Tall tales: What a drag!

There came a moment last Wednesday night, as I was spanking myself in time to Beyoncé in front of 20 strangers, when I wondered if I was in this 'experiencing London' lark over my head.

It was part of the latest fitness trend to sweep the capital: a dance class led by the infamous drag troupe The Globe Girls, held in a glitzy room at Floridita in Soho. It's the zumba of 2012 apparently, with false eyelashes and vertiginous heels.

The evening started off the way I like it, with a lethal mojito. But then Ryan, an Amazonian Globe Girl with legs up to his eyeballs, shrieked, 'Let's practise our struts ladieeeez!' The rum had loosened my inhibitions, so I climbed onto my platforms and attempted to strut my (pop) socks off. It didn't work. Predictably, I was a mess. My walking 'style' was less about the wiggle, more about simply placing one foot in front of the other without falling. But Ryan and his diva pals were nothing if not encouraging, 'OMG that's amazing! Now take that and make it bigger!' they lied as I tottered about.

After ten minutes of ploughing up and down the room in every conceivable grouping combination ('Pairs!' 'Alone!' 'Threesomes!'), the smallest pair of shorts I've ever seen bounded into the room, straining - and at times failing - to cover the modesty of ex-Gladiator Tornado. He was allegedly there to take us through an intense warm-up before the exercise proper began, but aside from a couple of half-hearted squats and muttering something about grapefruits, his main function appeared to be simply to exist and look ripped. This he excelled at.

Calling the ensuing dance class 'exercise' would be stretching things nearly as much as Tornado's lycra; it was less of a work-out, more a self-conscious boogie to (predictably) 'Single Ladies'. The Globe Girls looked utterly fabulous as they demonstrated the moves; slick and professional - they have performed for Beyonce herself. But I stumbled through the complicated routine, awkwardly thwacking my behind and rotating my hips in a style that I tried to persuade myself was sexy, but I fear was more disturbing for the girls with the misfortune to be standing behind me.

Although I was relieved when my humiliation was finally over, the Globe Girls' enthusiasm and sheer pizzazz proved to be infectious. After knocking back a few more stiff drinks, I found myself later that evening enthusiastically performing the routine at home, to the mirth and bewilderment of my boyfriend.

Fitness instructors have nothing to fear from these drag dance classes, and I wholeheartedly advise against going alone, but a group of girlfriends who long for a bit more glam in their lives will find that the sensational Globe Girls have more than enough to go around.

(floriditalondon.com; 020 7314 400)