a quick note about Wednesday and the football! I’m happy that INGERLAND (apparently that’s how you spell it now!) have got thus far, but can’t say I’m a fan of the next match being on Wednesday evening – I mean – it clashes with the class, which probably means lower numbers (and lower income for me) – however, how about this?
Judging by previous performances – the first half of the match will be really boring with them just all running around aimlessly – so come along to class – shake your booty – release some of those happy hormones and you’ll STILL get back in time to watch the second half – and any penalties. Sounds like a plan to me!
For the DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the smattering of oldies, new ones and the music changes. All playlists were posted on the Groups (see below for more info on the Groups) and here’s the links to the newer ones we’ve been doing and this weeks Oldie Revivals:
LA GALLEGUITA
EASY COME, EASY GO
BROKEN SOUL
EYES LIKE DIAMONDS
FULL THROTTLE (New)
GOOD TO GO
SHAKY (OH JULIE)
T BONE SHUFFLE

Happy practising!

YOGA
Fab class this week – with a really slow build up. We didn’t end up doing the Looping Flow – so I’ll try again this week – sometimes the flows have a mind of their own! A Looping Flow means we flow around the mat so that the sequence finishes facing the back of the mat and then we repeat the flow either moving all the way around or going back the same way. Good for the brain!

PODCASTS
This week – so many to chose from – and obviously I’m focused on Health, Longevity and Food.
This one (DOAC) – recorded last week was really good: This is Dr Mindy Peltz – she’s mostly known for her work on Fasting – but this covers so much more about the foods we eat as medicine, as fuel, as obesegens and as well as causing cancer.
https://youtu.be/MrjIXLQ_OdA?si=kVGDVLJdnGGP696V

If anyone has any questions or suggestions about the classes – please let me know.

And if you can’t make Wednesday due to the football – if you feel the urge to get up and boogie during half time – just let it out!

Hope to see you this week!

Maria x

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join -.drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them.

WEEKLY UPDATE 30th JUNE 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/6ab2ebdc9ee5/weekly-update-13825534?e=0b783cd120

Hi everybody!

Hope you’re having a good weekend. Shame Summer appears to be having a day off.

Anyway – I’m going to start the update with my PODCAST bit. I know many of you read the whole WEEKLY UPDATE – but I also know that many of you only read the ‘relevant bit’ to you. This is relevant to EVERYONE!

PODCASTS
This week I’ve been listening to Dr Rangan Chattergee – you’ve probably heard of him – he does a great Podcast called FEEL BETTER, LIVE MORE – and this week he had on Dr Georgia Ede, who is a Harvard trained, board certified psychiatrist specialising in nutritional and metabolic psychiatry.

You all know how much I go on about BRAIN HEALTH and this podcast is all about how we can change our diets to improve this, including symptoms of anxiety, depression and more. It was REALLY GOOD!
LISTEN on APPLE
Listen on SPOTIFY
Or click the FEEL BETTER LIVE MORE link above to watch on Youtube. If you do get a chance to listen – let me know what you think!

Onto the updates for the week…

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA (MON / WED / THURS)
Thanks for coming this week. Thank you SO MUCH for all your requests for the playlists – keep them coming! If the weather gets warm again I will add in some more of the slower ones but I’ll try and keep in the newer ones we’ve been doing and I WILL do the new warm up promised last week – but please – let me know what you fancy. Whatsapp me on 07811 823467 and I’ll do my best to weave them all into the classes.
And – apologies for Thursday – I’m so sorry I had to cancel – I hope no one turned up! The school literally sent me an email at lunchtime saying they needed to use the Dance Studio for their event that evening.
You’ll be pleased to know they won’t charge me for the studio hire – but I get no compensation for the loss of earnings, nor all the extra admin work I had to do to make sure you all knew. Grrrrrrrr….You’ll have to dance twice as hard this Thursday to make up for it! (Only kidding!)

For the DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – I’m glad it wasn’t quite as hot Friday (we’ve air conditioning Tuesday) and I hope you enjoyed the classes – the playlists were posted on the Groups (see below for more info on the Groups) and here’s the links to the new ones we’ve been doing and this weeks Oldie Revivals:
LA GALLEGUITA
BROKEN SOUL
EYES LIKE DIAMONDS

SHAKY (OH JULIE)
TENNESSEE WALTZ SURPRISE
MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL
QUANDO
T BONE SHUFFLE

Happy practising!

YOGA
We did a standing flow this week – a bit different – but still challenging. I keep promising a Looping Flow – which if you’ve never done one before means we flow around the mat so that the sequence finishes facing the back of the mat and then we repeat the flow either moving all the way around or going back the same way. Good for the brain! And as it’s barefoot weather, I’m going to do a bit on our feet and our foundation – think balancing – maybe one legged Tadasana (mountain pose). In the Western world we don’t get much opportunity to walk around barefoot – you’d certainly get some funny looks if you went shopping in Tesco with no shoes on! But, we should go barefoot as often as we can as it’s really beneficial to our overall health. Here’s a link to find out more: https://www.healthline.com/health/walking-barefoot
Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you.

Maria xxx

PS: If you’re not a member of the WHATSAPP GROUPS and you would like to join -.drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

We have FOUR GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE, ZUMBA GIRLS & JUBILEE YOGA as well as a Community Group – DANCE Generation – which is like an umbrella group for all of them..

WEEKLY UPDATE – 23rd JUNE 2024: https://mailchi.mp/99bc01ad85a8/weekly-update-13824818?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Well – I had high hopes for a Sunny Sunday… and I’m disappointed as they PROMISED sun! Anyway, not moaning too much as at least it’s warm!

If you are concerned about it being ‘too hot to dance’ – remember, I will ALWAYS make sure I choose appropriate routines if it is very hot and factor in lots of breaks during the class – and you don’t have to dance everything, just make sure you bring water and keep hydrated. Then you can still come along and enjoy the music and meeting up with your dancing friends, rather than sitting at home and missing out. And remember that SWEATING is actually GOOD for you! It’s really good for the skin, it rids your body of impurities and helps support the Lymphatic system. You need to sweat!

This coming week – all classes running as normal – so hope to see you!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thank you SO MUCH for all your amazing requests for the playlists this week – keep them coming! I will keep in a couple of the newer ones we’ve been doing and I might still get around to doing the warm up promised last week – but please – let me know what you fancy. Whatsapp me on 07811 823467 and I’ll do my best to weave them all into the classes.
For all the DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes – the playlists were posted on the Groups and here’s the links to the new one we’ve been doing (aka the Spanish One With the Flicks)
LA GALLEGUITA

And others we revived we haven’t done for ages:
CALYPSO MEXICO
I CLOSE MY EYES
WHEN I CRY
TICKET TO THE BLUES

Happy practising!

YOGA
We did another slooooow building flow that somehow (how DID that happen!!?) included some Plank to Side Plank flows and a one legged Chatturanga… but also a bit more standing work and less weight bearing on the wrists. This week, maybe a looping flow as we haven’t done one of those for a while, who knows? Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

PODCASTS
This week I’ve been listening to a Podcast that I really like – it’s called THE ULTIMATE HEALTH PODCAST. The host guy sort of has a bit of a sing song voice, which takes a bit of getting used to – but don’t let that put you off as his guests are really good and it’s a hugely popular show. This latest one is an Australian /dietitian called Caryn Zinn, who is talking about the benefits of a real food, low carb diet and how to get started.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-low-carb-dietitian-what-to-eat-to-lose-weight/id921854276?i=1000659438339

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you on the dance floor or the mat.

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 16th JUNE 2024: https://mailchi.mp/6def46127ce1/weekly-update-13824034?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

I’m not an early morning person.. just in case you thought I was up before the sun running my 5K in the hills and hitting the gym! My idea of hell would be to get up at 5am in time to watch the sunrise and then do Yoga (even on the beach doesn’t cut it for me!) or indeed anything – before my eyes have un-gummed themselves and I’ve had two coffees. The only time you’ll see me up before 9am is if I am flying to the Caribbean and I have a plane to catch…However, I do like to sit outside with a coffee and the cat in the mornings around 9am and enjoy a bit of quiet time with myself – IN THE SUNSHINE!
Now – there must be someone I can sue because I have only managed this about three times this year as there IS NO SUN! And it’s freezing. I know that maybe if I got up at 6am there would be a little bit of sun (still freezing), but by the time I’m ready for it – it’s gone AWOL AGAIN….
Managed about 10 minutes of sun this morning and now it’s raining again here. Even the cat is depressed.

Anyway, that’s enough ranting for a Sunday – here’s your updates for the week.

