Did you start the New Year full of good intentions about getting fitter and slimmer? These are always in the top three resolutions, but for many of us it doesn’t take long to lose our resolve.

Committing to an exercise regime, especially if you have to pay for the privilege, is usually a sure way to stay committed and achieve your goals. Another way is to enjoy what you’re doing long enough to see the benefits i.e. the weight coming off and revived energy levels.

Donaheys Dance School in Tameside has put a great new program in place to give you just that boost. It’s a Dance Fusion® fitness class that requires no skill or experience and you don’t even need a partner. The sessions are group orientated and teacher Amy keeps the high energy up with popular tracks through the ages. This means it also appeals to young and old, so everyone’s welcome.

“All you have to do is move to the music,” says Amy “And have some fun. We’ll teach you steps to maximise your energy, fitness and enjoyment.”

Donaheys also ask participants to take part in their ‘jukebox request’ and ask for tracks they’d like to hear. So whether your favourite is an old classic like Disco Inferno or a modern high energy track like Will-i-am and Britney’s Scream and Shout, you get to dance to it.

Monday night’s Dance Fusion® session is like a party, a Dance through the Decades party in Tameside’s premier ballroom – Dukinfield Town Hall. And you’ll be partying for an hour, learning new steps and routines toning your whole body as you go. Dancing is a great cardiovascular work out building up your heart strength too.

Don’t worry we’ll warm you up at the beginning and keep it lively and interesting. You won’t want to slack off from this class.

Come and join us at Dukinfield Town Hall between 7pm – 8pm on Mondays. No special clothes necessary but please leave the high heels, flip flops and steel heels or caps at home!

It’s a bargain for so much fun: just £6 per fitness session or 5 for £25.

Did you know that an hour’s dancing can help you burn 700 calories – now that can’t be bad can it?

Wow…this month we’re thrilled that Donahey’s 2013 Dancing With The Stars Weekends have been officially recommended No 2 in Radio Times Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Gift Guide.

The Radio Times article features the top 10 best Christmas Presents for Strictly Super Fans, checkout the Radio Times story here

Get your children on their feet and having fun!

As the UK’s leading junior dance club we understand how important it is to keep children occupied and having fun. This is why we’re dedicated to offering brilliant dance lessons for children in Tameside.

Your kids can learn the latest dance styles such as Ballroom, Latin and Disco and they’ll learn chart dances just like they’ve seen on TV at Donahey’s Dance School for kids.

There’s a lot of emphasis on keeping kids active these days and dancing is great fitness for kids. As well as the fitness benefits, dance also helps children improve their sense of rhythm, co-ordination and builds their self-confidence.

Dancing isn’t just for girls!
Did you know that an Arts Council survey of over 50,000 Year 9 pupils in 700 schools in the North West showed that dancing is the top activity for girls outside of school?

But dancing isn’t just for girls. Here at Donahey’s we really encourage the boys to get involved as well. Dancing to the music of pop chart stars like Justin Bieber, Little Mix and One Direction, is a great way for girls and boys to have fun and learn something new.

All you can dance – just £5per week?
For a one-off weekly fee of £5pp your children can enjoy unlimited dance classes at any of our kids dance schools. Any child can join in, regardless of age, size, shape or dance background, so if you’re looking for something to really excite them, come along to one of our kid’s dance classes.

Dancin’ Tots or Kids Dance Club?
We run dance lessons for kids of all ages, with our Dancin’ Tots catering for children aged 2½ to 3½ and our Junior Dance Club offering classes for children aged 4 to 15 years.

We offer different classes for children of different ages, giving your kids the chance to learn Ballroom, Latin, Street Dance and so much more, whatever their age. Our dance lessons are held in Dukinfield, Ashton, Hyde and Droylsden, so we’re sure there’ll be a class near you.

Book now!
And don’t just take our word for how good our classes are; take a look at what other parents have to say about our Junior Dance Club:

My daughter thoroughly enjoys her Donahey’s dance lessons, and looks forward to coming every week. She has more discipline and better co-ordination. Since joining, she also has more confidence making her own dances up.
Janet, Dukinfield

Dance is currently the fastest growing art form in the country and with so many benefits we think it’s definitely something to get your kids involved in. To find a class near you simply click here and watch your child grow.

