A DANCE school in Romsey is offering dozens of online classes in a bid to keep students fit after closing amid coronavirus fears. 

Now 200 students of all ages from the Test Valley School of Dance, School Road, will be able to stream live classes from the comfort of their homes after the Government announced school closures across England. 

School principal, Hannah Harrison, said: “Our first day of live online classes was a huge success and I’m so proud of our students for showing such resilience, self motivation, courage and determination to keep up their dance training in such unusual circumstances. 

“We have 150 student children and I also teach 50 adults; last week we did 76 classes and I think we reached the majority of the school. 

“The problem with dance schools is cross-contamination with other schools because it’s one thing going to one school where they are mixing with the same group of people, but then they are coming to me.

“With everything that is going on I am probably planning to do a whole summer of online classes.”

The 40-year-old from Ampfield added: “I have had my school for seven years and it has been hard work to get it to that stage; half of my school do multiple classes a week and I do not want them to lose interest in dance because they cannot go to a class for four months.

“We are committed to doing our part to help students keep dancing, stay healthy and positive and to put a smile back onto people’s faces.

“We are also encouraging as many friends and family members of the school to jump online to dance.”

Hannah stressed she is making her classes as affordable as possible by charging “as little as £1 per class”. 

Councillor Dorothy Baverstock, who represents Romsey Cupernham on the borough council, said: “I think it is a wonderful idea because it can be boring being in the house when you’re quite active, so anything that keeps people moving is great. 

“It is brilliant and when it is online you can do as much or as little as you want, so it’s good people are being encouraged to be involved.”

The Test Valley School of Dance closed due to the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday, March 18.  

For more information on the dance school, contact hannah@tvdance.co.uk.