LYTHAM hair stylist Claire Chesworth put her best foot forward to compete in the first official British Salsa championships in London last week.

Claire, of Mythop Road, and dance partner Colin Piper, of Preston, took a trip to London to compete after scooping first place in a recent Northern heat held at Dancers, Preston.

Although the couple didn't win the competition, which would have meant they would be representing the UK in the World Salsa Championship in Miami, Claire said it was fun while it lasted.

"It was a thrill to get through to the very first British Salsa championships, especially as I've only been dancing for a year. We certainly didn't expect to get this far," said the 29-year-old.

"The night was fantastic. I wasn't really nervous because we'd put in a lot of hard work and knew what to expect.

"But the thrill of 600 people in the crowd and seeing the television cameras made me feel more of a buzz than nerves.

"And a big group of my friends travelled down to London with us to give us some moral support which really helped.

"We really enjoyed the whole experience - from travelling down on the coach and the dancing to the trip back. It was all wonderful."

Claire and Colin performed before 11 judges, including Paul Harris, who taught Salsa to Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery for their recent film Entrapment.

"The standard in the competition was very high indeed. I'm only an amateur dancer but there were people there who were dance teachers.

"The judges didn't say anything about individual performances on the night and just announced who was the winner after the heats.

"But we get our official marks through the post soon and that will be nice to see exactly how they marked our technique, dress and so on."

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