Cassie is making the big jump on her hen party before taking a more superstitious risk, by marrying her fiancé Daniel Barnard on Friday 13^th. The date is five years to the day after the couple first met, and Cassie told the local Sunday Mercury newspaper that after plunging to the earth from a plane, any wedding day nerves will seem like small fry.

“My heart will be pounding, I’ll have butterflies, I’ll probably be panicking about what if the parachute doesn’t open – but I’m just going to do it,” she admitted.

“I’m going to be scared in case I trip up walking down the aisle and speaking in public but if I can get through the parachute jump I’ll be alright on the wedding day. My friends have said I’m the bravest bride-to-be in Britain.”

To stay partially in line with hen party tradition, however, Cassie will be wearing a sash when she makes her jump.

“My friends are just going to watch – they’re not brave enough to do it as well. They said ‘you’re mad!’,” she revealed.

Take That themed dance class

Back in the early 90’s they dominated the popular charts and their faces filled the walls of millions of teenage girls throughout the UK. 20 years later and the boys are back (this time as very handsome men) and they now have an even wider appeal than ever before. I am of course talking about Take That!

In total, the group have had 27 top 40 singles and 16 top 5 singles in the United Kingdom alone, 11 of which have reached number 1, as well as having seven number 1 albums. It seems that the 4 of them can do no wrong and continue to go from strength to strength. Most recently after Robbie’s short return to the band, Mr Gary Barlow became the head judge on ITV1’s The X Factor and went on to impress his fans with his straight talking ways.  And ladies, isn’t he just getting better looking every day?

If you’re wanting an activity that’s fun and a little bit different for your hen party but aren’t sure what will appease all your hens, then a Take That hen party dance class may just be the answer you’re looking for!

Take That’s music is now loved by so many – almost everyone is a fan of at least a couple of their songs. Whether it be their dance floor favourite’s such as ‘Relight My Fire’, ‘It Only Takes A Minute Girl’ and ‘Could It Be Magic’, their heart wrenching ballads such as ‘Back For Good’, ‘Love Ain’t Here Anymore’ and ‘Million Love Songs’ or their fantastic most recent hits such as ‘Patience’, ‘Greatest Day’ and ‘Rule The World’, you can’t go far wrong with their music!

A Take That hen party dance class is all about allowing your hens to let their hair down and have as much fun as possible while going back to their teenage years to when they used to copy all the dance routines on ‘Top of the Pops’ while drooling over their favourite member.

It seems the UK’s love for Gary, Mark, Robbie, Jason or Howard is as present today as it ever was with their most recent album titled ‘Progress’ debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and becoming the fastest-selling album of the century and the second fastest-selling album of all-time!  The album was then toured only last summer and was a huge success for the band. It was the first tour since 1995 where all five original members performed together. In its infancy, the tour accomplished many accolades including selling 1.34 million tickets in less than 24 hours. The tour quickly became the biggest tour in the United Kingdom, beating Michael Jackson’s This Is It with demand for tickets a reported 30 times higher for Progress Live. They played 8 nights each at the City of Manchester Stadium and also Wembley Stadium – breaking the previous Wembley Stadium record held by Michael Jackson’s Bad World Tour set in 1988. These eight nights at Wembley Stadium saw Take That break the record for the highest-grossing residency by grossing £38 million ($61 million) from their respective London dates alone. At the conclusion of 2011, the tour was placed on Billboard’s annual, “Top 25 Tours”, and appeared third worldwide, earning over $180 million dollars with 29 shows.

Why not complete your Take That hen party experience by spending your hen party weekend in one of the major cities that Take That toured in last year. The tour travelled to Sunderland, Manchester, Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow, Birmingham and London. At Magic Steps we hold out hen parties in all the major cities which means you can take your pick!

Relieve the magical moves of your favourite boyband while having fun with friends and family at your Take That hen party dance class. Who could forget the first time you saw the boys doing their full dance routine to ‘Pray’ back in the 90’s? Well now it’s time for you to learn the moves yourself and allow yourself to become one of Take That’s very own sexy backing dancers.

