DAME Darcey Bussell is on a mission – to get kids dancing.
The Strictly star is today inviting schools across the country to take part in a live-streamed dance class next Monday, January 15.
Dame Darcey Bussell founded DDMIX and DDMIX for schools to encourage people of all ages to dance their way to better healthDDMix. supplied
Getty – ContributorDame Darcey had a career as a ballerina spanning two decades[/caption]
BBCShe starred on Strictly Come Dancing as a judge from 2012 to 2019[/caption]
You can sign up to take part in Darcey’s class next Monday here
And, as an added bonus, all those schools who sign up to take part will be in with a chance of winning a visit from the Dame herself.
Dame Darcey has been campaigning for the best part of a decade to get dance included on the school curriculum, as a regular part of PE lessons.
The 54-year-old is determined to show people of all ages that dance can boost your physical and mental health.
She tells Sun Health: “When I did physical education, it was just [repetitive] exercises. It didn’t stimulate me or activate my imagination.
“You have to start young to give kids a healthy attitude about being active, and all the benefits.
“Sports is brilliant but if only you’re good at it. For a lot of kids, it’s rather humiliating not being in the A-team- that’s not fun.
“The nice thing about dance fitness is that it is totally inclusive, it’s there for every child, not just for the kids that are just into dance.
“It’s about giving them variety, showing them different cultures, celebrating cultures around the world.”
In 2014, she launched her charity Diverse Dance Mix (DDmix) and a few years later they expanded to focus on DDmix for Schools.
It provides programmes and pre-recorded lessons that teachers can deliver dance in schools as part of the PE curriculum.
And on a regular basis, Darcey and the team at DDmix host live-streamed events.
Sports is brilliant but if you’re good at it. For a lot of kids, it’s rather humiliating not being in the A team. That’s not fun.
Dame Darcey Bussell
Past sessions have seen 900 schools take part, and today the former Strictly Come Dancing judge is urging more headteachers to get in on the action.
For half an hour, the pro-ballerina will lead state-school classes through a series of routines designed to get kids sweating, laughing and enjoying the movement of dance.
While Darcey is famed for her professional flare, the class is suitable for all abilities and celebrates cultural diversity, with moves inspired by Bollywood, the Charleston and the Salsa.
Sea of smiling faces
One of the key goals is to keep the kids moving from “beginning to end” – given PE takes up no more than two hours of kids’ timetables each week.
While the kids can appear shy at first, Darcey says by the end of a DDmix class, their whole demeanour changes.
“Kids come in, they’re closed off and their eyes on the ground, they’re slumped,” Darcey says.
“When they leave the room, they’ve got a totally different feeling about their bodies, how they stand and look at you. They’ve got this attitude, they’ve got character. Suddenly their personalities shine.”
Darcey says teachers told her boys won’t join in, but she says: “The boys are the first up there.”
Dance awakens you and makes you feel better. We see that with all the kids that get involved.
Dame Darcey Bussell
Since formally retiring in 2007, Dame Darcey has worked to promote dance as something everyone should participate in as a sport.
We all know kids love to jump on a TikTok dance trend, and dancing has been shown in research to have both physical, mental and psychological benefits.
For example, it’s been suggested to improve the mental wellbeing of teenage girls to menopausal women, reduce the risk of dementia and help treat Parkinson’s.
In a Japanese study of 16 forms of exercise, participation in dance was linked with a 73 per cent lower likelihood of disability affecting daily life.
The researchers noted that dance strengthens the body but also cognitive ability, as a result of concentrating on the moves – and remembering them.
One study found more than eight in 10 Brits agree that dancing is a good form of exercise, with 37 per cent saying it helps them forget their troubles.
Darcey, who in December 2018 presented a BBC Two documentary on the mental health benefits of dance, titled Darcey Bussell: Dancing to Happiness, says: “It’s just all of those components coming together – movement, music stimulation on the mind, using the imagination.
“It just awakens you and makes you feel better. We see that with all the kids that get involved.”
Darcey’s dance lessons for schools aims to show that exercise can be enjoyable while also helping kids connect and use their brainsDDMix. supplied
PADarcey on Strictly with judges Craig Revel Horwood, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli during the 2013 live final[/caption]