All classes running as normal this week, and as ever I will do my best to fill the dance class playlists with a fantastic mix of old, new and different rhythms for you and for Yoga, a slow building conscious flow with some of our favourite postures.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
We’ve been adding in some oldies recently – notably SHAKY SHAKY – which got some good feedback last week, so that’ll stay on the playlists this week, and I’m contemplating a new WARM UP for you…probably something upbeat and poppy.. who knows? Come to class to find out!
Also, please send me your requests. Whatsapp me on 07811 823467 and I’ll do my best to weave them all into the classes.
For all the DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE

FRIDAY MODERN LINE / TUESDAY GOODMANS
Thanks for coming this week – hope you enjoyed the classes – the playlists were posted on the Groups and here’s the links to the new one we did Friday (which got a nine and a half score!). Tuesday class you’ll get it this week – it’s fun!
LA GALLEGUITA

And others we revived we haven’t done for ages:
POR TI SERE (SPANISH EYES)
CALYPSO MEXICO
I CLOSE ME EYES

Happy practising!

YOGA
Last week in YOGA we did a very slooooow building flow that included some Plank to Side Plank flows and a Fallen Triangle (that’s one of my favourite poses). All of those can be quite challenging on the wrists, so this week I’m looking at doing more standing work that doesn’t use the hands/wrists so much. Standing flows are just as challenging in different ways – such as balance and stability, which we all need to work on especially as we get older. Look forward to seeing you on the mat.

PODCASTS
I’m sure you all heard the sad news about Dr Michael Mosely who died last week whilst on holiday – I really liked him. I think he did a HUGE amount of good for the nations health and he also ran a BBC series called ‘Just One Thing’. The BBC did a tribute to him on Friday night last week – here’s the link on iplayer: THE DOCTOR WHO CHANGED BRITAIN

And also, ZOE SCIENCE & NUTRITION (that’s Professor Tim Spector – who I also assume you have probably heard of) re released this interview from 2023.:
Remebering Dr. Mosley (youtube) or on Apple Podcast

They are talking about a few simple things that can have a big impact on our health. It’s only 25 mins. Have a listen!

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you on the dance floor or the mat.

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – JUNE 9th 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/33482c097caf/weekly-update-13822698?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all OK – the sun is shining this morning – just – as I’ve been sitting outside with the cat, but it’s beginning to cloud over, very annoying! Anyway.. as you know the sun ALWAYS shines on the dance floor so here’s your updates for the week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
We did a new one this week called SEXY LADY. I will go through ALL the moves/sections before we dance it again this week for those that missed it as we were a bit quiet as quite a lot of people on holiday – so if you are away – hope you’re having a good time. More new ones were choreographed with Steph on Sunday last week – so I currently have FOUR all lined up and ready to go over the summer! ! Very exciting!
For all the DANCE PLAYLISTS this week – check my FACEBOOK PAGE
Please let me know any requests you have as it makes compiling the playlists so much easier if i know what you all like! Just message me!

DANCING in LINE (GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY)
Now, Friday & Tuesday classes will know that I always ask before we do a dance – do you remember any of the steps? Normally the answer is no, although often some of you can remember the name of the dance or the music…which is better than nothing!
We all know that we should be looking after our bodies by exercising – which if you’re coming to classes – you’re already doing – and there is now growing evidence that we should also be looking after our BRAIN HEALTH too.
So – get this – I found this very interesting study – on how, if you’re eating a diet high in UPF (Ultra Processed Food) or ‘junk foods’ (and in the UK about 60% of our diets are now based on UPF) – how this can affect your memory! And that’s not even taking into consideration how eating a bad diet impacts your overall health!
You all know I have a war on with sugar, starchy carbs and UPF, so this comes as no surprise to me – but have a read – it’s super interesting!

https://studyfinds.org/snacking-on-junk-food-could-seriously-corrode-your-memory/

Current new dances are:
I’LL BE THINKING OF YOU (week one)
AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN (week two)
HAPPY STREET
EYES LIKE DIAMONDS
BROKEN SOUL (week one)

The playlists were sent to the Whatsapp Groups. There are THREE GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE and ZUMBA GIRLS as well as a Community Group on Whatsapp – DANCE Generation.

If you would like to join any of the groups – then please let me know. Drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

YOGA
TUESDAY class was a bit of a challenge – well done if you had a go at the Plank to Side Plank flow! More core, balance and strength work awaits you this week and if anyone wants to bring a friend or try the class out – I do have a few spaces left and there is lots more information on the style of Yoga that I teach here: POWER YOGA

PODCASTS
I think I’m going to recommend a podcast EVERY week – they are really good to listen to as you’re doing housework – and you never know what you might learn!
Here’s one I found really interesting this week about the new MIRACLE WEIGHT-LOSS DRUG called OZEMPIC. There has been lots of news about this over the last few months. This is Liz Earle’s podcast – you probably recognise her name – she always has on some very interesting guests.

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you on the (sunny) dance floor or the mat.

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 2nd JUNE 2024: https://mailchi.mp/4fd41c3aee46/weekly-update-13757090?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re all doing OK and blow me down – the sun is shining this morning! Not sure how long it will last, but don’t worry as the sun ALWAYS shines on the dance floor!

Thanks for coming this week – we missed Monday class as it was a Bank Holiday – but also my gorgeous daughter, Charlotte, got married to the equally gorgeous Steve. We had a truly amazing day – and I know some of you have already seen a few photos as you’re on the WHATSAPP groups – but if you’re not – here’s one of my favourite photos for you.

No doubt I’ll be able to bore you all with some more, as we’ve only got a handful of preview photos so far, so I’ll put up some more when we get them.

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Got my lovely friend Steph coming today for a long awaited catch up, some good food, talking all things health and fitness AND more choreography! I have a new one already lined up for you this week that we choreographed a few weeks back (I was going to do it last week – but I was just too tired from the wedding!) but here’s a sneak preview (thanks to Steph!), It’s called SEXY LADY. I will go through ALL the moves/sections before we dance it. More new ones will be choreographed today ready to roll out over the Summer! Very exciting!

DANCING in LINE (GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY)
We had no class Tuesday as I was having breakfast with the new Mr & Mrs Chick, but all back to normal this week. We did a new one FRIDAY called AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN – click for link – and the other two new ones (week two) were:
HAPPY STREET
EYES LIKE DIAMONDS

YOGA
TUESDAY class did a super Sun Salutation A based flow with some three legged dogs and plenty of Chaturangas (as promised). More core, balance and strength work awaits you this week. I know you’re all up for a challenge!

PODCASTS
Did you get a chance to listen to those podcasts I talked about in last weeks update? I’ve got a couple of others I listened to this week which were interesting, but this one particularly.
I’m sure you could probably guess that I’m super interested in anything on HEALTH, EXERCISE, LONGEVITY & DIET and I recommended Dr Chris van Tulleken’s book – Ultra Processed People a few months back – he’s written a new chapter in the book following some more research – and they talk about it on this podcast:

LIVE WELL, BE WELL
How Ultra Processed Foods Are Making Us SIck
That’s the link to the Youtube video – but you can also get it on all the major podcast platforms:
APPLE PODCAST
SPOTIFY

if you do get a chance to listen – let me know what you think!

That’s it for this week – please let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the classes – and look forward to seeing you on the dance floor or the mat.

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 26th May 2024: https://mailchi.mp/436dc5dc985a/weekly-update-13751781?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Did someone say WEDDING? Tomorrow is the WEDDING!!!

A real quick one – as my daughter, Charlotte, is getting married tomorrow in Morden (near Wimbledon) and we are about to start packing the car with the outfits, the shoes, the hair stuff, the confetti – all ready for the big day.

Here’s your updates for the week:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
NO CLASS MONDAY – not just due to the wedding – but it’s also a BANK HOLIDAY – so I hope you all enjoy the extra day off and look forward to seeing you Wednesday. If you have any dance requests – please let me know! Got a couple of new ones lined up for you coming next week – very exciting!

DANCING in LINE (GOODMANS) & MODERN LINE (FRIDAY)
NO CLASS TUESDAY – I shall be having breakfast with the newly married couple before they fly to Edinburgh for their Honeymoon. FRIDAY classes are running as normal.

All playlists for this week were posted on the Whatsapp groups – but here’s links to the step sheets/videos of the two new ones we did FRIDAY:
HAPPY STREET
EYES LIKE DIAMONDS

YOGA
TUESDAY class running as normal – I shall need a good stretch by then! More work on stability and balance this week – and maybe I’ll bring back some three legged dogs and some plank to plank sequences. But, who knows where the flows will take us? Come to class to find out!

PODCASTS
I’m a avid listener to podcasts – I always listen to one when I do my 5K runs, but I also listen when I’m doing housework, cooking or ironing etc. I especially love podcasts that teach me things or help me understand the human body and mind, so I’m super interested in anything on HEALTH, EXERCISE, LONGEVITY & DIET.
Here’s a couple that I really loved this week that I recommend, especially if you’re interested in living well and being active, fit and metabolically healthy as you age. If you prefer to watch them – they are all on Youtube too.

ULTIMATE HEALTH PODCAST
AGE POWERFULLY

DOAC
THE LINK BETWEEN DEMENTIA & EXERCISE

That’s it for this week – let me know if you have any comments, suggestions or requests and look forward to seeing you on the dance floor or the mat.

