Class Review: Hoedown Showdown

19th June

In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re going through a country revival. Started by Beyonce and spurred on by viral sensation Dasha, the genre is back in the mainstream with hats and boots galore. So it’s only fitting that Gymbox have launched a Country western dance class that will have you yee-hawing in no time at all.

I’m usually more at home in a mosh pit than a line dance so I was nervous when I arrived at Victoria Gymbox for Jennifer’s class. But Jennifer's bubbly personality and infectious enthusiasm put even the two left feet in the room (me!) at ease. It also helped that she'd brought along cowboy hats and bandanas to get us into character. After all, it’s hard to take yourself too seriously when you look like an extra from a cowboy film.

We started with a warm up that prepared us for the day’s choreography and taught us the basic steps. This involved a lot of footwork and quick changes of direction, a staple of line-dancing. Top tip: wearing shorts and clothes with pockets (unlike gym wear) is a good idea for this class as it allows you to really get into character with your hands on your hips, belt buckle or in your pockets.

I grew up taking dance classes but this style was completely new to me and it took me a minute to stop falling over my own feet. But it was a fun challenge and there was a lot of laughter as we all figured it out together.

Next: on to the choreo. I’m notoriously bad at remembering steps but Jennifer was a great teacher. The moves she chose for this routine were easy to follow, though they took some time to master. As we traveled around the room, we mastered moves like ‘the bull’ and some fancy footwork before throwing in some yeehaws and tips of the hat, channeling our inner Western film star.

Once we had the routine down, it was time to repeat it to the music whilst changing direction around the room.

In theory, this should be easy: we’d mastered the routine, all we had to do was turn around and do it facing the other direction. But this was deceptively hard, especially with no break between each repetition. I found myself going the wrong way a couple of times, but I wasn’t the only one.

Thankfully, after a few tries I actually started to get it. I was line dancing! I may not have looked cool, I may not have looked graceful, but I was doing it. My yeehaws got more aggressive as I had this exciting revelation and managed to do the choreo in all 4 directions without making any mistakes. My American pals would be proud.

Given that I am not a country fan, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this class. I’d had a bad day and this genuinely turned it around for me! It was silly, a surprisingly good workout and everyone else taking the class was lovely. Plus, you couldn’t wish for a better teacher in Jennifer - she really helped us dance our nerves away and not take it all too seriously.

Hoedown Showdown is a must for any country fan, or anyone simply wanting a break from their normal workout schedule. I had a lot of fun here and will definitely be returning throughout the months this class is running.

Book now via the Gymbox App.