Learn at your leisure: it’s never too late

PIC PHIL WILKINSON.TSPL / JOHNSTON PRESS

Scotland's biggest flamenco flashmob to herald start of new just festival

Edinburgh: More than 50 dancers age 18-75 surprised passers-by with a
flamenco flashmob on 1 August as part of the opening events of just festival.

The dancers from all around Edinburgh , put on the performance at the bottom of the Mound. — PIC PHIL WILKINSON.TSPL / JOHNSTON PRESS Scotland's biggest flamenco flashmob to herald start of new just festival Edinburgh: More than 50 dancers age 18-75 surprised passers-by with a flamenco flashmob on 1 August as part of the opening events of just festival. The dancers from all around Edinburgh , put on the performance at the bottom of the Mound.

There’s always room in our lives to learn something new, be it ‘upskilling’ to enhance work prospects or a new leisure activity to take our minds off work for a while. And there’s no shortage of colleges and universities offering evening and weekend courses.

And, with so many varieties and levels, there’s something for everyone from beginner to, well, smug.

Take yoga. Or take up yoga. The bendy stretchy artform has a reputation for being gentle and nontaxing — which it can be in some forms — but yoga can be really energetic as in Ashtanga, which can really work up a sweat. Speaking of which, the current trend for Bikram has classes running in rooms up to 45 degrees centigrade, a bit like yoga in a sauna. But, to really take your yoga workout to another level, why not take it off the floor. No, we’re not talking about elevation (although that may be the next big thing) but hanging upside down in silk swathes suspended from the ceiling.

Similarly, there are also classes using the same techniques to teach aerial and acrobatics routines.

Kirsty Hamilton (maroon top with hair in a bun) of Live-It Dance puts the girls through their paces at Liberton High School

There’s also a weekly juggling class for those who don’t mind venturing over to the west end.

Calligraphy is growing in popularity as more and more people choose to make their own greetings cards and wedding or party invites, as is crafting, upcycling and furniture restoration. Why not sign up for a course at Govanhill baths Rags to Riches sessions.

Want to get your mojo back? Gyms and leisure centres offer classes in spincycling, circuit training, Bodypump and Zoomba. Alternatively, learn to shake your booty to the sounds and moves of Bollywood and bellydancing.

For a change, why not sign up for Flamenco dancing lessons that you can show off to your friends on your next Spanish holiday.

Pic Lisa Ferguson 11/12/2014
Three's A Crowd - harness flying, aerial acrobatics and dance at Dance Base
Front Danuta Ramos
Back l-r Freya Jeffs and Kat Cooley

Three's A Crowd is a new aerial dance theatre show involving harness flying, aerial acrobatics, circus, dance and theatre. The six talented performers will perform a number of extracts from the production following a short rehearsal period ahead of their Scottish tour from the end of January.

Crossing the boundaries between the ground and the air, Threes A Crowd merges aerial skills, including silks and harness, with dance theatre and contemporary circus to create an exciting, challenging and spectacular show that explores human relationships, emotions and how we all affect each other. — Pic Lisa Ferguson 11/12/2014 Three's A Crowd - harness flying, aerial acrobatics and dance at Dance Base Front Danuta Ramos Back l-r Freya Jeffs and Kat Cooley Three's A Crowd is a new aerial dance theatre show involving harness flying, aerial acrobatics, circus, dance and theatre. The six talented performers will perform a number of extracts from the production following a short rehearsal period ahead of their Scottish tour from the end of January. Crossing the boundaries between the ground and the air, Threes A Crowd merges aerial skills, including silks and harness, with dance theatre and contemporary circus to create an exciting, challenging and spectacular show that explores human relationships, emotions and how we all affect each other.

We are blessed with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to martial arts clubs but, sometimes, it helps to mix things up a little by trying something like poledancing fitness classes — just like interval training, a change of pace or style can work different muscles and can also help jolt us out of a training plateau.

For those of us planning a late season break, why not sign up for language classes and learn to do more than order dos cervezas at the pool bar.

A fab foodie favourite is the growing trend for restaurants to offer classes in their menu favourites, from tapas to pakora, pizzas to craft bread, specialist kitchen sessions can re-ignite our flagging relationship with our kitchen while expanding our limited microwave menu to include sushi, koftas and patatas bravas — and that’s just for starters.