Maria xxx

PS: Will post some photos of the wedding on the Group Chats. <3

WEEKLY UPDATE – 19th May 2024: https://mailchi.mp/32ecc654baa0/weekly-update-13751185?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Here’s your updates for this week – sorry it’s a bit late… See below to find out where I’ve been!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
All classes running as normal this week (hooray!). Lots of lovely music and routines planned for you – if you have any requests – please let me know. Advance warning that there is no class on Monday 27th as that’s a bank holiday – and my daughter is getting married that day too!

MODERN LINE & DANCING in LINE
All classes running as normal (hooray!!) We were a bit quiet this week and I think a few of you are away next week too – so remember to check the links for the new ones we have been doing if you want a little practice. If you are away on holiday – have a fab time and for Goodness sake – bring some sunshine back with you!

All playlists for this week were posted on the Whatsapp groups – but here’s links to the newish ones we’ve been doing:
HOLD ME NOW (dance version)
BUY ME A DRINK
JOSE CUERVO
LOCKLIN’S BAR
EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE (to the Spicy Margarita music).

YOGA
Class running as normal (hooray!). Impressive work this week – those plank flows are quite a challenge and I want you all to know that I think you’re all amazing. I do intentionally plan the classes so that they WILL take you to the edge of your strength, balance and flexibility – as if it doesn’t challenge you – it won’t change you – and I never want anyone to go home and think – that was a boring class!. We will continue to work on stability and balance this week – as well as core strength and upper body with some more drinking birds (so good for focus!) and some heart openers too to help you all breathe more deeply.

LOW CARB HEALTHY EATING LIFESTYLE
Lastly – I know many of you are aware that I follow a low carb diet/lifestyle. This weekend, Erine and I have been at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, at the PHCuk.org (Public Health Collaboration) annual conference. The PHC is a charity working with HCP’s (GP’s, health coaches, nurses, pharmacists etc) dedicated to educating and helping people make simple changes to their diets and lifestyle – to improve their health, particularly if they are overweight or borderline/T2 diabetic, etc,

We have been in talks and lectures on subjects like:
CAN YOU FIX MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH FOOD?
DOES RED MEAT SHORTEN LIFESPAN?
CAN WE SAVE THE NEXT GENERATION FROM THE DANGERS OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD?
WHAT IS A PROPER HUMAN DIET?
THE POWER OF CGM’s

and SO much more! A super interesting (and mentally exhausting!) weekend – and we even met Eddie Abbew. If you’re not aware of who he is – check this out:
WARNING: He swears… a LOT!
https://youtu.be/iOG8r_iFWjY?si=6xXkcVZTWNe8Z44v

I imagine everyone is interested in eating healthier and living better – so PLEASE check out my LCHF page on my website and the group page on Faceboook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977

All the information on the website is FREE. I do offer one to one HEALTH COACHING if you would like some extra support, but I really want to educate people on why we should ALL consider following a UPF free, low carbohydrate, sugar fee diet – because the health benefits are truly transformational.

That’s it for this week – look forward to seeing you on the dance floor or the mat.

Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 12th MAY 2024: https://mailchi.mp/3f234207b6c0/weekly-update-13750565?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Thanks for coming along to the classes this week – and here’s your weekly update!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
We had lovely buzzing classes this week – Wednesday was super busy (probably as there was no Monday class due to the Bank Holiday) lots of smiling, sweaty faces – and a lovely atmosphere! So hopefully coming up – more of the same. I have been thinking it’s time for another new one – so still thinking about that for this week – but maybe just dancing to all the oldies but goodies is all we need? Please send me your requests! you can WHATSAPP me on 07811 823467
For the PLAYLISTS – head over to my PAGE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria

For YOGA – this week coming – I’m focusing on strengthening the lower back and working on our balance and core. As you all know – I am passionate about making sure that our bodies are strong, flexible and balanced and the spine is super important to your overall health and wellness, as back pain and injury can be debilitating. My favourite Yoga teacher – Lucas Rockwood – has started to do some short little videos recently – here’s one on yoga poses for the lower back – some of the moves we already do – so I will incorporate them into the flow this week.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6IlDPDIZjw

DANCING IN LINE & MODERN LINE
I really enjoyed our ALCOHOL THEMED DANCE DAY this week, so I hope you did too! Tuesday class got a couple of them – see below, but on FRIDAY we did ALL the planned dances – so not only a workout for your body – but also your brain.
BUY ME A DRINK
WHISKEY BRIDGES (Tuesday)
GLASS OF WINE
GREEN SNAKES
CODIGO
TRIPLE MIX (that sounds like a drink to me!)
JOSE CUERVO
NEVER DRINKING AGAIN (highly appropriate!)
CHAMPAGNE PROMISE (Tuesday)
3 TEQULIA FLOOR
LOCKLIN’S BAR
EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE (to the Spicy Margarita music)
LAMTARRA RUMBA (to Sex on the Beach music).

All back to normal this week (whatever that is!) and I’m keeping in BUY ME A DRINK and LOCKLIN’S BAR – and maybe JOSE CUERVO too.

If you have any requests for routines for Zumba or Line Dancing – please let me know!

Look forward to seeing you all this week.

Love Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 5th MAY 2024: https://mailchi.mp/1b00fc976b13/weekly-update-13749909?e=0b783cd120

Happy May Day!

And BLIMEY! The sun is actually shining here…

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Just a reminder that there is NO CLASS TOMORROW it’s a Bank Holiday – BOO! – so Kitchumba (that’s Zumba in the kitchen) for me. Wednesday & Thursday classes running as normal and I may or may not have a new one lined up for you. Come to class to find out!
For last weeks playlists: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria

TUESDAY GOODMANS
Tuesday classes all running as normal. Please do give me any requests you might want! There’s lots of lovely dances out there at the moment, so lots to choose from.
I’ve already listed the ones we did on the GROUP CHAT – if you’re not already a member and would like to join the group – just drop me a WHATSAPP MESSAGE and I’ll add you. My number is 07811 823467

FRIDAY CLASSES
Looking forward to our ALCOHOL THEMED DANCE DAY this week! Dances planned so far are:
BUY ME A DRINK
WHISKEY BRIDGES
GLASS OF WINE
GREEN SNAKES
CODIGO
TRIPLE MIX (that sounds like a drink to me!)
JOSE CUERVO
NEVER DRINKING AGAIN (highly appropriate!)
CHAMPAGNE PROMISE
3 TEQULIA FLOOR
LOCKLIN’S BAR
Also going to try the new cha cha we’ve been doing (EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE) to the Spicy Margarita music – I think that could liven it up no end AND be a bit of fun too and I will do LAMTARRA RUMBA to Sex on the Beach music (which we did this week).
I will go over ALL the steps for ALL of the dances before we dance them! The links above take you to the STEP SHEETS if anyone wants a sneaky practice before Friday.

SEE LAST WEEKS UPDATE (below) for LINKS to the Copperknob Sheets for our current dances.

YOGA
Classes running as normal this week. Hope your shoulders weren’t aching too much from Tuesday’s Planks and three legged dogs. I’m going to continue with the TWISTS and STANDING BALANCES this week – as you all know that balance – especially as we get older – is really important, however, balance isn’t all about wobbling around on one leg! Click here if you would like to read my blog on the importance of balance.

WHATSAPP GROUPS: I send out a list of all the dances we do in classes on the day, so if you want to join the chats – just drop me a WHATSAPP MESSAGE and I’ll add you.
I also have a JUBILEE YOGA group on Whatsapp if you want to join that – see below for details:

My number is 07811 823467. Please tell me your name and what group you would like to be added to – as I’ve had two messages this week asking to join one of the chats, but I have no idea who you are!

Look forward to seeing you all this week and hope everyone is enjoying their Bank Holiday Weekend – although the sun has now disappeared here…I knew it was too good to last!

Love

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE – 28th APRIL 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/dc4f2ca855ce/weekly-update-13749317?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody!

Sorry this is SO late..I’ve been to Brighton for the weekend for my daughters hen weekend. We had a fantastic time – despite the dreadful weather and I thought (what was I thinking?) that I’d have time to do this while I was away – but the weekend was a non-stop full on eating, drinking and dancing fest – I just about managed to keep up!

Anyway – just to let you know all classes running as normal this week and looking forward to seeing you!

Here’s a quick update.

DANCE FITNESS
Hope you’re enjoying our lively new one called WE’RE BRINGING IT BACK – If you fancy a little practice or you missed class last week – click the link above – and thanks as always to Steph for the awesome video. I will go over the sections once more this week for you.

This week coming – let me know your requests and then come to class to find out what’s on the PLAYLISTS!

For last weeks playlists see: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria

YOGA
Looking forward to seeing you all again this week. I’ve been doing some research recently on poses that embrace Spring (I know the weather hasn’t quite caught up yet), but I’ll add some of these re-awakeing poses which will re-energise your body, to our flow sequence this week.

DANCING IN LINE & MODERN LINE
Another week with a good mix of old and new dances (well I thought so!) No brand new ones – just the ones current ones:
EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE (week two)
GLASS OF WINE (week six)
GET ON YOUR FEET (week five)
SIN CITY LIGHTS (week three)

And Oldie Revivals:
RIBBON OF HIGHWAY to the James Otto version of Texas Hold Em again and I also re taught
FOREVER & A DAY (music is Angel by Lionel Ritchie)

I’ve already posted the dances we did in classes on the GROUP CHATS (see below for more) – if you have any requests for dances we have done in the past and you would like to do again – please let me know.