Your child can attend our Dance Classes on a pay as you go basis for £5 per class, or you can book here and pay just £27.50 for 6 consecutive weeks of dance lessons.

Are you inspired by Strictly Come Dancing?

Glued to the television every Saturday night? Would you love to learn to Ballroom dance?

If the answer is yes to either of those questions then we’ve got a solution for you. Donahey’s Tameside Ballroom Dance Lessons are perfect for adult beginners and couples – you can enjoy expert tuition in Tameside’s most prestigious ballrooms.

As well as learning something different and meeting new people, dancing is a fantastic way to keep fit and our easy going classes mean you’ll be having so much fun you won’t even realise you’re burning off the calories!

Dance like the stars!
Our absolute beginners Ballroom Dancing course gives you the chance to learn the amazing dances you’ve seen on the TV show, including:
· Waltz
· Cha Cha
· Jive
· Foxtrot
· Rock ‘n’ Roll
· Argentine Tango
· American Smooth
And many more…

So if you’ve been admiring James Jordan’s Jive skills or Anton Du Beke’s American Smooth, then now is your chance to learn and experience some of the Strictly magic for yourself. In just 6 short weeks you’ll be able to wow friends and family with your dazzling dance moves, even if you used to have 2 left feet!

18 weeks of Strictly Dancing!
You can book our Ballroom Dancing beginners course in 6 week blocks. Every week you’ll learn a Ballroom and latin dance, just like you’ve seen on the BBC hit television programme, Strictly Come Dancing.

This course is great if you have a social occasion such as a wedding, cruise or dinner dance to attend. We pride ourselves on offering a relaxed, easy going environment for you to learn in and partners aren’t essential.

New 2013 Dance Lessons!
We’re pleased to announce our 2013 course dates at brilliant venues such as Dukinfield Town Hall, Hyde Town Hall and The Moor Suite, Stockport. These ballroom dance lessons are suitable for couples and singles and are a great way to get fit, make friends and learn a new skill.

To view our 2013 dates please click here

Book now!
You don’t have to take our word for it; just see what previous dancers have to say about our Ballroom Dancing courses:

‘Total beginner, made to feel at ease, enjoy the experience, meet new people – fun’ Cathy & Mike

‘Great fun and great teachers. Really good exercise too!’ Andy

If you’re ready to take the plunge and get your dancing shoes on then don’t hesitate, book today simply by clicking here

How Does Dancing help you stay fit?
Dancing is the perfect way to build physical activity into our lives; young or old, evidence shows that having an inactive lifestyle has a negative impact on our health.

Moving to music stimulates the senses – sight, sound and touch – it’s great fun and it’s good for our bodies and minds. Dancing will improve the health of your heart and lungs, as well as test our balance.

Learning to Dance has it’s attraction because of the many different styles & rhythms on offer from around the world, here at Donahey’s we strive to teach the latest dance styles to the most popular music.

Dancing for any length of time requires muscular endurance and motor fitness, and with so many different forms of dance there’s something for every pair of dancing feet!

Dancing Can Make you physically Fit
The British Heart Foundation agrees that dancing is a great way to stay in shape. Regular dancing will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer. And you’ll enjoy yourself so much you’ll forget you’re exercising!

Health Benefits of Dancing, Exercise & Fitness
Regular dancing will also help keep you trim. As you shimmy across the floor, you’ll be burning calories: in just a half-hour dance session, an average 60kg person will burn at least 99 calories. Of course this varies – Salsa dancing is classed as a high-intensity cardiovascular activity which can burn upto 450 calories an hour, so you’ll burn more with a lively Latino-style than beginner’s belly dancing because you’re moving more.

Dancing is Good for your Bones and Joints – Helping you Keep Fit in later life
Dancing helps to reduce the risk of osteoporosis because the steps put a strain on your bones, helping them to stay strong and dense. The denser your bones are, the longer your bones will remain strong.

