Embarrassing Dance Lessons with Love Island's Curtis Pritchard: Cha Cha & Heart Rate Challenge

When Curtis Pritchard hit UK screens with his iconic hip swivel and carnival flair on Love Island, hearts were sent racing and the girls were left fanning away in awe.

And it is safe to say that he cemented to the boys that women love a man who can dance, but it was soon made obvious that not everyone can shake their hips in the way he can.

As a former rigid ballet enthusiast who could pop a hip during the intro of Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie, I was one of those whose jaw hit the floor when he showcased his unapologetic snake hips.

Which is why when given the chance to join the former Islander for a sunny Cha Cha lesson outside Battersea Powerstation, I practically leapt at the chance to get some one-on-one tips to perfect that iconic moment.

Meeting the professional dancer and boxing enthusiast over the weekend, I joined a handful of other dancing hopefuls looking to spice up their moves in time for summer – it is safe to say that I was quickly humbled.

Strutting into the square outside the iconic BPS, sweating buckets in a black dress under 30°C heat, it hit me — I’d made a huge mistake.

When Curtis Pritchard hit UK screens with his iconic hip swivel and carnival flair on Love Island, hearts were sent racing and the girls were left fanning away in awe

And it is safe to say that he cemented to the boys that women love a man who can dance, but it was soon made obvious that not everyone can shake their hips in the way he can (Me pictured with Curtis)

Dancing in front of a huge yellow boombox, packed with shoppers and Love Island fans, there was Curtis clearly on a mission as his hips were swinging with such commitment you’d think he was grafting for the final recoupling.

With every cha-cha step, his pelvis painted invisible figure-eights alongside a fellow dancer who matched his energy beat for beat — all frills, sass, and the kind of footwork that would have Michael Jackson raising an eyebrow and taking notes.

It was at this moment that reality set in – not only was I going to look like a fish out of water, but I was going to do it in front of both Curtis and thousands of people passing by throughout the day.

Starting off ‘slow’, Curtis and his assistant demonstrated the first step-to-step move, which, while looking easy on stage, had me tripping under my feet and nearly falling on a fellow nervous-looking novice.

While courteous and running the seemingly simple steps twice over at different levels, I still hadn’t managed to grasp it.

But putting my ‘best’ foot forward, I continued on to, which saw the move transition into a quick double forward stepping motion, which was actually my best move in reflection.

Still looking like Bambi on ice, I attempted a brave face and strongly believed that if my willpower allowed me to get through the next 45 seconds, I would be looking like a semi-professional in no time.

As a former rigid ballet enthusiast who could pop a hip during the intro of Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie, I was one of those whose jaw hit the floor when he showcased his unapologetic snake hips

With every cha-cha step, his pelvis painted invisible figure-eights alongside a fellow dancer who matched his energy beat for beat

Starting off ‘slow’, Curtis and his assistant demonstrated the first step-to-step move, which, while looking easy on stage, had me tripping under my feet and nearly falling on a fellow novice

Which is why when given the chance to join the former Islander for a sunny Cha Cha lesson outside Battersea Powerstation, I practically leapt at the chance to get some one-on-one tips

Meeting him over the weekend, I joined a handful of other dancing hopefuls looking to spice up their moves in time for summer – it is safe to say that I was quickly humbled

Spoiler alert, this was not the case. Before I knew it, I was swirling my hips in what was supposed to be a circle but in fact resembled more of a square as I waved my arms in the air looking like I started my working day with a bottle of wine for breakfast.

Safe to say, Cha Cha is not for me and I am thankful I did not follow through on my childhood dreams of being a dancer.

Curtis is now putting all his effort into his boxing, finance education business and his collaboration with Lipton for their Kombucha launch alongside Wes Nelson.

They celebrated the launch of the new Lipton Kombucha range with free dance lessons at a giant boombox.

Hosted at Battersea Power Station, the ‘Komboomcha Box’ offered a day of feel-good tunes and activities to reignite the nation’s love for dancing.

Dancing in the public eye once again, Curtis kicked off the day uniting with a professional dance instructor to teach the public cha-cha dance moves.

The free lessons aimed to get the nation dancing again, after new research from Lipton Ice Tea revealed that half of Brits are terrified to dance out in public, despite 7 in 10 people feeling happier after dancing.

Curtis said: ‘I’m thrilled to have teamed up with Lipton Ice Tea to help the nation rediscover the joy of dance with the Lipton Kombucha.

‘For me, dancing has always been a source of happiness and confidence, so it’s been fantastic to join forces with Wes and share that energy with everyone at Battersea Power Station.

‘Whether you’re a pro or just fancy a bit of fun, we should all welcome in the summer with an uplifting cha-cha-cha!’

Curtis is now putting all his effort into his boxing, finance education business and his collaboration with Lipton for their Kombucha launch alongside Wes Nelson

They celebrated the launch of the new Lipton Kombucha range with free dance lessons at a giant boombox

Curtis and Wes took to the boombox stage for the first-ever live performance of his new track ‘Kombucha-cha’, which launched alongside a dance-led music video shot in Camden Market.

Alongside this, Wes played his tracks Drive, Nice To Meet Ya, Yellow and Fly Away before uniting with Curtis on stage.

The feel-good vibes continued throughout the day, as Londoners were treated to a curated feel-good playlist, and free samples of Lipton Kombucha; a vibrant blend of naturally fermented tea, live cultures, and real fruit flavours.

Available in three delicious flavours; Strawberry Mint, Raspberry and Mango Passionfruit, the feel-good vibe goes hand in hand with the happy sensation of dancing, making you feel alive with teas that are bursting with life.