Sports Leaders UK has joined the plethora of fitness providers and training companies aiming to benefit from the increasing popularity of dance in the UK.

The company has launched a Level 1 award in Dance Leadership and has already completed a week-long residential course in Perthshire for men aged 16-24.

The male-only course was developed in partnership with Youth Scotland and will be rolled out to other parts of Scotland.

Organiser Philip Ritchie from Youth Scotland said the popularity of TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, and Britain's Got Talent have made dance an acceptable form of exercise to a whole generation of young people.

He said: "We've run a number of 'Girls on the Move' courses in the past, designed to increase physical activity levels amongst girls and young women, and these included dance.

"The response to the boys' version was superb. Street dance is hugely popular - some of the best acts on Britain's Got Talent, for example, have been dancers.

"We wanted to tap into this new-found enthusiasm and encourage young men to take up physical exercise. We knew that, over a five-day period, we could offer candidates a chance to explore different styles of dance. And of course, we'd be teaching them organisational and leadership skills at the same time."