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lack hole she’d found herself in.<br />
“Dance has given me so much; when I first started<br />
it gave me something to do and something to work<br />
towards,” she says. “It got me out of the house and<br />
that was the reason I kept going. The friendships and<br />
relationships I now have, have grown from that, and<br />
they’re the reason I continue to go.<br />
“When I started Ceroc I was in a dark place; I’d just<br />
come out of a long term relationship which ended<br />
abruptly without warning, and it put me in a position<br />
where I felt that, without that person, I was very<br />
alone. I didn’t have many friends; I had my university<br />
and work life but that was it, and I started spiralling.<br />
“There were points where I didn’t want to get out<br />
of bed, and there were points where my mental<br />
health was so low that I did consider the worst case<br />
scenario.<br />
“But dance has completely changed my life.”<br />
So much so that now, Jordan and her partner Dayle<br />
Archer have taken their dancing to the next level<br />
on the competition circuit. Ceroc - and modern<br />
jive - has a series of competitions around the world<br />
where amateur and professional dancers of all ages<br />
and abilities compete for silverware in a variety of<br />
categories. The World Modern Jive Championships<br />
takes place on the hallowed floor of the Blackpool<br />
Tower Ballroom, meaning competitors have the<br />
chance to follow in the fancy footsteps of their<br />
Strictly heroes.<br />
“I never thought I’d get as far as I have,” says Jordan.<br />
“To feel like we’re doing well enough to compete is<br />
a huge thing, and to be able to get up in front of an<br />
audience and dance is not something I ever imagined<br />
I’d feel comfortable doing.<br />
“You can dance with anyone and everyone and really<br />
enjoy it, and then there are those times when you<br />
find that person who you dance really well with and<br />
get on really well with, and it feels amazing in those<br />
situations, where you really connect with somebody,<br />
which is what I have with Dayle.”<br />
Whether your aim is to keep fit, specialise in a new<br />
skill or simply let your hair down for the night, Ceroc<br />
CEROC ADDICTION RUNS CLASSES<br />
AROUND THE MIDLANDS AND<br />
BEYOND. PHOTO BY TEL JENKINS<br />
JORDAN AND PARTNER<br />
DAYLE IN COMPETITION.<br />
PHOTO BY GRAHAM FAREY<br />
is guaranteed to give you a night to remember.<br />
“It’s the ability to combine learning with something<br />
really social,” says Jordan. “The fact that you’re<br />
encouraged to rotate partners is a genius idea, and it<br />
means you get so much more out of the experience.<br />
“Ceroc attracts people of all ages and from all walks<br />
of life, from teenagers to people in their eighties, and<br />
with all kinds of backgrounds, which is what makes it<br />
so interesting.<br />
“And it’s knowing that you can come along on your<br />
own and make new friends. When I started I came<br />
along with my mum or a friend because I was so<br />
socially inept I found it difficult to leave the house.<br />
But now I’m happy to go along to a class or freestyle<br />
by myself, which is a huge progression.<br />
“At this point it feels like something I’ve always done;<br />
I can’t really remember life without Ceroc and it’s a<br />
really big part of my life.”<br />
So if you’re looking to embrace Strictly fever,<br />
or just want to give something new a try, then<br />
why not take a chance on dance? It just might<br />
change your life.<br />
Ceroc Addiction’s new class starts at<br />
Brownhills Memorial Hall, Lichfield<br />
Road, Brownhills, on Wednesday<br />
January 16, and the group also runs<br />
classes locally in Stafford on Tuesdays<br />
and Wolverhampton on Thursdays<br />
as well as classes and freestyle dance<br />
events further afield around the<br />
Midlands and North West. For more<br />
information visit www.ceroc.com or<br />
find Ceroc Addiction on Facebook.<br />
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