Attitudes to dance have changed considerably over the past decade, particularly with shows such as Strictly Come Dancing. It is gaining recognition as a way for everyone to improve and maintain their physical health including losing weight, maintaining strong bones and improving posture and balance. In addition, it gives us a sense of well-being, through the physical activity itself and the increased confidence and socialisation it offers.

The Dance Manual gives you a chance to try out some dance styles at home and to find one, or several, that you can enjoy. It provides a simple explanation of the types of dance, gets you started with practice tasks that include popular steps from the genre and finishes with a short dance sequence, which is linked to an online video. Full of clear colour photos and instructions, it helps you master the basics and leads you on to more challenging steps.