During the Take That dance class you will have heaps of fun and build your confidence learning great Take That dance moves to put together and create a fantastic final routine. You can take these moves out on your hen night, a girly night or even show them off at the wedding!

The Take That hen party is one example of the style of dance lessons we provide here at Magic Steps Dance Company. Our choreographers can work with you to produce magical hen parties for any dance style that suits your favourite song.

Hen party dance lessons are normally 2 hours long. This includes signing disclaimer forms, warm-up and warm down exercises.

Your dance class will be held in a private dance studio, function room or bar.

There are plenty of opportunities for photographs and videos, so don’t forget your cameras.

So what are you waiting for? For the chance to treat your hens to something completely different and relieve their favourite 90’s boyband tracks, book the Take That hen party dance session 

Vicki Martin will be leading a 10-strong group of friends and family on a half-triathlon for her hen night in order to keep fit, have fun and raise cash for the charity Mencap. She told the local paper that she wished her hen party to be “constructive” and a little different, adding: “Also, a lot of my friends have children and if a hen do was in Spain for three days they couldn’t go and leave their children at home.”

“They could come out for an hour’s training for the triathlon, keep fit and look slim for my wedding. I have lost two stones from running and dieting.”

Ms Martin has previously run the Bath Half Marathon and climbed to the top of Mount Everest, so she is no stranger to gruelling physical tests. Her hen party guests have been a little more wary, but fantastically “supportive”, especially her head bridesmaid, according to the bride-to-be.

The half-triathlon takes place on July 14 in Devizes, after which the hen party takes on a more traditional tone, with a boat trip and meal out in the evening.

Six-year-old Drew Hansen joined participants at the US town’s Soundview Restaurant for the Friday night fundraiser, which took the form of an 80s party and karaoke bash. Although the little girl was only born in 2006, she looked the part, sporting a snow-washed denim jacket, ra-ra skirt and ponytail with a pink scrunchie!

Drew was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease – a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract – at the age of 4, and suffers constant stomach and joint pain. The 80s dance party fundraiser raised over $4,000 for her and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, with the money going to Drew’s mother Martha’s half-marathon minimum donation fee of $6,000 for the June 2 run in Virginia.

The fundraiser 80s party ended up attracting hundreds of people to the restaurant, the local press reported, who danced the night away, regardless of whether they were old enough to remember the 80s first-hand!

Tired of the same old hen party ideas? Wanting your hen party to stand out from the rest and be the trend setter?  More and more hens are saying to me that they want to keep away from all the same old gimmicks such as blow up dolls and flashing hen boppers and stick to something a little classier.

Rest assured if this is you, there is a way! There’s 100s of different vintage hen party ideas to choose from  that will leave your friends and family remembering your hen party for years to come – for all the right reasons! Swap loud and vulgar for glamour and sophistication and give your hens a far more fun experience for everyone to get involved with. This by no means equals boring. Your groups can engage in fun activities that will have all your party laughing such as burlesque dance classes, fascinator making and go back to classic 50’s glamour with special tea parties.

Your hen party doesn’t have to take place in a loud, overcrowded and grotty nightclub surrounded by letching men. Nobody really enjoys that! Why not let your group spend quality time together and participate in exciting new activities while trying things out you’d never normally get the opportunity to do so in normal day to day lives!

Below are just some of the fresh and exciting ideas you could try out to ensure your friends have the ultimate vintage hen party that they’ll never forget.

Burlesque and Charleston Hen Party Dance Class

A hugely popular vintage hen party idea that allows your group the chance to completely let their hair down and bring out their inner confidence as they are whipped into a saucy dance troupe is Burlesque hen parties. These sessions are not to be taken too seriously and are all about the group having lots of fun while trying out something that little bit different. A burlesque dance hen party class is a fantastic, fun and exciting group activity and guarantees a giggle.

During your Burlesque hen party you will have fun and build confidence learning some sexy Burlesque moves to put together and create a fantastic routine. You can take these moves out on your hen night, girly night out or even home!

