Les Mills has released Les Mills XR Dance for the Meta Quest 3 headset. The release is the company's second collaboration with XR (extended reality) gaming specialist, Odder’s, following on from Les Mills XR Bodycombat which won Meta Quest’s Best App award in 2022.

Les Mills XR Dance has been designed to create a fully immersive experience and recreate the dynamic and vibrant atmosphere of a Les Mills class. There are more than 25 routines with three levels, featuring a number of dance styles including pop and techno.

Surroundings are enhanced with the addition of virtual elements which players interact with.

The workout features a star-studded cast of dance professionals in hologram form, including Bianca Ikinofo who has worked with Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez.

The experience is soundtracked by artists from Canadian record label, Monstercat, which has collaborated widely in gaming circles with the likes of Fortnite and Rocket League.

Les Mills Body Jam programme director and choreographer, Gandalf Archer Mills, who worked on the release, says: “There’s a great legacy of dance gaming and many of us have fond memories of growing up playing things such as dance mat and Nintendo Wii. We wanted to build on that but completely reinvent it, so we’ve combined cutting-edge tech with killer choreography to take dance gaming to a different dimension.”

As well as being a fun cardio workout and good for boosting mood-enhancing endorphins, several studies have shown dancing is linked to a reduced risk of dementia and can preserve motor, cognitive and perceptual abilities. A study