2024

New Walking Netball
sessions at Speedwell!

With Strictly Come Dancing
stars Kevin & Karen! This photo was taken 2015, one of my last Salsa weekenders at Pakefield, Pontins.

Pontins

The 1st “Pontins” took place in 1998 with about 200 attendees, following an earlier trial weekender at Minehead Butlins. Each Pontins event snowballed, reaching around 2000 dancers in its height! Club Cubana was the original Salsa weekender and market leader, offering 5 major events - at Brean Sands, Blackpool, Southport, Pakefield, Prestatyn and Camber Sands! With 60 events to boast, it came to an end in 2015 due to the new owners of Pontins, Britannia Hotels. However, Cressida is proud to have started the ball rolling for UK Salsa, created many of today’s “A” lister teachers & performers, and given 100’s of fab memories to 1 and all!

“CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU to Cressida Childs on the outragoeus success of her Pontins Dance weekenders , that started a revolution here in the UK. Really sad to hear this past weekend was the last one. Cressida Childs has played a huge role in bringing our UK dance community together. She show cased so many new teachers and performers, and lead the way for all the Salsa promoters to develop the rich and diverse scene we have today. Salsa , Jive, lindy-hop, Brazilian dance; every dance style came into the melting pot for the first Cuban Pontins....”  KERRY RIBCHESTER

“Thank you Cressida Childs and your team for such amazing memories. I am very grateful to have been to so many of them and had a great time and met so many friends and enjoyed the beginning of my professional career. Thank u thank u thank u x TONY LARA

Since Pontins, I have  returned to teaching -  mainly fitness and dance but also Walking Netball (from 2017) and Walking Hockey (from 2019). During covid lock down I completed a course in health & fitness and started running, which is still a hobby enjoy! I am fitter now than I’ve been for years! Although I don’t dance club salsa on any regular basis, my Dancefit classes include Latin dance, which gives me a chance to enjoy the steps and music.

Cressida went to Art School at Brighton Polytechnic, gaining a BA (Hons) in Fine Art.

During this period she discovered contemporary dance, joining an amateur performing group. Her next qualification was a PGCE in Art and PE, the latter giving her more opportunity to pursue her interest in dance. She taught art, dance and PE in secondary school & set up a dance department. She ran dance clubs & arranged many trips to see contemporary dance plus professional workshops (ie London Contemporary Dance).

After this period Cressida did courses in aerobics and went on to teach adults, whilst also immersing herself in dance (jazz, folk, Latin etc).

Her passion led her to form her own company promoting Salsa in the UK. She set up the 1st Salsa congresses (est. 1997) and went on to run 60 international events at Pontins Holiday Parks.

PONTINS

Qualifications

BA Hons Fine Art /PGCE Art & Games

RSA Exercise to Music, UKA Salsa /

Zumba / Zumba Gold

/ Walking Netball & Hockey Host

Current