FRIDAY 10th MAY will be our ALCOHOL THEMED DAY – so I’m busy learning all the old ones I’ve forgotten – as well as a couple of new new ones – I’ll probably need a drink or two by the time I’ve done all that!

Any comments or suggestions, let me know!

Look forward to seeing you all this week.

Love Maria x

PS: WHATSAPP GROUPS:
We have THREE GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE and ZUMBA GIRLS as well as a Community Group on Whatsapp – DANCE Generation.

If you would like to join any of the groups – then please let me know. Drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

WEEKLY UPDATE 21st APRIL 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/36a246fff969/weekly-update-13748677?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everybody!

How are you? Hope you enjoyed the classes last week, and as ever, thank you for coming.

CLASSES UPDATES
All classes running as normal this week. Click here for WEEKLY TIMETABLE.

DANCE FITNESS
I sprung a new one on you last week that I forgot to warn you about – it’s called WE’RE BRINGING IT BACK – I hope you liked it! The music is fab! It was choreographed by me and Steph – so she’s done another of her fab videos (thanks Steph!) – so if you fancy a little practice or you missed class last week – click the link above.

This week coming – what’s on the PLAYLISTS? Well – you let me know – taking requests (already had a few) and then come to class to find out!

For last weeks playlists see: https://www.facebook.com/zumbawithmaria

YOGA
A warm and bendy welcome to all our new ladies – and I’m looking forward to seeing you all this week with another challenging slow building funky balancing and strengthening flow, with a smattering of three legged dogs, maybe a lizard this week and a goddess or two… how can you resist?

DANCING IN LINE & MODERN LINE
As always a good mix of old and new dances this week – and a new one on Friday:
EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE

Other current ones being taught are:
GLASS OF WINE (week five)
GET ON YOUR FEET (week four)
SIN CITY LIGHTS (week two)

And Oldie Revivals:
WISHFUL THINKING
PLACES
WINTERGREEN
and we danced RIBBON OF HIGHWAY to the James Otto version of Texas Hold Em (that was fun!)

Our next FRIDAY THEMED day will be 10th MAY – and this one is dances/music with ALCOHOL in the title or lyric – so thank you for your most excellent suggestions – I am now going to be busy learning all the old ones I’ve forgotten – as well as a couple of new new ones – I’ll probably need a drink or two by the time I’ve done all that!

I’ve already sent you all the dances we did in classes on the GROUP CHATS (see below for more)

Any comments or suggestions, let me know!

Look forward to seeing you all this week.

Love Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 14th APRIL 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/ffcd972c505f/weekly-update-13748066?e=0b783cd120

Afternoon!

Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend. I’m home alone (apart from the cat) as the Twenty Something has gone off to Newcastle for the weekend on his brother-in-laws (to be) stag do. I’ll report back during classes this week!

Here’s your updates:

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA – such lovely classes this week – lots of high energy, I love when you WHOOP! And – we do love a bit of a sing song at the end of our classes and THURSDAY evening wins the top prize this week for literally singing ALL the way through the class, not just during the cooldown!

Playlists for all music used this week can be found HERE.

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE
I’ve already sent you the dances we did in classes on the GROUP CHATS – if you’re on the group chats (and if not – why not!? See below if you would like to join) so if you want a reminder of all the dances we did – just head on over there.

Current new ones being taught are:
GLASS OF WINE (week four)
SOY DESPERADO (week one)
GET ON YOUR FEET (week three)
SIN CITY LIGHTS (week one)

And Oldie Revivals:
J’AI DU BOOGIE
ELLIOTS DREAM (I Love to Boogie)

We talked about another FRIDAY THEMED day – this time on dances/music with ALCOHOL in the title – so thank you for your most excellent suggestions. Date to be advised but probably middle of MAY.

For YOGA this week, we did a wonderfully challenging Plank to Plank sequence, some three legged dogs and a Warrior Flow ending with a lovely chat and some headstand work for those that wanted to try that. This week coming – well not sure yet as not done the class plan – but promise it will challenge you, help you focus, increase your flexibility, balance AND make you stronger!
Still some spaces available in the class and there’s more information on my website: POWER YOGA
As I mentioned last week – you don’t need to be strong or flexible to start – just willing to give it go!

As ever, thank you for coming along to the classes and if you have any questions, suggestions or comments – please let me know.

All classes running as normal this week, so looking forward to seeing you for more dancing, stretching and singing.

Maria x

PS: WHATSAPP GROUPS:
We have THREE GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE and ZUMBA GIRLS as well as a Community Group on Whatsapp – DANCE Generation.

If you would like to join any of the groups – then please let me know. Drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

PPS: If anyone would like more information about health and wellness, diet, exercise, cognitive brain health and eating a proper human diet, see my HEALTH COACHING page or join the FREE GROUP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977.

PPPS: Remember to check the WEBSITE & FACEBOOK PAGE etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE 7th APRIL 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/cc85cb58b767/weekly-update-13747474?e=f08b012b4b

Hi Everyone

Weekly update time – did I ever tell you I LOVE writing this? I do! I do!! It’s my favourtie thing to do on Sunday mornings.

All classes running as normal this week coming and we are free of Bank Holiday’s for a few weeks now (thank Goodness!) But better make the most of it as there are some more coming up… Grrrrr…I hate having my weekly timetable messed up!

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
No brand new ones this week – but week two of Un Poquito. If you managed to make class Wednesday – obviously Monday wasn’t on – hope you had fun and soaked up some of the lovely dancing energy this week – I love it when everyone is singing and dancing all together! Please send me your requests as I am always happy to do oldies, fun ones and silly ones as long as you love them!

YOGA
I really enjoyed yoga classes this week too. Brilliant work on the Bird of Paradise (which is our fun part of the class where we try something a bit different or silly!). This week look out for more Side Angles, Fallen Triangles and Shiva Squats.
There are spaces available in the class for a few more, so if you know anyone who you think might enjoy the classes – let them know! The main focus of the classes is core strength, flexibility and balance – but it’s called yoga PRACTICE and not PERFORMANCE, so you don’t need to be flexible to start. – just willing!

DANCING-IN-LINE / MODERN LINE
Lots of Oldies but Goodies this week – and week two of Get On Your Feet and week three on Glass of Wine. (See last week’s update for step sheet links)
Here’s what we did in case you missed the updates on the Whatsapp Groups (see info below on the Whatsapp Groups))

TUESDAY:
Cowboy Charleston (danced to Pencil Full of Lead)
Most Beautiful Girl
Until the Dawn (Marvin Gaye)
Glass of Wine
Can’t Say Goodbye (New Shoes)
Spicy Margarita – loved it!
One Step Forward
Sexy Lady
Ticket to the Blues (One Way Ticket)
Un Poquito
Feel Like a Fool
J’ai Du Boogie
Elliots Dream (I Love to Boogie)
Long Way Home

FRIDAY:
Rocket to the Sun
Half a Cha (danced to September)
Glass of Wine (week 3)
Lamtarra Rumba (danced to Here Comes My Baby)
Until the Dawn (danced to Spicy Margarita)
Just Another Woman
Cabo San Lucas
Sexy Lady
Lucky Lips
Champagne Promise
Card You Gamble
Un Poquito
Get on Your Feet (week 2)
Memory Lane
Versions of You
J’ai Du Boogie
Steamboat Queen

I am planning another FRIDAY THEMED day – this time on dances/music with ALCOHOL in the title – prompted by the new dance we’ve been doing called a Glass of Wine. If you have any suggestions please let me know!

WHATSAPP GROUPS:
We have THREE GROUPS – GOODMANS TUESDAY, FRIDAY LINE and ZUMBA GIRLS as well as a Community Group on Whatsapp – DANCE Generation.

If you would like to join any of the groups – then please let me know. Drop me a message on Whatsapp 07811 823467.

Look forward to seeing you at classes this week!

Maria x

WEEKLY UPDATE 31st MARCH – https://mailchi.mp/1e218bb22158/weekly-update-13738234?e=5e35fcbb35

Happy Easter!

Just popping a quick update over this weekend as I’m sure you’ve all got better things to do today, so just wishing you all a fab Easter and to remind you there’s NO CLASS tomorrow (1st April) as it’s Bank Holiday Monday.

The cat in the picture above has clearly eaten too much chocolate and drunk too much wine. If that’s you and you’re in danger of some bastard putting bunny ears on you as you snooze away on the sofa (and if that does happen please do share a pic) – the antidote to over indulgence is only a few days away and all classes are running as normal from Tuesday. Come along and dance off all that excess – I guarantee you’ll feel fabulous if you do!

We’ve the new one to enjoy for DANCE FITNESS (click here for video – Un Poquito) and I’ve some old favourites lined up for MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE. Let me know if you have any requests!

As always, thank you for supporting me and coming along to my classes. And please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

My cat sends her love. She says remember that a proper species appropriate diet will do wonders for your health and vitality. (Want to know more? Click HERE).