Dancing keeps you moving
Other skills you’ll develop as you learn to glide across the dance floor – poise and grace – encourage coordination, balance and muscle strength.

Dancing Makes You Smarter
A regular dance will keep your mind active as well as your body. Exercise improves circulation and helps prevent oxygen starvation to the brain, and remembering complex steps stimulates the working memory. Research in the USA has shown that dancing is the best form of physical activity for keeping the brain active.

Dancing Builds friendships
A recent Times survey revealed dancing beat swimming as the No 1 form of exercise, due to the social life.

Dancing is a great exercise to take part in with your partner or friends. Plus often you’ll meet nice people and it opens doors to improving your social life

Dancing Lifts your mood & spirit
Many dance forms are wonderfully relaxing. You can let your mind wander as you trip the light fantastic. Depending on the style you choose, a dance class can be a pleasant trip down memory lane, or a stimulating voyage into new musical realms.

Learn more about which kind of dance classes would best suit you here, why not try one of Donaheys dance lessons today?

Improve your cruise experience by learning to dance

Cruises offer many things, great food, wonderful entertainment and a chance to travel the world in luxury.

What many of these state of the art cruise ships also offer are stunning ballrooms and regular chances to dance at sea throughout your holiday.

Show off your dance moves on your next dream cruise!

Here at Donaheys we love teaching people to dance for their next cruise – helping develop their dance skills so that they can put their best foot forward no matter which time zone you’re in…

6 weeks of Strictly dancing – we’ll have you dancing at sea in no time!

If you’ve got a bit of time to spare before you set sail then why not sign up to our 6-week Learn To Dance for your Cruise course?

You’ll learn in an easy going and relaxed environment, and you don’t even need a partner.

This brand new course is designed especially for absolute beginners thinking of booking a cruise. The dances you’ll learn include:

· Waltz
· Cha Cha
· Jive
· Foxtrot
· Argentine Tango
· American Smooth
· Rock ‘N’ Roll and much much more!

Where can I learn To Dance for my cruise?
Our courses are held at stunning venues such as, Dukinfield Town Hall, Hyde Town Hall and The Moor Suite, Stockport. Those of you who’ve attended our Dancing with the Stars Weekends already know just how amazing our venues are, and if you haven’t been before then you’re about to find out!

Donahey’s ‘learn to dance for your cruise’ course is broken into 3 week sections, each week covering one Latin or one Ballroom dance. If you love our course as much as we think you will then you can sign up to another consecutive 6 week course and learn another 6 Latin and Ballroom dances.

How much does it cost?
Prices are just £40 per person, making our courses the perfect way to brush up on your dance skills. To find out more about our Strictly Ballroom and Latin Dance Courses take a look here.

Don’t have 6 weeks – learn to dance in a day!
If you haven’t got 6 weeks before you take to the high seas then why not learn to dance in a day?

We can offer you a fabulous 4 hour intensive workshop at the stunning Dukinfield Town Hall.

Our expert team will guide you through some of the world’s most popular Ballroom and Latin dances, just like you’ve seen on the BBC’s hit show Strictly Come Dancing. The list of dances you can learn include:

· The Waltz
· The Cha Cha
· The Foxtrot
· The Jive
· The American Smooth
· The Rumba
· And the Dirty Dancing Mambo!

Our Dance in a Day workshop’s are designed with beginners in mind and with limited spaces available you’ll be sure to get the expert tuition you need. Our amazing workshops are priced at just £33 per person, making them a brilliant way to ensure you’ll light up the dance floor on your next cruise.

Our workshops are so popular that spaces fill up quickly, learn more about our exclusive Dance in a Day Workshop take a look here.

The Fab-u-lous James Jordan

James Jordan is currently partnering screen star Denise Van Outen in this years BBC Strictly Come Dancing.

