Dancers who like to keep fit (and have cake) say it is better than joining gym

MORE than 50 people attended a tea dance in Benson.

Guests danced a variety of styles including swing, modern jive and tango at the village hall in Sunnyside.

The event was organised by Jive Temptation, run by dance teachers Sarah Clark and Mrak Bees, who hold dance classes in the area.

Ms Clark said: “We started in 2010. We just wanted a friendly environment for people to learn how to dance and to have fun because it’s your night out and it should be fun.

“It’s just a great way to spend your free time. It’s much better than a gym membership and cheaper.

“Once a year we will do a vintage event where people come dressed in Fifties gear and the music reflects that as well.”

Jan Green, 80, who lives in The Cedars, said dancing kept her feeling young. She said: “It’s very good exercise and it’s good for your balance, it’s good for your brain. I’ve been dancing for a long time.

“I’ve been coming to the tea dances since they started and I like all sorts of styles, I like jive, I do ballroom, I have done a little bit of tango. You get to know a lot of different people. Some dance this way, some dance that way and you just get used to it.”

Ms Green, who previously lived in America, joined the group shortly after moving back to the UK. She said: “I started about two years after I moved back but I danced before when I lived abroad.

“It’s very friendly and the cakes are very good and it’s people that I have known for a long time.” Sue Stack, who had travelled from Burghfield Common in Reading, was dancing with Paul Griffiths from Didcot.

Ms Stack said: “It keeps you fit and it’s fun. You get on the dance floor and you forget about everything else.

“I go maybe three times a week. Different clubs and different places. Tea dances are always nice, they are more sociable. There are always good songs.”