Also – I have just created a Community Group on Whatsapp – DANCE Generation. So if you’re already a member of any of the individual groups – you’ll now also be a member of this one too.

It’s primarily to let you know of any news or last-minute changes or cancellations to classes all at once, rather than having to do the individual WhatsApp group. You can add people to this group if they are not already members. I promise not to spam you as I know that can be annoying, but just to keep in touch!

If you would like to join the group – then please let me know. You can Whatsapp me on 07811 823467.

Have a lovely couple of days off – and see you all very soon.

Maria x

PS: If anyone would like more information about health and wellness, diet, exercise, cognitive brain health and eating a proper human diet, see my HEALTH COACHING page or join the FREE GROUP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977.

WEEKLY UPDATE 24th March 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/62c97c20f76e/weekly-update-13737510?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re enjoying the almost spring like weather…if you can work a spot where there is no wind – hey! It’s bloody chilly out there this morning in that wind!

Here’s your updates for the classes:

DANCE FITNESS. Lovely classes this week and I’m excited to roll out a new one for you this week coming. It’s a Latin/Pop Cumbia rhythm – not fast – and the routine has got similar movements to some we already do – but the steps are ever-so slightly different and the sequences are in a different order – and I know you know what I’m going to say – yes – it’s SO good for your brain as well as your body! If you want a sneak peek before Monday class – here’s a little video for you – it’s called UN POQUITO (thank you Steph!). And also here’s an updated video for SPICY MARGARITA .

For YOGA this week we did a good solid Vinyasa slow building flow and some technique work on how to step through to the top of the mat with one leg. Hope you’ve been practising! This week we’ll work a bit more on that, among other things. What other things? I hear you ask. Come to class to find out!. Look forward to seeing you.

DANCING IN LINE & MODERN LINE – we did a brand new one – which I think we really liked once I’d got the damn tags sorted out, called GET ON YOUR FEET and week two of GLASS of WINE – we also did a smattering of oldies and dances we haven’t done for ages which are always good to revisit like:
BONAPARTE’S RETREAT
ONE STEP FORWARD
LAMTARRA RUMBA

EASTER DATES
Easter is almost upon us – so a reminder that there will be NO CLASSES THIS FRIDAY – GOOD FRIDAY 29th March or the following MONDAY as it’s EASTER MONDAY 1st April.

As ever, thank you for supporting me and coming along to my classes. And please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Maria x

FACEBOOK PAGE etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE 17th March 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/b214e3c9277a/weekly-update-13736825

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday and if you’re celebrating – Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Thank you for coming along to the classes – we did have some fun this week – particularly on Friday at MODERN LINE as every other dance we did featured Irish music, in celebration of St Patrick’s Day. It was full on and I bet you were surprised at how many dances there are out there done to Irish Music!
We also did a brand new dance: GLASS of WINE
I do love a themed day – so maybe we should do another soon – how about Latin or Old Traditional Cowboy Country? Let me know if you have any ideas.

If you didn’t see last week’s update with the STEP DESCRIPTIONS USED IN LINE DANCING – here’s the link again. Might test you all on it next week! (only kidding!)

No brand new routines for DANCE FITNESS this week – but I’ve a couple in the pipeline that I might unleash on you over the next few weeks and I promised to go over Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps for those that don’t know it – so I’ll do that this week.

There was no YOGA this week – but back to normal this Tuesday – and I’m planning on doing some pose variations with you this week – which means choosing one pose and looking at ways to modify and/or change it such as Triangle pose – which we can change from the traditional pose to Reverse Triangle to my favourite – Fallen Triangle. Here’s a link to refresh your memory – if anyone fancies a practice: https://pocketyoga.com/pose/fallen_triangle

As ever, thank you for coming along to my classes. And please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Maria x

PS: EASTER DATES
Easter is pretty early this year so just a reminder that there will be NO CLASSES GOOD FRIDAY 29th March or EASTER MONDAY 1st April.

If anyone would like more information about health and wellness, diet, exercise, cognitive brain health and eating a proper human diet, see my HEALTH COACHING page or join the FREE GROUP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977.

PPS: Don’t forget to check the WEBSITE & FACEBOOK PAGE etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE 10th March 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/6b1aaf613ee8/weekly-update-13712769?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday and if you’re celebrating Mother’s Day – Happy Mother’s Day!

Hope ya’ll had a good week and if you’re a new dancer who has recently joined us (or even someone has has been coming for years!) – you’re beginning to see some changes, feeling fitter, more bendy or perhaps you’re sleeping better? One of the paradoxes of exercise and movement is that the MORE you do – the MORE you can do, so the MORE you WANT to do! How FAB is that?!

My aim is to make the classes fun, the dances or yoga poses easy to pick up, but challenging at the same time – as if it doesn’t challenge you – it won’t change you. I want to make the classes inclusive, so that you look forward to coming and that you have fun while you are there and maybe make some new friends too. So don’t ever worry about coming on your own. I want to teach you something new, get you to use your brain as well as your body – so that you come away from the classes with a sense of achievement.

What really matters though, is that you showed up to class, moved, stretched, and did the physical and mental work it takes to be fitter, stronger and healthier. In fact – I think the absolutely HARDEST part of ANY class is actually getting to it in the first place. So, if you showed up – thank you!

The DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA classes are obviously fitness based – working on improving your cardio fitness by increasing the heart rate and you probably will get a bit hot and sweaty too – but you don’t have to dance full out, or keep up with me or others in the class. This is YOUR fitness journey and the classes are designed to include both slow and fast routines, as well as routines that use opposite sides of the body at the same time – which is good for brain health too, but if you feel yourself getting a bit puffed out – just take it down a bit.

The YOGA classes are also sequenced to challenge your balance and build up core strength as well as increasing your flexibility. We all have different shaped bodies – some of us are naturally flexible, some are good at balance and a pose that one person finds easy might be super challenging to you. But again – if you showed up – you’re more than a few steps ahead of those that opted for the TV and the sofa! Look forward to seeing you Tuesday..

MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE – This is a more structured way of exercising as I actually teach the step executions. So you get to know what a Jazz Box is or a Weave for example (as opposed to the Dance Fitness which is mainly follow along) I deliberately teach dances that are similar- they may have the steps in a different order or are a different rhythm or tempo – as this type of learning is brilliant for your brain as well as your body. Dances that turn are also good for balance and proprioception (which is your individual awareness of your body in relation to itself and in space). Learning all the step names is also challenging your brain – often like learning a complete new language, which obviously takes time. But (sorry to repeat myself) if you turned up and enjoyed the music, moved your body and maybe smiled at a new person – then that’s fantastic!
CLICK HERE FOR A PDF of STEP DESCRIPTIONS USED IN LINE DANCING.

Next Friday 15th March is our IRISH DANCE DAY – I found a little video on youtube of a few of our favourites – so this will give you a little taster of what we’ll be up to. I will go over all the steps BEFORE we dance them. Click here: https://youtu.be/RdsSz1a8i7g?si=k7Qm7VXfxmi9zDoB

See last week’s update for a list of the dances we’ve been doing lately – and our new one Friday was called TO HAVE & TO HOLD – click for the step sheet.

That’s if for this week – as ever, thank you for coming along to my classes. And please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

See you soon

Maria x

PS: EASTER DATES
Easter is pretty early this year so just a reminder that there will be NO CLASSES GOOD FRIDAY 29th March or EASTER MONDAY 1st April.

PPS: Don’t forget to check the WEBSITE & FACEBOOK PAGE etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE – 3rd March 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/cf87741b5a3b/weekly-update-13712205?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday everyone

Spring is nearly here! Although I personally think we appear to have skipped over the MARCH WINDS bit and gone straight into APRIL SHOWERS a month early – got soaked TWICE yesterday and the River Darenth that runs past my house is absolutely raging. It’s normally such a calm little river!!

Anyway – as ever, thank you for coming along this week to the classes and if you have any questions/suggestions/comments/requests – please let me know.

Here’s your updates:

CLASSES UPDATES
All classes running as normal this coming week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
I revived a few oldies (like REALLY old) this week – along with some of our traditional warm-up’s and our more recent routines. Did you check out the awesome video Steph did of our newest routine? SPICY MARGARITA . My favourite at the moment!

And – we do love a bit of a sing song at the end of our classes and THURSDAY CLASS wins the top prize this week for the truly amazing singing this week – especially the cool down!

For YOGA – we did a good solid flow using the adding/holding method of building a sequence. As I said last week – when you settle into a pose and hold for several breaths, this helps us focus on the alignment of the pose as well as building up core strength and firing up all the little muscles that support the larger muscles in the body. Look forward to seeing you on the mat for more this week.

DANCING IN LINE & MODERN LINE
Fabulous classes again this week – hope you enjoyed them. No brand new ones (although I am on the lookout for a couple of new ones for this week) just the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks:
CABO SAN LUCAS.
THE CARD YOU GAMBLE
SENORITA SKY
SEXY LADY
UN POQUITO
MEMORY LANE
and oldie revivals of ROCK N ROLL BRIDE
J’AI DU BOOGIE

The links above take you to the STEP SHEETS on COPPERKNOB (a line dance step sheet website) where there are lots of videos if you fancy a practice. And don’t forget there is also a list on my website of our FAVOURITE DANCES – also with links and videos – these are dances we do regularly in classes. Sorry it’s not in alphabetical order (that’s on my list to do – honest!)

