BBC'S Strictly Come Dancing has proved a popular choice for the British viewing public. But is it as easy as it looks? Reporter CAROLINE JONES spoke to Jack and Margaret Davies of Chester, who have danced together since they met more than 50 years ago.

GET your sequins out and don your glad rags you're invited to Come Dancing -Flintshire style.

The celebrity novice dancers on the hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing have kept us glued to our TV screens with their flawless moves and impressive style for weeks.

Each celebrity is given a professional dance partner who puts them through their paces during daily rehearsals, ensuring they're in the best possible shape for their live Saturday night performances.

So is it as easy as they make it look?

According to a Flintshire dance teacher, definitely not - the celebrities have well and truly got their work cut out.

Ballroom dancer Jack Davies, of Chester, has danced his way round the country for more than 60 years and says the celebrity dance partners are truly showing their worth.

Jack, who teaches dance classes for beginners at Bistre Parish Church Hall every Tuesday, said: 'I watch the show every night and it's hard work for them. It's not easy to teach and they must be working hard every day to have become so good in such a short amount of time.

'They are training for six hours a day. It must be very difficult for the teachers as well as their student dancers. It's easy when you know what you're doing, but as for learning, it depends on the individual, it's harder for some than others. 'To be able to teach like that you have to really love it.'

For Jack, who celebrated his 80th birthday last week, dancing has always been his second love - next to his wife of 52 years, Margaret.

Jack and Margaret, 77, met at dance classes in the 1940s and have remained life - and dancing - partners ever since.

After being set up by their dancing teacher, a close bond grew between the pair and they became competition dancers in the 1950s.

Margaret recalls the moment they met with great fondness. She said: 'The dancing teacher told Jack to 'dance with that girl over there', and that's where it all started.'

Jack, who took his first dance steps as a 19-year-old and trained at a dancing academy in Liverpool, adds: 'It wasn't so much a case of love at first sight, more a good dancing partner at first sight!'

After winning countless medals in various competitions, Jack and Margaret took time out from dancing to start a family.

The devoted couple moved from Liverpool to Chester 39 years ago.

They are proud parents to Karen, 41, and grandparents to two-year-old Adam - a dance star in the making.

Trained dancer Margaret said: 'Adam is definitely a dancer. He's only two and he's moving and taking steps already. 'Karen would always dance with Jack but she never took it up seriously. Adam is different though - we have high hopes for his dancing career!'

Jack says he decided not to take up dancing professionally and instead went on to become principal lecturer and head of electrical engineering at West Cheshire College.

So what is it about dancing that has kept Jack so full of passion and enthusiasm over the years?

He said: 'It keeps you fit and active in your body and your mind. We still have to study scripts for sequence dancing which keeps you on your toes, quite literally.'

Jack and Margaret have set up the REDA School of Dance and hold classes for beginners every Tuesday, and the couple, keen members of the Llay-based Organ Society and George Formby Society, attend sequence dancing sessions every Sunday night in Llay British Legion.

Margaret says the best part about teaching dance is to see people improve over time.

'We start off with the basics, a fox-trot, a waltz and tango. They are the easiest steps to learn and they are fun dances to begin with,' she explained.

'It's wonderful to see people improving their skills over time. 'After a few weeks you see them actually dancing rather than just taking steps. When everybody is ready we all go to a dance together which is always great fun.'

Jack added: 'We have a very relaxed attitude and approach to our classes. If someone makes a mistake we laugh it off and forget about it rather than shout. It's just a fun night out really.

'All the teaching we do is set on an individual basis, that's what we find works best. To teach dance is very rewarding and we even had some students who have gone on to become competition dancers.'

People of all ages, from their 20s to their 70s, go along to the classes to pick up tips from the top instructors, a fact which Margaret says it partly down to the popularity of the BBC show.

She said: 'The show has certainly raised awareness, it's bringing people back into dancing.'

Jack added: 'It was definitely on the decline but I think the show has revitalised it. I just hope it doesn't fizzle out when the show comes to an end.

'We hope to bring a bit of fun into our classes so people can enjoy them and we're also trying to keep dancing alive.'

Margaret went on to say: 'Not much has changed since we started dancing. We love it as much today as we always have. They bring new ideas in, like the TV show but the basics will never change.'

Anyone who wants to take up dancing with Jack and Margaret is welcome to go along to Bistre Parish Church on Tuesdays at 8pm. Or, for more information call them on 01244 676567.