So it’s week two and, of course, I am riddled with nerves. Up the stairs to the dance studio with the dreadful wall-to-wall mirrors and I was so comforted to be confronted with several of the other ‘celebs’ saying ‘Well I don’t know why I’m so nervous about this….’ And there is Jeremy, our local newshound, man about town and Mr Confident, wearing a headband to keep his glasses on (they kept slipping down his nose at the first session) and sporting white cotton gloves (as my hands got so sweaty…) – ah bless him!

The thing is we are out of our comfort zones. So called ‘leaders of business’ we might be, but show us a pair of dancing shoes and we turn into wimps.

Now our dance teacher has the patience of a saint, although at one point when he opened the window I did think he was going to jump. He bounces around showing us his hip movements constantly shouting ‘Smile, look like you’re enjoying yourselves!’ Well some are I suppose.

Half time and we get cheerful Mary, organiser extraordinaire, handing out water, bananas and chocolate fingers – the best bit so far!

My theory is we are all very ‘British’ – we are not used to wiggling our hips or dancing cheek-to-cheek or (heaven forbid) hip rather close to hip. It is all slightly embarrassing. We are learning the tango with a stiff upper lip, all those gestures are a little flamboyant for us, not the language of the business meeting at all. Not to mention the tango has some very tricky steps as well as those scary head movements. Apparently the tango is ballroom, not latin. Really?? I’m sure I’d be better at a sedate waltz.

The tango is not as bad as the cha cha though. There’s this thing we do called the ‘New York’. We turn away from our partners flinging our outer arm up doing something odd with our fingers. I do want to take the opportunity again to apologise to the two dancers I smacked in the face. It really wasn’t intentional, despite them being rather pretty and nippy on their feet.

Now readers out there, let’s face it I am not likely to win, but I could win the sponsorship! If you would like to support me through my ‘journey’ as someone put it recently, please sponsor me and help me to raise a huge amount for Vale House. Here’s my just giving page.

Session three is just a week away…