DRAWING on her exotic experiences as a Parisian showgirl, a Tiverton dancer is set to teach a new class aiming to help women in the town increase both their fitness and allure.

Ami Hill, a former student of the Willow Tree Dance Centre in Tiverton, is about to launch two new classes this autumn, including burlesque dancing.

Twenty-six-year-old Ami spent seven months as a dancer in Paris, including perfecting the can-can chorus line.

Ami studied dancing for three years at The Urdang Academy, London, and after graduating, went on to travel the world, dancing professionally in some of the top venues including casinos, theatres, and cabarets.

After seven years globe-trotting, former Castle Primary School and Tiverton High School pupil Ami is now back in Devon and offering classes unlike anything currently on offer in Tiverton.

Ami said the over-16s only burlesque class was aimed at "women in Tiverton who want to gain fitness and co-ordination as well as boosting confidence and sex appeal. Burlesque is a time-honoured art form, one that celebrates the beauty of the female form in all its different shapes and sizes".

She said she hoped to combine her experience gained from dancing in Paris with her knowledge of burlesque dance movements to create what she believes will be a "fun and beneficial class for all women".

Ami said the class would not stretch to teaching the can-can, which took several months of training to master, as one TV presenter found out.

Ami recalls: "When I was in Paris, we were featured on children's TV show Blue Peter when a film crew came to find out more about cabaret and presenter Zoe Salmon had a go at the dance."

Ami's second class will bring 'hip-hop' to Tiverton and is open to all children aged over 11.

Recent dance movies demonstrated how interest in this style of street dancing was growing rapidly. Ami said: "The class will be a fast-paced, high-energy class teaching some of the popular moves as seen in recent films."

She has spent the summer at the Palace Theatre in Paignton alongside The Krankies and Bucks Fizz in The Best Years of Our Lives. Along with fellow former Willow Tree girls Ella Lindley and Dana Cottrell she has been dancing every night as part of the evening of Eighties nostalgia.

In the future she was hoping to concentrate increasingly on teaching. Ami said: "I still hope to do the odd dancing job, but I am looking to go to college to become a fully qualified dance teacher.

"I really enjoy teaching, I just love being able to pass a bit of my experience on to the young people and it is a great feeling to see young people making progress."

Both classes will take place at the Willow Tree Dance Centre in Tiverton High School's art department on a Wednesday evening from September 15 (hip-hop 5-6pm) and (burlesque 7.30-8.30pm).

For details, call Irene Holland on 01884 252629.