Guide dog helps Southwell man return to the dancefloor after “freak accident”

But when he lost his sight completely in an accident in 2021 the despair and realisation that his life would never be the same again left him struggling to cope.

Alan said: "It is hard to describe the suffocating blanket of sadness and despair, and the realisation that my life would never be the same again"

Alan struggled to leave the house let alone even think about stepping foot on the dancefloor to enjoy Ceroc - a dance style that he had discovered in 2017 after his wife encouraged him to give it a try and something he had been “hooked” on ever since.

"For weeks I would not leave the security of the four walls at my home as I struggled to come to terms with my situation. In the back of my mind, I found myself wondering would I ever be able to dance again." he said.

But fast forward a few years and Alan is now preparing to take on a three-hour charity dance-a-thon to raise money for Guide Dogs after crediting his guide dog Windsor with giving him the confidence to dance again.

Windsor has helped him regain confidence beyond the dance floor and Alan is now dancing regularly again at classes, freestyles and weekend events and is now using his love of dance to give something back.

Alan says he was "hooked from day one" on Ceroc - a dance style that blends elements of salsa, ballroom and jive and despite having no previous dance experience, he started attending classes several times a week in Nottingham and travelling to venues across the country whenever work took him away from home.

Determined not to give up on something he loved, Alan contacted his local Ceroc dancing group to ask if returning to classes was even possible after he lost his vision.

Alan said: "They said we could make it work but even with their support, stepping back onto the dance floor for the first time was daunting.

“When I eventually returned for my first class, I was nervous to say the least and asking myself all sorts of questions about why I was there… 'How will I be able to dance when I can't see my partner or anybody else on the dance floor?'"

Alan says he also felt nervous about telling people he had lost his sight, so he had t-shirts printed with tongue in cheek slogans highlighting that he was blind, helping to avoid having to explain his situation over and over again.

To help Alan return to dancing, the group called ‘Ceroc Heaven’ introduced a number of adjustments. Bright lights were installed at the edge of the stage to give him an anchor point using his remaining light perception, a seat was reserved close to the stage, class rotations were adapted so he didn't have to navigate through rows of dancers, and before each intermediate lesson he was given time to physically learn the moves.

Even though those first few classes were difficult, Alan says his confidence gradually returned.

Alan explains: “Although my first tentative steps back onto the dance floor were frightening, my anxiety gradually eased as the weeks passed and my confidence grew."

Inspired by meeting Windsor's Puppy Raisers and the fundraisers who had raised money to name him as a puppy, Alan will take on a three-hour continuous dance-a-thon on September 27 along with 60 other dancers in the group, to raise money for Guide Dogs and is hoping to name two puppies ‘Ceroc’ and ‘Heaven’.

Alan hopes his story will encourage others living with sight loss not to give up on the things they love.

Alan said: "My passion for dancing remains as strong as ever. Even though I cannot see my dance partners, I experience the connection in different ways – through touch, through the movement and through the music itself."

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