The Burlesque hen dance party is one example of the style of dance lessons we provide here at ‘Magic Steps’. Our choreographers can work with you to produce magical hen dance parties for any dance style that suits your favourite song.

Burlesque Hen party dance lessons are normally 2 hours long. This includes fun warm-up and warm down exercises.

Your Burlesque dance class can be held in a private dance studio, function room, bar or even at your own home if you would prefer. There are plenty of opportunities for photographs and videos, so don’t forget your cameras.

Another tremendously popular Vintage hen party dance class is the Charleston session. In this class you can transport your group back to the 1920’s and learn this stylish form of dance while having heaps of fun! All hen party dance classes encourage fancy dress too to really get you and your group into the spirit of things!

Hen Party dance classes are becoming more and more popular and here at ‘Magic Steps’ we know that hens are thoroughly enjoying their classes with us due to the amount of very positive emails and letters we receive from happy hens! Learn more and book your hen party today here.

Tea Parties

Of all the fun antics to be had on a hen party, we know that the ‘getting ready’ is one of the most enjoyable bits! Painting your nails and applying your make-up with a glass of Champagne in hand is a truly bliss experience , so why not step it up a gear and host a proper tea party with all the trimmings?

You can get your hen group together nice and early and get ready together while eating éclairs, a selection of sandwiches, cups of tea and pink champagne on ice. To add to the experience, why not hire in some vintage crockery to really feel the part?

Fascinator Making

Fascinator workshops introduce you to the skills and techniques involved in producing these elegant fashion accessories.

The goal of the workshop is for you to make your own unique fascinator or cocktail hat in a fun and relaxed group setting, tutored and guided through the creative process by an experienced milliner.

The workshops cater for all abilities, so whether you’ve never threaded a needle in your life or you’re sewing-mad you can guarantee that everyone gets the most out of the experience.

These are just some of the many ways in which you can make your Vintage themed  hen party a fun and exciting experience for all. Create your vintage hen party today and treat your girls to a glamorous and elegant event!

Clark suffered a fatal heart attack while attending St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California, for an outpatient procedure last Wednesday, bringing to an end a career presenting dance party television that spanned an incredible 56 years!

His signature American Bandstand show first began as a local Philadelphia programme in 1956, and was soon syndicated nationally. His enthusiasm for the budding rock and roll scene earnt him the soubriquet of “America’s oldest living teenager.”

Soul legend Aretha Franklin recalled that “if you didn’t go on ‘American Bandstand,’ you hadn’t made it yet,” while singer Tony Orlando declared that “only God is responsible for making more stars than Dick Clark.”

Join in the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ craze and spice up your dance moves with a Latin American twist! Get Salsa dancing

Thanks to hugely popular television dancing shows such as BBC1’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, salsa dancing has increased in popularity throughout the UK over the last decade and everybody wants to learn how to do it. Salsa dancing can be heaps of fun and is a perfect option for a hen party dance class or a birthday party dance class. Here at Magic Steps we have seen a huge rise in popularity for this theme and it seems people can’t get enough of salsa!

So what is this style of dance and where did it come from? Well, Salsa is a Latin dance form with origins from the Cuban Son and Afro-Cuban dance. Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are forms such as a line dance form “Salsa suelta”, where the dancers dance individually and a round dance form “Rueda de Casino” where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle. Salsa can be improvised or performed with a set routine, choreography and freestyle.

Salsa dances are commonly held in night clubs, ballrooms, restaurants, and outside, especially if part of an outdoor festival. Salsa dancing is an international dance that can be found in most metropolitan cities in the world.

Salsa dancing is a fun form of dance that everybody can engage in and thoroughly enjoy no matter what their age or ability! Many popular films including the classic ‘Dirty Dancing’ feature this style of dance and as the celebrities show us on a Saturday night on ‘Strictly’, anybody can conquer the moves if they put their mind to it.

If you were lucky enough to catch the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Live tour this year in either Birmingham, Nottingham, London, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Cardiff, Dublin or Belfast you’ll have seen the level of energy and passion that is put into this form of dancing and just how effective it really is.

