Sitting in an auditorium full of 1,500 empty seats, I watch the group of 10 dancers rehearse on stage and count my lucky stars they aren't making me join in. I could only dream of doing the splits and the thought of being flipped upside down makes my stomach do just that. I've been invited to spend a day in the life as a performer at Butlin's and follow dance captain Ellie Carwithen around Minehead - but thankfully she's not expecting me to body pop.
"I honestly forget what day of the week it is," Ellie tells me, as I remind her that it's a Monday. Every day merges into one for the performers, who eat, sleep and dance on repeat during peak and off-peak seasons - but that's all Ellie has ever dreamed of. "I can't imagine life without dancing," she says. Today, rehearsals start at 1pm ahead of two Musicals Rock shows in the evening, which is Ellie's favourite to direct and perform.