FRIDAY 15th MARCH
I’m planning an IRISH DANCE DAY to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. We did one last year, which was lots of fun, so hopefully this will be too! If you’ve done a themed day with me before – then Irish Day obviously means dances like Pot of Gold, Coastin, Long Way Home, Irish Stew, Galway Girl etc., and if you’re a new dancer, this means that we will be doing dances choreographed to Irish music, but don’t worry if you’ve not done any of the dances before as I will go over all the steps before we dance them.

EASTER DATES
Easter is pretty early this year so just a reminder that there will be NO CLASSES GOOD FRIDAY 29th March or EASTER MONDAY 1st April.

That’s it for now. And – if you did the ‘ONE FINGER / ONE THUMB’ thing with me this week – I’d be interested to see your progress! Here’s a short video on a variation of this – and she explains what’s happening in the brain.
https://youtu.be/B5Agl8vvIxc?si=lIrG-ux3PLyHXDMS

You’ll probably know that I use a lot of movements like these in my classes – especially Dance Fitness and Yoga – where we use both sides of the body at the same time and then we switch sides. – so good for brain health as well as physical health.

If anyone has any questions about the classes, or you would like more information about health and wellness, diet, exercise, cognitive brain health and eating a proper human diet, see my HEALTH COACHING page or join the FREE GROUP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977.

Look forward to seeing you at classes!

Love

Maria x
PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE – 25th February 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/e7ea9c6a63c7/weekly-update-13711489?e=f08b012b4b

Hi everyone

How are you? Hope you enjoyed the classes last week, and as ever, thank you for coming.

CLASSES UPDATES
All classes running as normal this coming week.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
We did LOTS of Jives this week – so I’ll keep a couple in the playlist for you this week as I love a Jive, but look out for some Latin based oldies being revived over the next few weeks. And – here’s a super little video that Steph has done of our newest dance SPICY MARGARITA for you. Happy practising!

For YOGA – I used a different method of flow building last week, adding on each new pose, but holding it for five breaths. I thought it worked well as when you settle into a pose it allows you time to really focus on your breath and the alignment of the posture, which sometimes is not possible when you’re in the middle of a faster flow and holding a pose also builds strength in the core and all the ‘twitchy’ little muscles that work so hard to keep us stable. I think I might give this method another go this week.

DANCING IN LINE & MODERN LINE
Fabulous classes this week – hope you enjoyed them. No brand new ones just the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks:
CABO SAN LUCAS.
THE CARD YOU GAMBLE
SENORITA SKY
SEXY LADY
UN POQUITO
MEMORY LANE
and oldie revivals of ROCK N ROLL BRIDE
CANDI CHA
JERUSALEMA

The links above take you to the STEP SHEETS on the Copperknob site and there are lots of videos if you fancy a practice. And don’t forget there is also a list on my website of our FAVOURITE DANCES – also with links and videos – these are dances we do regularly in classes. Sorry it’s not in alphabetical order (that’s on my list to do – honest!)

And if you missed last weeks update click here for the STORY of THE TRANSFORMED CAT

Look forward to seeing you at classes!

Love

Maria x
PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE 18th February 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/5c36da3cb8e7/weekly-update-13710841

Happy Sunday everyone

Let me tell you a story (some of you may have heard it already – especially if you came to Friday class) but it’s got a really important message:

See this weeks cat? Cute isn’t she? That’s my cat…Her name is Mitzi and she’s 15 years old.

I recently changed her food from commercial tinned cat food to a real meat carnivore diet for cats. We are just over two months in and she has literally transformed before my eyes!

Before I switched her food, she was looking like a scraggy old moggy. A bit thin, she had a ragged coat, despite all the brushing we did, and her once fluffy tail was looking all sorry for itself. She also suffered from Feline Miliary Dermatitis – which caused little bumps and scabs all over her skin – which we think was caused by food allergies or nutritional imbalances. The vet said that he could give her steroid injections and creams – but I wanted to try more natural ways – as the creams and the injections don’t treat the CAUSE – they just treat the SYMPTOMS (now where have you all heard/experienced that before!?)

Eight weeks ago she was mostly a bit of a cranky, scratchy and miserable old cat…BUT NOW! She looks AMAZING!

The Miliary Dermatitis has gone. Her skin is no longer all scabby and bumpy. Her coat is beautiful and soft and you would think that she’s a much younger cat – the miserable old moggy is no more!

She’s put on a little weight – which she actually looks better for – but best of all – she seems SO much happier. I am DELIGHTED on her behalf.

BUT the reason I am telling you all this – is NOT about the cat (gorgeous though she is). It’s about what eating a proper species appropriate diet can do for health and vitality!

There can’t be anyone out there that doesn’t know eating junk food, ready meals, UPF, refined grains, seed oils, cereals and consuming sweets, biscuits and cakes is damaging your health. We are not meant to be eating this sort of food. Humans ARE animals and we also have a species appropriate diet too – a PROPER HUMAN DIET – which is mostly animal based, fish, eggs, dairy, vegetables, berries, fruits, nuts seeds etc.. and if we eat REAL WHOLE FOODS – like humans have done for millions of years – our health too can be transformed. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to feel healthy and full of energy and vitality?

If eating a proper diet (& it’s only been eight weeks!) worked for the cat.. then it sure will work for us humans too!

For more info on the Proper Human Diet, eating LCHF and Metabolic Health – see:
https://dancegeneration.co.uk/llvlc/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/7869634996409977

And also see this – Dr Ken Berry MD talking about the Principles of a PROPER HUMAN DIET: https://youtu.be/lO606ZKJRew?si=Cad_wgsGCSr0ntMx

All the information is FREE – and there is nothing to ‘sign up’ for.

OK – right onto the classes:

Here’s your updates for the classes this week.

First of all thanks for coming along this week and big thanks to Bex for covering Monday class for me while I was up in Manchester for my brother’s funeral. It was the best funeral I have ever been to – should there be such a thing.

One of my brother’s many talents was singing – he sang in a couple of choirs, as well as a barbershop quartet and a male voice choir called the Cottontown Chorus – he was one of the assistant choral directors there – here’s a video of him conducting: https://youtu.be/fDhP4jtrF58?si=TG8ahQ8pNV-2DE6Q

Lots of the choir members were at his funeral – so it really was amazing as there was so much fantastic singing.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Our brand new one ‘Spicy Margarita’ seems to be going down well. If you missed the walk through – I’ll do one more week for you. I’m planning on adding some Jives to this weeks playlist – things like Candyman and Such a Night, so hope to see you looking all lively and ready for those this week. PLEASE let me know any requests.

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE
All back to normal this week. Hello to all our new dancers and hope you are enjoying the classes.
We didn’t do any new ones this week – but I did revive CABO SAN LUCAS in memory of Toby Keith – the Country music singer who died last week – this song was one of his big hits.
We also did:
THE CARD YOU GAMBLE (week two)
plus recaps of the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks:
SENORITA SKY
SEXY LADY
UN POQUITO
MEMORY LANE

The links above take you to the STEP SHEETS on the Copperknob site and there are lots of videos if you fancy a practice. And don’t forget there is also a list on my website of our FAVOURITE DANCES – also with links and videos – these are dances we do regularly in classes.

YOGA
No class this week – but raring to go for Tuesday! I’ve a ladder flow planned with some Warriors, some Prayer Twists, maybe a few Chaturangas… who knows? Come to class to find out, build up your strength, learn to focus more and be in the flow!

And – if you’ve got cats – the food is called KatKin.

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE 11th February 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/9ac82ecdb4b4/weekly-update-13644029?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday everyone

I’m having a lazy Sunday today (well apart from a 5K run this morning!) it was a bit damp and muddy in places – and typically the sun has now come out this afternoon – but I did listen to a really good podcast with Professor Daniel Liebeman – who is a human evolutionary biologist – whilst I was dodging the puddles. if you’re interested in any of the subjects that I am such as diet, nutrition, human evolution, modern diseases, exercise, longevity etc – then here’s the link – really good!
https://youtu.be/A-8tPmQtYqs?si=0gjOB-LPYj_5Lh7S

Here’s your updates for the classes this week.

First of all – TUESDAY 13th FEBRUARY
There are NO CLASSES – both Goodman’s & Yoga – on this day. Sadly, I will be attending my brothers funeral in Manchester. He was 56 and he died from heart failure due to a genetic condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) which affects the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart. He was on the heart transplant list – but unfortunately he died in hospital while waiting for a suitable heart.

