For any of y’all that are wondering where Country Fitness Line Dancing (CFLD) started, when & why, here’s the story (take a seat & grab a drink)…
Imagine having your whole world come crashing down around you – your husband walks out, you lose your baby & then you lose your job, all in the space of 4 months. You’re left with a home you can just about pay for, for just a few months & two children to feed. Sounds like one of the good old country songs from the Johnny Cash era doesn’t it… but this ain’t no song you can stick in reverse & you get it all back, this was Lorah’s life in 2024.
Lost & not sure what to do with her life, she turned to something that was familiar & something she knew she would benefit from – exercising. Not crazy hours & hours worth of cardio on a treadmill or pounding the streets like she was on a marathon-training mission. Not sweat-filled gym sessions where legs are left feeling wobbly & you’re light-headed, but walking… walking… & more walking. Podcasts on continuous & a mind in deep thought of where to go from there. Let’s not forget the line dancing whilst cooking in the kitchen most days!
Her love of fitness, & her passion for line dancing since she was seventeen years old, had got her thinking about something she could offer in the town she was living in, which could help others physically & mentally, as it had her. She got her notebook out & started working out what she wanted to give people & therefore what she would need.
She had noticed from different classes she had joined that traditional line dancing classes had become so focused on getting the steps & dances just right, that those who weren’t able to do them had been told to find a different class. The classes she had been to over the years had become a ‘show you once’ with one walk through & then the music went on, which isn’t enough time or practice to learn a dance, easy or complex. People need to be given the time & space for asking questions, to go through steps multiple times to be ready to try with music. She had years of line dancing behind her but even she’d have liked more than one walk through. She had decided that she wanted:
- affordable classes for everyone so they could go to more than one a week if they wanted to in order to maximise their physical & mental fitness,
- local halls (charitable bodies) so she could support the local community facilities & keep them open,
- classes suitable for all ages,
- inclusive for all abilities & needs,
- where both beginners & advanced line dancers would feel comfortable,
- welcoming for those being brave & coming by themselves or coming with friends/families,
- &, most importantly, where people could just come & have fun.
10th January 2025 was the first CFLD class in Shaftesbury’s little Band Hall in Dorset & it was completely maxed out with attendees. It was unbelievable! Steps were broken down, explained, gone through multiple times & modifications given for those who couldn’t perform a certain movement. The class was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. After a couple of weeks like that, requests started piling in for other days, other halls, other villages! The notebook came back out & a plan was formulated with new halls contacted & new classes set up. In a short amount of time, she was doing six classes a week & still had other villages contacting her for classes.
Something else that had been noticed is that, for almost all fitness activities/classes, the Instructors taking them needed to be qualified in that area in order to be insured. This isn’t the case in the line dancing world, as its not officially regulated like fitness or dancing is. This always bothered Lorah as she knew of many line dancing classes where the Instructor/Teacher wasn’t qualified in any area, not even fitness, & some not even being insured or having up to date first aid, safeguarding or enhanced DBS checks; which is dangerous everyone involved in that class. So, mid-way through 2025, Lorah had a series of meetings with UK Coaching & 1st4Sport regarding a qualification course.
A course that drew upon Lorah’s many fitness qualifications (& there are lots!) & her years of line dancing. It was designed to bring fitness & line dancing together so attendees could enjoy the fun & mentally challenging side of learning line dances with the physical fitness benefits of exercise. Something, which traditional line dancing doesn’t focus on.
The meeting & the course hoped to begin to set a baseline & precedence for those wanting to do line dancing classes with fitness in mind.
The Country Fitness Instructor course was written & fully endorsed by UK Coaching & 1st4Sport towards the end of 2025. The first course was booked in, capped at four students to ensure quality Tutoring by Lorah & the best Learner experience . All four students qualified in November’25 & now out Instructing their own classes – many for the Wild Active branch of TheWildCo.
The Country Fitness Instructor course allows students to either join TheWildCo or go it alone & set up their own classes with the knowledge & training that they are fully qualified to do so, as well as the confidence that they are supported by the CFLD community. More qualified classes out there, aimed at benefitting people mentally as well as physically, can only be a fantastic thing. After all, these classes were originally set up by Lorah in her local town for the same reason. That continuing ethos is valued & something the brand is recognised for.
Those who would like to become a Country Fitness Instructor through the course are encouraged to have prior line dancing experience, regardless of any fitness background (as teaching the steps is more difficult than it looks!). Anyone who is already doing line dancing classes but keen to become a Country Fitness Instructor can do so via RPL/RPE (relevant prior learning/experience). We have been asked why anyone would want to get qualified for something they’re already doing – simply, because it shows an industry standard for attendees of the classes. Plus, the added benefits of getting advertised on the website (below) & not having to rely on social media or flyers, having a direct booking link to their classes, training, meet-ups & more. A lovely community.
Due to the growing number of CFLD classes & Instructor courses, it was recommended that the name Country Fitness Line Dancing & logo was officially Trademarked; to protect the brand that had so much background, passion & following to it. This was completed in May 2025 & the website, www.CountryFitness.uk, was officially set up shortly afterwards. The idea behind the website was to bring Country Fitness Line Dancing classes together in one space from all over the UK as ‘the place to go to’ to find classes near you.
So, as y’all have read, from something so terribly heart breaking & tragic grew something truly amazing. It is still continuing to grow tremendously & we welcome students, Instructors, class attendees, collaborators, potential Tutors & more into our wonderful future. These classes have already benefitted so many people & we hope they will continue to grow & expand into new areas of the UK.
TheWildCo 