AS SWINDON Dance’s Vicki Bailey performs a series of perfectly-executed spins, I realise I’ve got a mountain to climb.

I’m struggling to remember the moves amid a litany of miscues and a mambo which looks like I’m trudging into a second-hand car dealership.

Vicki, the professional dancer I am paired with for Strictly Swindon, tries to put me at ease after another failure to tell left from right.

“Don’t worry, it was me that time,” she says as we try to catch up with music. But I can’t escape the feeling I’m the John Sergeant of the show, except without the costume department. In a matter of days, we will have to close a sell-out event at Swindon Dance's home in the former town hall.

Across the floor b-boy legend Banxy is sprinkling some MTV finesse on the same moves with his partner Helen Miah, Swindon Council’s commissioner for leisure and culture. Momentarily alone on the floor, he just about refrains from launching into a flurry of back-flips to the beat of Hot Hot Hot.

For her part Helen threatens to dance the other amateurs – celebrities would be a bridge too far – off the stage as she strolls through the moves with ease.

One of the biggest surprises at the second rehearsal on Thursday, however, is the presence of Rod Bluh. Master of the hot-step at various neighbourhood planning disputes, few would have had the newly re-elected council leader down as a mover on the dancefloor too. Together with Swindon Wildcats’ Aaron Nell, swimming coach Anthony Clark and BBC Wilts newsreader Anna Bird, we make a disparate bunch.

Swindon Dance’s mission, though, is to get us all in harmony with the rhythm, whether that be sending local teenagers to perform at the Olympic sailing events in Weymouth or inviting Kylie Minogue’s choreographer to teach at its forthcoming summer school.

This salsa-themed finale to a show featuring a dozen other acts is part of Big Dance week, which kicked off in Swindon yesterday.

We begin by learning the basic choreography through moving our hands, legs and hips.

A trickier section follows where the female dancer twirls before falling backwards into the arms of her companion. I almost drop Vicki before realising that, quite wisely, she was in control of the move all along.

Then the introduction of a Latin backbeat raises the stakes. My mind juggles the moves along with the order of entry and the spots on the stage we need to occupy.

For a group section we all face the imaginary audience and execute a shimmy while stepping from side to side. We break off, whoop as if opening stellar exam results, and shuffle back to our partners.

Vicki, a dance artist who teaches and performs, counts, prompts and guides me with every step.

Almost without realising it, my timing improves and, despite being a newcomer to salsa, I'm falling into synch with Helen, Banxy, Rod and co.

Taking a breather, I’m told by Big Dance programme manager Zoe Humphries: “Big Dance as a whole is about celebrating participation and involvement and really saying that dance is for everyone.

“People can identify with the Strictly theme from the TV show, which features people from different professions, and we are inviting people who wouldn’t necessarily try dance to join in and have fun.”

With a show featuring a b-boy, a Tory council leader and an ice hockey player on the same stage, I think that's case proved.

l Strictly Swindon takes place on Sunday as part of Big Dance week 2012.