As it was a genetic condition – both my sister and I have regular screening for signs and symptoms of HCM, which is partly why I am very focused on keeping fit, exercising and living a healthy life. You cannot buy health and fitness and whereas many modern drugs can help alleviate the symptoms of many lifestyle diseases – they can’t cure you. However, the good news is – we can support our own health & fitness by eating a proper diet, doing regular exercise and looking after our mental health and our cognitive health too.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
We did a brand new one this week called ‘Spicy Margarita’… hope you liked it! It was fun to dance!
It was co-choreographed with my friend Steph. You can read more about her and how we work together on the choreography for our classes in last weeks update – see the WEEKLY UPDATE page on my website. We’ve a couple more that we did during last weekends choreography session which I look forward to sharing with you over the next few weeks.

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE
Lovely classes this week – thank you for coming along. Big welcome to our new ladies! Hope you enjoyed the classes.
We did a new one in Friday’s second class:
THE CARD YOU GAMBLE
plus recaps of the ones we’ve been doing over the last few weeks:
SENORITA SKY
SEXY LADY
UN PORQUITO
MEMORY LANE

YOGA
We did a plank based flow this week – super challenging for the shoulders and the core muscles. As you know, I’ve recently re branded, so that it now reflects the main essence and focus of the class which has always been building on strength, flexibility and balance, so if you are interested in building up your strength and becoming healthier – come on down and try the class out! Although don’t come this week as there isn’t any!

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE 4th February 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/a6831104f38f/weekly-update-13643445?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday everyone

Hope you’re enjoying the weekend, It’s February – so we are one step closer to SPRING. That makes me very happy as I’m a bit fed up with the dark, wet and gloomy days! Thank goodness for dancing!

Just a quick update this week as I’ve got a full on day of choreographing for the DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA CLASSES with my friend Steph. Lots of gorgeous new music and hopefully routines coming your way for spring!

Some of you might know Steph – we have been working together for many years (like 20 plus!) she teaches Zumba Gold now – but when we both taught Children’s Classes – we used to share most of the choreography for our children’s classes too.

Zumba Gold is is a bit slower/gentler than the Zumba we do, so you might notice slightly different arm movements and less or no turns in some of the videos – but essentially they are the same routines as we do. Click the links for the videos

Steph has added ‘HANDS ON ME’ which is becoming a class favourite already. Some of our other dancess she has done videos for include:
YO QUIERO BAILAR,
SEPTEMBER
CARIBBEAN PLANS
CAN’T TAME HER
SOLO
ALLEGRO VENTIGO
SING SING SING

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE
Lovely busy classes this week – thank you for coming along. Big welcome to our new ladies! Hope you enjoyed the classes!
No new ones this week – just recaps of:
SENORITA SKY (lovely slow Cha Cha)
SEXY LADY
UN PORQUITO
MEMORY LANE

We also did HANDS ON ME (see above). There are lots of Modern Line Dance routines with arm movements out there at the moment. Might feel a bit odd to those of you who ‘don’t do’ arms – but why not? I’ve always maintained that dancing is not just about the steps. Dancing to me is so much more than a bunch of steps. Dancing is about movement, enjoying the music, challenging your sense of pro-prioception, your balance and also challenging your brain to remember all the names of the steps or the routines. It’s about feeling and expression – being in the moment and letting go – you’ve all heard me say ‘Release your inner dance Goddess!’ But it’s also about being with other people, making friends and being part of something that is bigger than yourself.

The links above take you to the STEP SHEETS on the Copperknob site and there are lots of videos if you fancy a practice.
There is also a list on my website of our FAVOURITE DANCES – also with links and videos – these are dances we do regularly in classes:

YOGA
We did a looping flow this week – plenty of balance and core work challenges – my favourite!. The Yoga has been recently re branded, so that it now reflects the main essence and focus of the class which has always been building on strength, flexibility and balance, so if you are interested in building up your strength and becoming healthier – come on down and try the class out!

I hope you managed to take a look at the books/podcast I mentioned last week about Muscle Centric Medicine and why you should be making getting stronger your priority – here’s a slightly longer podcast with the UK’s Dr Rangan Chattergee talking to Dr Gabrielle Lyon. https://youtu.be/50_WNgrR15A?si=TOz2PSROgyNMyeRY

Gabrielle Lyon has also written a brilliant book I recommend:

If anyone has a questions about the classes, or you would like more information about health and wellness, diet, exercise, cognitive health and eating a proper human diet, see my HEALTH COACHING page.

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

WEEKLY UPDATE – 28th January 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/05849e575d92/weekly-update-13642645?e=0b783cd120

Happy Sunday everyone

Hope you’re enjoying the weekend, I’m so happy it’s almost February which means Spring is on the way!

First of all – I just wanted to share with you why exercise and movement is SO important – not just for our physical health, but for our mental health too. What makes us human is movement – it’s an essential part of living. Finding movement that you love doing – like dancing – particularly done with other people where you are moving in unison, watching their body language, hearing them breathe, creates an unconscious feeling of ‘belonging’. It increases our trust of others; it even lowers our stress levels. Hardly any of these benefits can be gained from the ‘virtual’ experience – it’s such a poor substitute for the ‘real’ thing. This is why Lockdown was so challenging and difficult for so many people. We are not meant to be isolated from other humans. We are social beings. Our mental health and well-being is literally dependent on our social interactions and support network.

If you would like to learn more – here’s a really excellent book – The JOY of MOVEMENT – by Kelly McGonigal

Here’s also a short clip from one of her many podcasts: https://youtu.be/IxNlS1W5rg8?si=oT0H40YctB4I0NwG

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA CLASSES
If you didn’t make it to Dance Fitness this week you missed another really good week! We did a brand new one called YO QUIERO BAILAR, This dance was co-choreographed with my friend Steph and she’s done a fabulous video of it – click the link above and have a practice!

Some of you probably know Steph – she teaches Zumba Gold – which is a bit slower/gentler than the Zumba we do, so you’ll notice slightly different arm movements and no turns in the video – but essentially it’s the same routine!

Have a browse around her Youtube Channel – you’ll also see some of our other routines – such as SEPTEMBER,CARIBBEAN PLANS, CAN’T TAME HER, SOLO, ALLEGRO VENTIGO & SING SING SING – and that’s just a few of them. Click the links for the videos.

MODERN LINE / DANCING IN LINE
Lovely busy classes this week – thank you for coming along. Dances we did this week included:
Week one SENORITA SKY (lovely slow Cha Cha)
SEXY LADY
UN PORQUITO
MEMORY LANE

I always aim to try and vary the tempo (speed) of the dances we do in class as well as using different rhythms, so that the classes aren’t all just rocks & shuffle dances, but as I mentioned last week – many of the routines are made up of similar moves – but in a different order. This is GOOD! Routines like this – similar but not the same – create new pathways between the hemispheres of the brain – which is brilliant for brain health! So, along with working your physical body – the routines using these variety of rhythms and similar movements but in a different order, are helping you stimulate your brain too.

The YOGA classes also work in this way too – with sequences that include faster and slower moves – like when we settle into a pose during a flow and then we add on a new posture when we repeat the flow.

We did a really powerful strength building flow this this week – super challenging but that’s where the gains are made. I have recently re branded the Yoga, so that it now reflects the main essence and focus of the class which has always been building on strength, flexibility and balance, so if you are interested in building up your strength and becoming healthier – come on down and try the class out!

If you would like to take a deeper dive into the subject of Muscle Centric Medicine and why you should be making it your priority – here’s a slightly longer podcast with the UK’s Dr Rangan Chattergee talking to Dr Gabrielle Lyon. https://youtu.be/50_WNgrR15A?si=TOz2PSROgyNMyeRY

Gabrielle Lyon has also written a brilliant book I recommend:

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE 21st January 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/5d87c18ec7c1/weekly-update-13642037?e=0b783cd120

Hello Everyone

Hope you’re all doing OK. Thank you to all those who came along this week – well done & keep it up! Getting fit and learning a new skill like dancing isn’t like using your virginity – it doesn’t happen just once! You have to keep doing it to get the rewards.

Apart from coming to the classes and moving (movement IS medicine – remember!) I urge you all to take a good look at your diets and see if there are any tweaks you can make to cut back on sugar and those highly processed carbs

Everyone tends to over indulge in junk foods and sweet stuff over Christmas, so if you’re one of the guilty ones and you’ve put on a bit of weight or are feeling a bit ‘yeugh’ and sluggish from eating so much – there are some tips at the bottom of the HEALTH COACHING PAGE on my website, suggesting some small tweaks that can make BIG differences in our quest to eat better and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA CLASSES
If you didn’t make it to Dance Fitness this week you missed a really good week! We did some new ones, some old ones and even some we couldn’t even remember! Might unleash another new one on you this week – this one is a bit faster to a catchy Latin track. I’ll go through the sections before we dance it.

You’ve probably noticed that a lot of the routines are made up of similar moves – but in a different order. Routines like this – similar but not the same – create new pathways between the hemispheres of the brain – which is brilliant for brain health! So, along with working your physical body – the routines I choreograph using these variety of rhythms and similar movements but in a different order, are helping you stimulate your brain too. After all – there is no point in having a super-fit body if you’re completely doolally! Or vice versa.

The MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE classes also include routines that work in the same way as do the YOGA CLASSES – especially when I use the slow building flow technique, which adds on postures, but repeats the sequences.

New dances for MODERN LINE & DANCING IN LINE were:
SEXY LADY
UN PORQUITO
and Friday only MEMORY LANE
And we also did SHANIA’S MOMENT

YOGA
There is growing evidence that now suggests the more muscle you have – the healthier you are. Here’s a short clip from a podcast that you might find interesting- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbYjqg4EzUQ.
If you google Dr Gabrielle Lyons – she is one of the doctors who is researching what she calls Muscle Centric Medicine. There is SO much out there now on why we should be aiming to increase our skeletal muscle, particularly as we age.
You’ve probably also heard about resistance training and eating more protein – all ESSENTIAL as we age and as a consequence of this – I’ve slightly re branded the Yoga, so that it does reflect the main essence and focus of the class which has always been building on strength, flexibility and balance.

If you are interested in building up your strength and becoming healthier – come on down and try the class out!

If anyone has a questions about the classes, or you would like more information about health and wellness, diet, exercise, cognitive health and eating a proper human diet, see my HEALTH COACHING page.

See you soon.

Love
Maria xxx

PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

WEEKLY UPDATE 14th January 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/e73f13628cf6/weekly-update-13641537?e=0b783cd120

Hi Everyone

Welcome back! We had lovely busy classes this week – and the feedback was super – thank you so much! My mission as always is to help you all become fitter, slimmer, be less stressed, sleep better and be even MORE gorgeous than you already are! So thank you for coming along to the classes this week – now the challenge is to keep it up.

All the classes are ‘Beginner Friendly’, so come along, dance, sing, smile, bend, stretch, and get that body moving – why not bring a friend?

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA CLASSES

We did a new one this week – slow – called Hands on You, plus some oldies we hadn’t done for a while. I’ve also got a new warm up – super easy – lined up too. If you missed the walk through – don’t worry , I’ll go over the sections again this week.

FRIDAY MODERN LINE & TUESDAY GOODMANS

Lovely to see so many of you this week! Hope you enjoyed the classes. New dances we did this week were:

SEXY LADY

UN PORQUITO

and Friday only MEMORY LANE

Tuesday class – we’ll do that one this week too it’s what I call a Rock & Shuffle dance.

Happy practising!

YOGA

For Yoga – this week we did a good solid standing flow – and thank goodness it wasn’t so cold in the hall! This week – another slow build flow planned, with the focus (as ever) on balance and core strength. Without which, we’d all be wobbling around on the floor – not recommended.

DANCE SHOES

A couple of people were asking about suitable dance shoes for Modern/Dancing in Line and Zumba – so here are my recommendations.

ZUMBA / DANCE FITNESS

You need footwear that is supportive – but also allows you to ‘swivel’ the foot without putting pressure on the knees – some trainers aren’t suitable as they are too ‘grippy’ so your feet get stuck to the floor. Split sole dance trainers are your best bet, but they can be expensive, so look for a smoother soled training shoe. The ones with a little ‘bubble’ in the heel are also quite good as they help to cushion impact.

Zumba do their own range – but you pay extra for the branding! The best thing I think would be to go to a sports/shoe shop and try on a few. I also don’t recommend slip on’s – it’s better to have laces!

Here are some examples:

DANCE TRAINERS

ZUMBA BRANDED DANCE TRAINERS

MODERN / DANCING IN LINE

The split soles are also suitable for this type of dance too – but I often recommend something with a small heel so that your weight is forwards on the ball of the foot. If you like the sparkly ones or something a little more Latin looking – then here’s some examples.

LATIN TYPE SHOE

GREEK SANDALS

BALLROOM SHOE

There is a dancewear shop in Sidcup called STAGE DOOR– where you can try shoes on. They do both jazz trainers and the Greek sandals and ballroom shoes.

Hope that’s helpful!

That’s all for now. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Love

Maria xxx

PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playlists and updates!

PPS: PERSONAL HEALTH COACHING

My passion has always been to help people towards a healthier, fitter more balanced lifestyle and in addition to teaching dance, fitness, yoga and karate, I also offer Personal Health Coaching.

Personal Health Coaching is vastly different from what is normally considered as Personal Training. It’s not sweaty gym, lifting weights or HIIT type workouts. It’s taking a much broader and holistic look at your health markers. Personal Heath Coaching obviously includes strength and exercise, cardio fitness but also things like optimising your sleep and dealing with stress, but it’s mainly about diet.

Diet plays the biggest part in how healthy you are – and you may be surprised to know that what you’ve been told over the years about how to eat – is now being challenged in a big way – things like eat low fat foods, limit your red meat intake, don’t add salt and fat makes you fat! Many lifestyle conditions can be treated and even reversed with a new approach to what we eat, particularly carbohydrate restriction and focusing on eating a Proper Human Diet.

Some of my clients have come OFF their blood pressure medication and have seen their visceral fat index go down dramatically by following a LCHF diet. .If you would like to know more

https://dancegeneration.co.uk/health-coaching/

Or call/message me on 07811 823467 or email maria@dancegeneration.co.uk

I am a qualified Nutrition Network Advisor and I hold a Level 3 NVQ in Diet & Nutrition. A couple of years ago I also did my Ambassador Training with the PHCuk.org – which is a charity working with HCP’s (GP’s etc.,) dedicated to helping and educating people about their diet – particularly if they are living with obesity, overweight or borderline/T2 diabetic or are concerned about their blood sugar levels. There is lots of new and exciting science supporting a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) approach to eating – not just for weight loss – but for overall metabolic health. If you want to learn more, then take a look at my Personal Health Coaching page and also check out LLVLC – which is all about eating for Metabolic Health.

WEEKLY UPDATE 7th January 2024 – https://mailchi.mp/01ce23753d11/weekly-update-13640941?e=f08b012b4b

Hi Everybody!

HAPPY NEW YEAR & Welcome back!
Thank you to all those who came out to dance and stretch this week – as I know the first week back – even if you did make some of those New Year Resolutions – is a tough one and often we are not in the right mind-set to get going again on our health and fitness journey whilst the house is still full of chocolate and cheese!

Hopefully you’re all raring to go now and are looking forward to getting back to classes.

All the classes are what I like to call, ‘Beginner Friendly’, so why not bring a new friend with you? Come along, dance, sing, smile, bend, stretch and get that body moving – I guarantee you’ll feel SO much better for it!

Click here for class timetable: www.dancegeneration.co.uk/class-timetable

YOGA CLASS
So sorry this weeks class was so bloody FREEZING! First week back and I guess the hall hadn’t been used at all over the holiday period. Fingers crossed it’ll be a bit warmer this week. I’ll plan a heat building flow just in case – but bring your socks! See you Tuesday at 7:30pm.

DANCE FITNESS / ZUMBA
Thanks to all those who came along and literally almost swam to classes this week! It felt SO GOOD to move again! Got a couple of new ones lined up for you this week – one is a new warm up – thanks to my friend Steph – and the other is one we did together last weekend called ‘Hands on Me’ – it might or might not be Jason Derulo. <3 – but it’s a lovely slow jive/cha cha. You’ll love it! I’ll go through the sections before we dance it.

CHANGES TO GOODMAN’S TUESDAY CLASSES
Good to see most of you back this week – and just a reminder there are now just TWO classes on Tuesday. If you’re yearning for some of the harder dances – I’ll see if I can squeeze a couple in at the end of the second class for you.
10:30 – 11:30 – Beginners/Improvers
11:30 – 12:30 – Improvers/Easy Intermediate
£8 per class or do both for £10

FRIDAY MODERN LINE
I missed you all last week – the hall was closed for electrical work and typically – and I’m not sure I should share this as it might make you as cross as I was – the church office called me on Thursday morning to tell me the work had finished and I could hold classes Friday as normal. Grrrrrrr!
I did think about phoning you all up and posting all over the group pages about the change of plan – but then I thought it would only confuse some of you as I’d spent three weeks telling you there was no class – and I also thought lots of you might have made other plans (like I had!) – so I decided to let it go.
Anyway – it gives me one more week to sort out some new dances for you and you’ll be raring to go by this Friday.

That’s all for now. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Love

Maria xxx

PS: Don’t forget to check the Website / Facebook pages etc for playslists and updates!

PPS: PERSONAL HEALTH COACHING
My passion has always been to help people towards a healthier, fitter more balanced lifestyle and in addition to teaching dance, fitness, yoga and karate, I also offer Personal Health Coaching.

Diet plays the biggest part in how healthy you are – and you may be surprised to know that what you’ve been told over the years about how to eat – is now being challenging in a big way – things like eat low fat foods, limit your red meat intake, don’t add salt and fat makes you fat! Many lifestyle conditions can be treated and even reversed with a new approach to what we eat, particularly carbohydrate restriction and focusing on eating a Proper Human Diet.

Some of my clients have come OFF their blood pressure medication and have seen their visceral fat index go down dramatically by following a LCHF diet. .If you would like to know more https://dancegeneration.co.uk/health-coaching/
Or call/message me on 07811 823467 or email maria@dancegeneration.co.uk

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