James Jordan & Denise Van Outen’s dances have been outstanding this year, continually topping the Strictly leader board. They scored the first 10 of the series with their fab-u-lous Charleston at Wembley Arena. Judge Craig said ‘The Best Charleston ever seen on Strictly’ Head Judge Len said ‘The best dance of the series so far’

Last week James Jordan and partner Denise Van Outen performed an amazing American Smooth and scored 37/40, putting them top of the leader board.

But our sources tell us that James wasn’t always King of the dance floor, with even James himself admitting that “at first, I was eliminated very early in competitions”. Luckily for us James got better and better and after meeting Ola in 2000 they really became unbeatable.

After spending 4 years teaching Latin American dancing in Hong Kong, James Jordan and wife Ola joined the hit BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing for its 4th series. James’ best Strictly result was in 2012 with celebrity partner Pamela Stephenson when they made the final.

James has proven himself to be an incredibly versatile teacher having been paired with a wide range of celebrities of various ages.

And who better to help you hone your dance skills than the man himself? You can get up close and personal with James Jordan and your other Strictly favourites at our Dancing With The Stars Weekend at Alton Towers in March 2013.

To find out more about our dance weekends with a difference simply click here

Enjoy watching James Jordan perform up close & personal.

Ever since Kristina Rihanoff burst onto our screens partnering the delightful John Seargent, she has proved her dancing prowess again and again.

Unfortunately this year Kristina and celebrity partner Colin Salmon were knocked out in week 5, but we’re sure she’ll be back next year to try and win that glitter ball trophy.

Kristina Rihanoff began her hugely successful dancing career in her native Siberia and has won numerous awards such as becoming the American Rhythm RS National Champion and South African National Latin Champion.

After many impressive competitive achievements Kristina Rihanoff retired from competitive dance and joined the US hit TV series Dancing with the Stars in 2007. It was through this show her popularity rose and she then in turn joined the professional dancers at Strictly Come Dancing.

Since joining the Strictly family, Kristina has become a household name and has appeared in a number of sell out Strictly tours with both her celebrity partners and professional dance partner, Robin Windsor.

If you’d like to have expert dance tuition with Kristina why not book a place on Donahey’s Kristina Rihanoff Dance Weekend?

As well as watching Kristina perform an amazing dance showcase you’ll also get exclusive back stage passes so you can get all the juicy Strictly gossip.

To find out more about our Kristina Rihanoff Manchester Dance Weekend simply click here

It’s all about Ola

Sadly, Ola and Sid left this years Strictly Come Dancing in week 4.

Ola has had a string of successes on the show previously though, in 2009 Ola won with Chris Hollins. Ola’s previous partners include Robbie Savage, Paul Daniels, Kenny Logan and DJ Spoony.

Strictly favourite, Ola, began dancing in her native Poland aged 10. She entered the World Championships and was placed number 12. She then met partner, James, and competed all over the globe – becoming one of the top 12 dance couples in the world, representing England in the World Championships.

Discover more about Ola Jordan here.

You can learn to dance yourself with Ola Jordan at Donahey’s Dancing with the Stars Weekend at Alton Towers – Friday 8th – Sunday 10th March 2013.

“What a great weekend. We do shows all over the country but never have we had so much fun and met so many great people. Donaheys have done an amazing job organising the whole weekend!”
Ola Jordan

The wonderful Robin Windsor!

Last week Robin Windsor and his celebrity partner Lisa Riley again wowed the audience with their sexy Samba to ‘Car Wash’. Who saw THAT ending coming?!

But before becoming Strictly’s latest heart throb, Robin had a successful career in the immensely popular dance company, Burn The Floor.

Robin spent 9 years with them and during this time completed two world tours. After this he joined Dancing with the Stars Australia and So You Think You Can Dance in Holland. Then he took to the Strictly stage in 2010 with celebrity partner Patsy Kensit, staying in the competition for a full 9 weeks.

Discover more about Robin Windsor here

And if you’d like to get up close and personal with Robin and his professional partner Kristina Rihanoff then join us next year at our Robin & Kristina Weekend Dance Break at the Village Premier Hotel & Leisure Club, Manchester Saturday 23rd – Sunday 24th February 2013.