In certain parts of England during the 1980s, women danced around their handbags, their accessory cleverly doubling as a focal point to centre their moves around and acting in lieu of an able-bodied or willing partner.

The menfolk meanwhile would typically look on from the safety of the bar, beer glass firmly in hand, with the other buried in a pocket. At first glance he looked incredibly indifferent and uncomfortable, and even perhaps like he had just soiled his pants.

If you were to look carefully at this curious creature however, you would be able to tell whether he was enjoying the song.

Is his head nodding in an approximate rhythm of the beat? If so, he is in fact enjoying the music. If however, his lips are pursed, with bottom lip protruding and bobbing his head, then he is literally lovin' it.

With the advent of the ironically named Dance music, things have changed somewhat, but men and women still rarely dance with each other. Now the party people are so totally absorbed that they tend to vibrate and shake on their own all eyes fixed upon the demi-god that is the nightclub DJ.

Wouldn?t it be nicer for both genders if the aforementioned beer-sipping male sat his glass down and confidently strode up to the woman and asked her to dance?

French-born Didier Bastion and his partner Onuma Wasin from Nakhorn Sri Tamarat are however working hard to ensure the problem is not replicated in Phuket, by teaching its inhabitants to dance.

Didier said, ?We would love to make a bigger dancing community in Phuket. It?s very small here as there are not many places or teachers. They open for a short time and then close, so we are very lucky to have found the Green Man.?

The English style pub located in Chalong is holding weekly free beginner and intermediate salsa classes on Tuesday evenings, from 6.30pm and 7.15pm respectively.

For Anna, teaching the local Thai community how to dance in such an expressive manner is especially difficult, ?In general Thai people are very shy and don?t really dance except in the Ram Thai traditional style. This does help with the elegance and the presentation of international dancing though.?

For Didier, the classes are not just about learning how to dance but also about learning the perfect accompaniment to good food and wine, ?The social aspect is integral to salsa. You can meet people you would never normally meet. It also changes you as a person. There are no rich and poor people. Just dancers. Dancing is universal.?

Khun Anna added that although having natural rhythm is a benefit, it is not essential, ?Salsa is an easy dance to learn as it?s very free flowing. It?s also a great way of keeping fit, and keeping your womanly shape.?

So while there were still a few embarrassed smiles from the women and a little bit of masculine arm-folding and gum-chewing from the chaps, it was plain to see that everybody was having a good time. Perhaps just a few steps away from creating a Phuket dance community of the likes that Anna and Didier are dreaming of.

Other dance studios on the island:

Katherine Dance Studio
Land & House Park Phuket
81/36 Chaofa Road, Chalong
Phuket. Tel: 076 288 672 or 081-535-9806
Open every day from 8 am - 8 pm
Jazz and Hip Hop dance


Danz Steps Dance Studio
2/14 New Deebuk Road Taladyai, Muang Phuket 83000
Tel: 076 213659, 076 213661
Open everyday from 9am- 9pm
Ballet, Jazz, ContemporaryTap Dance, Classical Thai Dance, Cover Dance,DANCERCISE Jazzercise
Hip Hop, B-Boy, DANCERCISE Latin Dance