Rhys Boorman has started 6-week fitness programme designed to get us back to dancing fitness. It starts and finishes with a ‘live’ session online on Zoom on Sunday morning on 21st March and 2nd May, and for the weeks inbetween Rhys will be issuing videos that we can do the exercises at home at the weekend. The video of this session, along with the coming weeks, are/will be available on the MF YouTube channel at: Return to Dancing Fitness 2021 (Playlist)
Tina Boyle writes a review of the first ‘live’ session:
“Well, what a workout! 289 zoom participants for the first session of this 6 week course and I wonder how many, like me, thought that we were reasonably fit?
“The 60 minutes were packed with warm up exercises, mobility/stretching, basic morris stepping, a core work out, Plyometric workout and cool down. Rhys guided us expertly through each part, thankfully giving us rests between exercises and time to take on water.
“When I heard in his introduction that Rhys was a member of 6 morris sides and teaches PE in school, I knew I was in for a good workout and just what I needed. Whether I will ever get my high kicks as high as Rhys’ or jump as high in the jumping jacks or split lunges remains to be seen! As he said though, “Do what you are capable of and see how you improve over the coming weeks”. He certainly showed what can be achieved and what we need to aim for. Surely if we all stick with Rhys and his programme over the next 6 weeks, we will improve and will know what we need to do to keep on improving. I for one found, as I knew already being honest, that my core muscles are my weakest point and needed this work out.
“I thought Rhys had prepared a good schedule for the hour and while the pace was fast, it is probably a normal speed for such a session. I am looking forward to the videos and some signs of improvement over the coming weeks, as I hope everyone else who joined in this morning will be too.
“Thank you Rhys and The Morris Federation for putting on this course for us.
Review by Tina Boyle of Furness Clog Dancers in Ulverston, Cumbria
Special mention to teams who registered more than 5 people: Milltown Cloggies from Dukinfield / Stalybridge, Greater Manchester (14), Plymouth Morris Men from Devon (11), Whitethorn Morris from Harrow, Greater London (7), Cuckoo’s Nest Morris from Brighton, East Sussex (6), and Uptown-on-the-Lakes Morris from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (6).
The video of this session, along with the coming weeks, are/will be available on the MF YouTube channel at: Return to Dancing Fitness 2021 (Playlist)
Donations from participants raised money for Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/donate
