Not that long ago, a New Zealand man who got kitted up in a frilly shirt and shimmied around a dance floor could have expected a few sniggers. But popular TV shows like Dancing With The Stars have changed all that, especially since the winner of the first series was former All Blacks strongman Norm Hewitt.

Many traditional dance forms, such as ballroom, ballet, jazz and contemporary, have always been on offer. The Royal New Zealand Ballet, for example, is a well-respected company that tours nationally and internationally. A more recent influence on dance is the changing ethnicity of the population, with Latin forms becoming particularly popular. Perhaps the biggest movement is among the young, who are flocking to hip-hop and street classes in droves.

Whether you’re dancing for fun or exercise, or training for a career, New Zealand dance teachers have got it covered and many teach more than one form of dance. DANZ (www.danz.org.nz, 04 801 9885 or 09 815 1420) is the national organisation for dance in New Zealand.