An island dance school has taken new steps to offer more services.

In Motion School of Dance has introduced Body in Motion, a movement studio aimed at improving general health and fitness.

Lizz Pimentel, director of the school, said: “In Motion is in its 19th year and we have always aimed to be very progressive.

“It’s a natural move for us to open up a movement studio in the dance studio.”

She added: “It’s a warm and welcoming environment and geared towards people who might be nervous. If it’s someone’s first time doing something like this, great, we’re happy to have them.”

The new class is designed to help people get fitter, using a combination of yoga, pilates and barre — the traditional warm up exercises for ballet dancers.

Ms Pimentel said: “It’s geared more towards adults. In Motion is dance training, performance and choreography, so it’s different.

“Travelling overseas, I’ve seen a big movement towards people looking at their health, mind and body health. It’s one of these things I thought would be beneficial for the island.”

Body in Motion opened up a few weeks ago at the In Motion studio on Reid Street.

Ms Pimentel said: “We wanted to branch out to test the waters to see if there was a demand and the response and reception has been extraordinary.”

The classes are run by movement teacher Natalie Flood and ballet mistress Jennifer Spafford.

Ms Spafford said: “It’s important to bring something that was adult fitness-based and affordable as well.

“We offer a wide range of classes for a reasonable amount of money so we’re making fitness accessible to a wide range of people. It shouldn’t cost a lot to be healthy.”

Ms Flood said that the yoga element of the classes used the vinyasa technique, which means “flow” and is inspired by dance and pilates movements.

Ms Spafford added: “We were both dancers first, so everything flows and is dance-based.

“Our whole campaign is ‘love your body’ and we’re recommending three classes per week for three weeks and people will start noticing a difference.”

She added that the classes were designed to benefit a wide range of age and fitness levels and for people “

Ms Flood said: “People come out because they like the challenge of the classes — when they start to see these small differences and they make it through the ab or the core sequences, which they couldn’t before, they really begin to enjoy it.”