You can learn how to do this too. Why not make your hen party that little bit different and allow your hen’s to discover the inner salsa within them? Here at Magic Steps you can get ready to move those hips, as your Salsa dance instructor takes you through a series of moves that you can put together to create your very own fantastic Salsa dance routine.

You will learn a mix of salsa and Latin American choreography that will have you twirling and twisting around the dance floor.

This Salsa class is tailored for beginners and the aim is to have fun whilst learning to salsa.

During the Salsa hen party experience your group will have lots of fun and build confidence learning some sizzling salsa moves to put together and create a fantastic salsa routine. You can take these moves out on your hen night, a girly night or even at the wedding.

Salsa Hen party experiences are approximately 2 hours long including a fun warm-up and warm-down session. Choreographers can work with you to produce magical hen parties for any dance style that suits your favourite song. Your Salsa dance class will be held in a private dance studio, function room or bar.

There are plenty of opportunities for photographs and videos in your Salsa dance party, so don’t forget your cameras.

One of the most popular music choices for our hens to learn their routine to is the songs by the ‘Gypsy Kings’. Give yourselves that truly authentic feel as you salsa away to this summer feel good music.

Your Salsa dancing experience doesn’t have to stop there! There are plenty of regular salsa dance classes that can be taken and every city has a Salsa bar that you can show your moves off that you’ve learnt.

So begin your Salsa journey today and book your hen party or birthday party dance class with us and learn this exciting sassy form of Salsa dance.

To make your night out with the girls all the more exciting, why not visit the city of Glasgow and have a weekend break you’ll never forget! The city’s nightlife is vibrant with many stylish bars to choose from all located within walking distance to one another so there’s plenty of options for you all. Perfect for Hen party weekends or even birthday party weekends, Glasgow’s city centre can guarantee the hen or birthday girl will have an exciting fun packed weekend.

Surrounded by history, Glasgow offers hen parties and birthday parties a touch of class as they hit the town to celebrate with their friends and family. The city centre is based on a grid system of streets, similar to that of Barcelona or American cities, on the north bank of the River Clyde.

The heart of the city is George Square, site of many of Glasgow’s public statues and the elaborate Victorian Glasgow City Chambers, headquarters of Glasgow City Council. If you and the girls fancy taking the opportunity to browse the shops while on your girlie weekend, popular shopping precincts of Argyle Street, Sauchiehall Street and Buchanan Street, featuring upmarket retailers and winner of the Academy of Urbanism ‘Great Street Award’ 2008 are all close by!

Here at Magic Steps Dance Company, we can complete your hen party experience by offering you dance classes in the very heart of Glasgow’s city centre. We regularly use some of the most popular bars and venues in Glasgow to base your hen party dance class experience in the centre of all the action. Our Hen Party dance classes are designed to be an exciting and different hen party idea and a great way to start your hen weekend in Glasgow. A Hen dance class is a fabulous way for all your hens to get to know each other and whip them all into a sexy dance troupe before continuing on with the rest of your planned activities for the weekend! You will learn your own Hen party dance routine that you could perform at the wedding or on the dance floor on your hen night out around the bars and clubs in Glasgow. Our Hen dance parties range from Back to the 80’s, Dirty Dancing, Thriller a showgirl routine to your very own Pussy Cat doll group.

We can guarantee your hen party will leave our dance session with a smile on their faces as they hit Glasgow city for the rest of their hen weekend.

When you have finished your hen party dance class, feel free to check out some of the hundreds of diverse nightlife hot-spots spread throughout the bustling districts of the city, guaranteed to meet the preferences of your hen party.
Within the city centres, areas such as Sauchiehall Street boast a selection of clubs, all of which serving food and operating late hours every night of the week. Bar Kandi, Kushion bar & night club, All Bar one, and Mosquito are some of the most stylish bars in the area, while popular amongst the younger and student crowds are Bunker, Bloc, Driftwood and Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, a busy rock bar.
For the summer months, many bars within the city feature large outdoor seating areas or ‘beer gardens’, for example The Lab  or Babbity Bowster, perfect for your hen party to be able to sit outside and socialize in the sunnier weather.

