Bar Restaurante Asturias at Punta Prima Costa Blanca Near Torrevieja

Bar Restaurante El Castillo
La Escuera and La Marina.

Entertainment in Spain
and Eating Out on
The Costa Blanca

Bar Restaurante Asturias at Punta Prima Costa Blanca Near Torrevieja

Mary and Barry.

Mary Manock has been successfully running dancing classes with her husband Barry for the past year in the Asturias Restaurant. However, Mary and Barry are not just your normal teachers. This couple won the British Senior Latin American Championship in 1985, and just about every other competition going that year.

Mary was a late-comer to dancing. She did not start until the age of 30 and then, it was almost by accident. Mary’s children started going to dance classes, in Stockport, Manchester, where they lived. After a few months her daughter said, “Mummy, there’s an old persons’ class.” It took Mary nine months to talk her husband into going to dance classes and even then he only agreed because the next door neighbours decided to go too. “It was the best thing we’ve ever done,” says Mary. “My husband was hopeless at first, but we kept at it because we enjoyed it. We had such a laugh.”

After about three years of attending lessons their teacher talked them into entering a competition. Mary was 33 at the time. “We were too nervous and didn’t make the next round, but we caught the bug.” After that they started dancing five times a week, determined to improve. They would go to private classes in Liverpool one evening a week and practice all the other evenings whilst Mary’s aunties helped out a lot with looking after the children. ”

When Mary and Barry started entering the competitions they went into the beginners’ category. However after just six weeks they started winning a lot and so were put in with the intermediates. They worked their way up until in 1985, aged 39, they won everything in the UK. They had gone from zero to champions in just nine years.

The competitions were long and hard work. “Sometimes you would be on your feet for 12 hours. You would forget about the time though, adrenaline would keep you going.” The dancing style was Ballroom and Latin. Obviously the costumes had to be eye-catching and Mary used to make her own outfits, but it was an expensive hobby. “My dresses would cost up to 400 pounds a time. I would order sequins and sew them all on by hand.”

Mary and Barry’s claim to fame is to have danced in the Albert Hall of which Mary says; “it was like dancing in a well; everyone looking down at you from up above.” The couple came fourth in the International Senior Latin American Championship there. To participate as a senior you have to be over 35.

When Mary and Barry got to the top they realised there was only one way to go from there. So they took a step back and started teaching other would-be dancers, and spending more time with their family. “Our children had got to that age, as teenagers, when they needed us around a bit more.”

Five years ago Mary and Barry moved to Spain, to Cabo Roig. People in the area kept on asking them to start dancing classes, they deliberated and starting looking for a venue before starting classes at the Asturias Restaurant in Punta Prima 15 months ago. “We’re really pleased. There’s a really good crowd.” Over fifty people came with their dancing shoes! “They were mostly women, a few fellas were dragged along too, but it is good exercise as much as anything.”

Living in Spain many of the learners go back to the UK a lot, so Mary always runs a beginners class before the intermediate one for anyone who’s feeling a bit rusty. She teaches cha cha, samba, rumba, quick step, tango waltz and foxtrot, plus a few social dances, right from the basics.

If anyone would like more information about the show or dance classes they can phone Mary on 966 760 043.

Latin and Ballroom Dancing Tuition

Every Fri

Classes for beginners every Friday from 10:00-12:00 and intermediates 11:00-13:00 at Asturias Restaurant on the N332. Contact Barry or Mary. Tel: 966 760 043.