Let's dance!

Yvonne Lehrke says that having always wanted to learn to dance, she doesn't regret "for a second" signing up to classes offered by Maria Cashmore and Simon Forsyth in Stratford and Hawera.

Maria and Simon, of The Modern Jivers, have been teaching Latin, ballroom and modern jive to an enthusiastic group of experienced and beginner dancers at the Hawera Presbyterian Centre and the Stratford Club.

"We have such a great group of students, it is fun to teach and it is great seeing the class grow in size," says Maria, who adds that she and Simon are grateful to Creative Communities and the Lysaght Watt Trust for their funding support.

Yvonne didn't have a dancing partner when she first decided to sign up for the classes.

"So I shared one for a while, then I advertised in the Stratford Press and with a note on the New World noticeboard".

It was New World that provided Yvonne's dancing partner, but not through the advert.

"I was stacking shelves, when I heard a voice asking 'would you like to dance with me," laughs Mark, the dry goods manager at Stratford New World, who adds that he and Yvonne were neighbours "many moons ago".

Mark enjoys the classes, "we're on the second term and I haven't broken her yet so I must be doing okay".

Maria says that Yvonne and Mark are not alone in their enjoyment of discovering a new skill through the classes.

We have lots of people who had no experience when they started, but now they are confident and really enjoy the opportunity to learn more and more each week.

Maria Cashmore of the Modern Jivers.

She and Simon start the next set of dance classes in Stratford on August 14, and she encourages anyone interested to "give it a go".

Yvonne agrees. "I wish I had done this years ago, it's been the best thing I have done in a long time."