My name’s Paul Badrick, I’m a 34 year old fully qualified line dance instructor with 15 years line dancing experience as both dancer and instructor, based in Durham.

For a social night out with friends and family, I went to my first line dancing class back in October 1996 and have been hooked ever since.

I started attending classes five nights a week and in August 1997, went to the very first "Chance To Dance" festival hosted by the Dean Brothers at Harrogate where I found I had a real passion for this hobby. 

Not only was I enjoying learning the dances and participating in the classes and festivals, I realised I had an aptitude for explaining the dances and teaching them to others.  A small number of dancers wanted to learn more up to date dances which were popular at festivals so I started teaching one class a week.

Gradually more people heard of the class and started to come along - that was when I started teaching more seriously.  I took exams with the Scottish Western Academy Of Dance (S.W.A.D.) in March 1998. The S.W.A.D. has since folded so I am now a member of the Best Western Dance Academy.

Over the years I have taught many classes in different locations, because of work demands, I now teach once a week.  I have a loyal following, with many of my class having been with me since day one.

As well as being a keen line dancer and teacher, I have also choreographed my own dances.  In May 1999, I entered a dance I choreographed (called Limbo Rock) into Ann Napier's (S.W.A.D.) choreography competition up in Dalkeith.   The dance was one of over 60 entries and made it to the last eight.  At the final, the choreographers demonstrated their dances and my dance was announced as the winner.  After the competition, I changed the name of the dance to "Eruption" and put it to Volcano by Jimmy Buffet (from Toe The Line 4).  Please see the “My Choreography” link above for further details of my dances.

I have a real passion for line dancing and encourage anyone who’s never tried it to come along and meet me and my class to find out for themselves what it’s all about and how much fun it really is.