Exercise comes in many forms and if you feel that the gym or spinning classes just aren't doing for you then maybe you just need to shake things up, writes GABRIELLE ROWLEY

Hannah Kendall-White, 22, is an entrepreneur and fitness innovator who has just opened her new dance studio in Cemetery Hill, Dalton. Hannah, who hopes to offer classes that are completely different to anything else available in the area, said: "I want the ethos of the studio to be really welcoming, somewhere you can make friends.

"If you don't have a proper hobby then it could be time to take one up. If you try something new, you might love it and it's so healthy to have a hobby you're passionate about."

Dance is an amazingly effective aerobic and cardiovascular workout and whereas in the gym our minds are free to wander during the monotony of the treadmill or elliptical, dance steps focus our minds and purge them of daily stresses.

If we can't engage with our workout and look forward to taking part then we are unlikely to see results. With dance classes, you receive a combination of stretching and endurance which will enrich the body and soul.

Of course, the promise of a 'dancer's body' is a great lure too. Popstars like Jennifer Lopez swear by dancing to stay in shape and Britney Spears famously clawed back her impressive abs back by rehearsing tirelessly for her Las Vegas stage show.


Hannah Kendall-White LEANNE BOLGER Meeting Hannah Kendall-White, from Dalton, you can tell she definitely has abs to rival Britney in her heyday, but she is a refreshingly approachable and eager to make everybody part of her Elite Studios family.

Hannah is introducing classes that will be both challenging and fun, she said: "The high ceilings here will be great for when we get going with stunt cheer leading, which will involve basic tumbling, chanting and human pyramids. We also do cheer-dance, which uses cheer arm movements with dance moves to pop music.

"What I am really keen on though is getting more people in to Latin and ballroom dancing. There is so little opportunity learn that style in this area and it's such a great skill to learn while you're young. I have been taking ballroom dancing lessons since I was three and it's my favourite."

Although shows like Strictly Come Dancing have raised the profile of ballroom dancing in recent years, Hannah still feels the style is stigmatized as a hobby belonging solely to older people.

She said: "It is such an accomplishment to be able to dance like they do on Strictly and at my lessons you don't need to bring a partner. You get the chance to get really glamorous and enter competitions with all the tan and sparkly outfits, it's brilliant."

Ballroom is especially good for joint-mobility and balancing the body. Fast paced dancing for 30 minutes or more burns as many calories as jogging so you can shelve you guilt when putting away your running shoes on a cold December night and instead head out to a samba or paso doble lesson.

Hannah, a former pupil of Dowdales School, wants to give her pupils a chance to perform too. Her next showcase will be in a cabaret style at The Forum in May and she has countless cheerleading and dance competitions lined up before then. She said: "We won't be taking part in any of the carnivals but there will be plenty of chances for the dancers here to perform. It really boosts confidence and gives a great feeling of team-work and self-worth.

"I'm very competitive, I would never go to a competition unless I thought the squad had a good chance of winning. The little ones love the cheer competitions in Blackpool and Southport, it really makes them strive to be better."
Hannah Kendall-White at Elite Dance and Fitness Studio based at Cemetery Hill in Dalton Junior Cheerdance team.

The cheer squads enter their competitions under the name Elite Allstars and are divided in to age groups. 

Hannah is serious about getting people in to shape through choreographed movement. She is an ambassador for Beach Body Live, the company that pioneered the hardcore aerobics workout Insanity, and more recently the high fat-burning PiYo which are great classes for those looking to burn the fat a little bit faster.

Having set up the studio herself in April 2014, Hannah has expanded with a multitude of other classes that can be found on her Facebook page and has even added a beauty studio with a range of cosmetic treatments.

We live in a world where technology becomes more prevalent every day and people are growing less and less active. Women have been proven twice as likely to give up all forms of exercise during their teenage years, so taking up a new hobby like dancing could be an important step towards your overall health and wellbeing. Even one class per week can improve lung-capacity, flexibility and core strength so whether you are in primary school or working full time, a dance-based workout could be the perfect fit for you.