Is your little one obsessed with the BBC TV show Strictly Come Dancing? If so, it’s not surprising!

If your kids are sucked in from the first chord of the opening music, and spend the whole time glued to the dances, awarding scores, adding up and cheering when the scores come in, you might have a future Kai or Katya on your hands!

Here’s why it has caught on so well with younger audiences:

1. Genuine family TV viewing

Strictly Come Dancing is one of the few UK shows the whole family watches together. Many kids grow up watching it with their parents or grandparents – so they get fascinated by the glitz, glamour, music and friendly competition from a very young age.

2. Inspiring the Next Generation

The costumes, contestant stories and exciting performances inspire kids to want to get up and dance.

3. Live performances

In an age of on-demand streaming, kids love the fact that Strictly is genuinely live, and they can talk about it with all their friends at school the next day!

4. Competition

As fun as Strictly is, it is also fiercely competitive. Kids learn from watching the dancers giving their absolute all to training and performances, and caring passionately for their scores and position on the leaderboard. It’s inspiring stuff.

Strictly-style lessons for children

Here at Danceworks Devon, we always see a massive surge in enrolments for our kids’ classes when the show is on.
We offer proper ballroom and latin dancing lessons for youngsters, inspired by the BBC TV show. Our 2026 classes start soon, so January is the perfect time for your kids to start dance lessons. So if you have a budding George Clarke, Harry A-A or Karen Carney then read on to find out how you can encourage their love of dancing.

Here’s an overview of what our Strictly-style childrens’ dance lessons include:

What We Teach

  • Ballroom dances: Such as Waltz, Quickstep, Tango & Foxtrot
  • Latin dances: Like Cha Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble & Jive
  • We also sometimes teach fun showdances or freestyle routines (similar to the group numbers on Strictly Come Dancing).

Age Groups

  • Beginners Classes: Learn correct ballroom and latin technique, with partners.
  • Improvers Classes: Here we can introduce more advanced choreography, performance skills, and competitions if appropriate.

What to Expect

  • Teaching by qualified, friendly ballroom and latin instructors
  • Lots of focus on posture, rhythm, teamwork and building confidence
  • The opportunity for children to perform for family and friends
  • The chance to earn medals or certificates through dance exam boards (UKA)

Dress Code

  • Beginners should wear comfortable leisurewear that’s easy to move in (e.g. leggings, t-shirt and dance shoes if possible).
  • Later: proper ballroom and latin shoes and performance outfits for shows or exams

If you are looking for dance wear or dance shoes for children, we have a great range available in our onsite shop – The Costume Box. Our friendly staff have a wealth of knowledge and will help you choose the best options for your little ones. Plenty of inspiration there for Christmas presents too!

All lessons take place in our studios in Newton Abbot. Please visit our contact page for a location map and details of how to find us.

View our timetable for more details of all children’s dance classes.

Most children’s classes are £9.50 on a pay-as-you-go basis but savings can be made by paying monthly

Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to know more about dance lessons for children.