Dance to make a difference for the Hospice as a Strictly St Leonard’s contestant!

Are you ready to Rhumba? Let British Amateur Latin Sequence Dance Champion, Chris Robinson, teach you to dance in just six weeks. Dance the Tango, Jive and Viennese Waltz then showcase your talent to family and friends in a fabulous venue, in our glittering…

Strictly St Leonard’s 2024 grand finale on Saturday 23 March 2024.

“Strictly St Leonard’s was a scary, exhilarating, terrifying but the most rewarding experience ever! I would recommend this experience to anyone who wants to push themselves, learn a new skill or raise money for a brilliant charity.”
Strictly 2023 contestant

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What does it involve

We ask that you join us as a couple and pay a registration fee of £25 each
We host a launch evening on Monday 5 February 2024 (venue tbc)
We will give you six dance lessons plus a dress rehearsal. These will take place on:
- Dance lesson 1: Sunday 11 February, 4 to7pm
- Dance lesson 2: Sunday 18 February, 4 to7pm
- Dance lesson 3: Sunday 25 February, 4 to7pm
- Dance lesson 4: Sunday 3 March, 4 to7pm
- Dance lesson 5: Sunday 10 March, 4 to7pm
- Dance lesson 6: Sunday 17 March, 4 to7pm
- Full dress rehearsal on the evening of Monday 18 March, this will be held at the the Riley-Smith Hall, Tadcaster.
We’ll give you tickets to sell to friends and family, giving you the chance to help us by raising much needed funds.

All we ask is that you are willing to get glam on the night and have FUN!

Hurry as places are limited and fill up fast! Please sign up as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, registration closes at midnight on Friday 16 December. Terms and conditions apply.

If you have any questions or if you would like us to talk you through the registration process and terms & conditions, please email [email protected] or call 01904 777 777.

Frequently Asked Questions

I can’t make it to all the 6 dance lessons, can I still take part?

If you can’t make one of the dance lessons please do not let this put you off. We can video record this lesson for you to catch up on, or we can coordinate an extra private lesson with your dance teacher Chris, for an extra fee.

I don’t have a dance partner, what can I do?

Your dance partner could be a colleague, family member, friend or partner. It is a great experience to spend quality time learning new skills. Although we have partnered people up in the past, this is not always possible due to the logistics of training outside of dance lessons. If you are interested in taking part and you don’t have a partner please send us an email.

I have never danced before, does this matter?

Absolutely not, your dance teacher Chris will teach you the routines from scratch, meaning no experience what so ever is required. Over the six weeks you will develop your skills, nobody will ever know you were a beginner. Most of our dancers start with no experience so you will not be alone in the first dance lesson.

I think we may struggle to raise the £500 sponsorship per couple, how can we do this?

You can sent up an online fundraising page (https://www.justgiving.com/) and share your training journey with your friends and family on social media to encourage sponsorship. There are endless ways to raise money without directly asking for sponsorship such as a cake sale, dress down day at work or a raffle. Our events team will be able to support your fundraising, with ideas and supplies such as collection boxes, bunting, posters etc.

Have a chat with your employer, as many businesses offer match funding for the money raised by employees. This sponsorship may seem daunting; however, everyone who has taken part in this event over the last three years with similar reservations has at least reached this amount. The prize for top fundraiser went to one couple who reached in excess of £2,000

What do I wear to perform at the grand finale?

You can source your own outfit to your own personal style to ensure you feel confident on the day. We also have some outfits you can buy for a small donation, which have been sourced from our shops. You will need a pair of dance shoes, and ideally wear them to your lessons, these can be sourced cheaply if you wish – Chris the dance teacher can offer advice about shoes.

What if I can’t sell the minimum amount of tickets required for the Grand Finale?

Family and friends will be keen to see you perform the amazing skills you have learnt. You may wish to sell tickets to your work colleagues, and get a group along. We encourage your supporters to bring banners, paddles and enthusiasm to support you on the night.

Along with your sponsor money, the ticket sales will go directly to funding St Leonard’s Hospice.

If you are not able to sell the specified number of tickets then please don’t worry, other couples may have more family and friends, or we can sell them to the general public

What music can I dance to?

We have a large list of songs you can choose from. Any specific song you would prefer, you can dance to as long as it is possible for us to mix with the rhythm. Each couple will have two different songs.

Do I have to have the strictly tan?

This is not a requirement, but an option. Getting glammed up will help you get into the strictly grove. We like to offer this to all dancers, so they can get the full strictly experience.

How are we judged on the night?

Your overall mark will be made up of three scores, one of which being most improved. This means even if you have never danced before taking part your progress and development will be recognised.

Performing at the grand finale is daunting, will we run through the show beforehand?

Over six weeks you will become more confident dancing, you will get to do a full dress rehearsal 6 days before the finale so you feel comfortable with what will happen on the night. The crowd is made up of your fellow dancer’s friends and family so everyone will be cheering you along. Many previous dancers have been audience members who have been inspired to take on this challenge too, so everyone will be rooting for you.