For the more mature crowd, the West End and the Merchant City districts offer an air of style and sophistication. The West End’s popular Ashton lane, a short cobble-stoned road, is filled to the brim with bars such as The Loft and Vodka Wodka. Parallel is Byres road, which offers even more variety, amongst which is Ņran Mór, a derelict Church converted into a stylish restaurant, bar and nightclub.

The Merchant City, often considered the cultural heart of the city due to its abundance of museums, art galleries and chic cafés, is also a reputable nightlife hot-spot. Stylish bars such as Corinthian and Tiger, Tiger as well as a large Gala Casino (of which there are many around the city) make it a popular destination. The Merchant city is also host to a vibrant selection of Gay bars and nightclubs, including Moda, Delamonica’s and perhaps the most famous The Polo Lounge.

After your fun hen or birthday weekend of partying, dancing and shopping in Glasgow’s city centre you’ll be pleased to know there’s a whole host of different hotels to choose from nearby. Popular hotels such as the Hilton, Glasgow Lofts, Marriot and Menzie’s are all located close by along with very affordable hotels including hotel Ibis and Holiday Inn.

We are sure that Glasgow’s City Center will offer the perfect destination for any hen party weekend or birthday party weekend for you and your ladies to have a weekend away to remember!

Book your hen party dance class today and you can experience Glasgow for yourselves!

Martine is due to marry musician Jack McManus soon, and celebrated her forthcoming nuptials with style – her hen night saw the Love Actually actress and her pals dress up in trouser suits and stilettos to promenade along the River Seine – mirroring the riverside setting of her fiancé’s proposal by the banks of the Thames last December.

They laughed and sang, sporting red heart-shaped balloons, before taking to the restaurants and bars of Paris for the evening’s hen night fun.

The engagement party sounded every bit as fun – if not more, since it turned into something of a dance party with a Bohemian/New Romantic-theme. Guests dressed up as their favourite heroes of the 1980s, such as Adam Ant or Duran Duran, before dancing the night away.

It’s only one “street salsa dancer”’s opinion, but it’s a good start – and a great opportunity to see some of the greatest salsa performers in the world doing what they are best at.

If you’re getting ready for a salsa hen party, fire yourself up with this video, while we give you the low-down on who’s who…

10. Angelo Rito – This young man is quite a dance phenomenon in his native Italy, where he is a master of jazz, contemporary dance and flamenco, as well as salsa. He often choreographs shows for Italian National TV.
9. Cesar Perez – Little known except by aficionados, New Yorker Cesar is an underground star, wowing the crowds at salsa dance parties.
8. Junior Araujo – Another native of New York City, Junior is known for his wild and inventive routines.
7. Eric Baez – Based in Orlando, Florida, this director, choreographer, performer and former Eddie Torres dancer founded the Universal Mambo Dance Academy.
6. Franklin Diaz – It seems as if the Big Apple has an unlimited supply of salsa greats! Also in the Eddie Torres Dance company at one time, Franklin is seen as an innovator, thanks to his unique Flamenco/Salsa style.
5. Eddie Torres – He’s trained thousands of salsa dancers through his dance school, and also runs a children’s dance program that teaches around 300 kids a year.
4. Juan Matos – Originally from the Dominican Republic, Juan “Pachanga” Matos dreamt of being a top salsa dancer, training hard until his dreams had come true. Today he lives, teaches and dances in – you guessed it – New York City!
3. Adolfo Indacochea – This Peruvian is famed for his smooth and unique style, combining traditional mambo with elements of modern jazz, flamenco, and ballroom.
2. Delille Thomas – One of the most popular salsa instructors in NYC, Delille was one of the principal dancers for the Eddie Torres Dance Troupe back in 1987 and has been teaching his brand of mambo since 1992. In the past he has danced for the likes of Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Vanessa Williams, Barry Manilow, Rita Moreno and former US President George DW Bush.
1. Vittico Pacheco – It’s inevitable that the number one salsa dancer is based in New York – in this case the Bronx. Dominican Vittico learnt to dance after moving to Puerto Rico in the 1980s.