Dancing Festival a Huge Success

News release

19th November 2012

A charity event to celebrate dancing in Lincolnshire has seen more than 300 people trying different dance styles, performing on stage and toasting Lincolnshire Dance with a glass of fizz.

At the two-day festival,132 budding dancers tried their hand at classes including zumba, salsa, Egyptian dance, Regency and Bollywood, while a further 130 took part in céilidhs across the county. 

The event, which was staged with the help of around 15 volunteers on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th November, also saw 30 VIPs raise a glass to the charity at a reception on the Saturday. 

The festival, called Lincolnshire – Let’s Dance! was the final showcase for the two-year £180,000 Dance4Life project which aims to increase the number of adults involved in dance across Lincolnshire.

Keyna Paul, Director of the charity Lincolnshire Dance which runs the Dance4Life programme, said: “The past two years have been focused on getting as many people involved in dance as possible, and the success of this festival has proved what a demand there was in the county for more accessible adult provision.

“Since the programme launched, 4,500 people have participated in dance classes at some point, with 500 classes being provided, which I think speaks to the demand there was in the county.

“We’re delighted with how things have gone since we launched the programme; we’ve seen class leaders go from teaching to a room with one or two people to packed classes as word spread that they were available. 

"Our goal was to spark a passion for dancing and we hope that the legacy of the programme will continue to live on. This event has been a huge success and given us another opportunity to show the variety of the classes on offer around Lincolnshire."

The festival was spread across seven locations in the county to ensure as many people as possible, including those in rural areas, were able to participate. On the Saturday activities were split between The New Life Church and Healthy Hub in Lincoln. People were able to try different dance classes, tuck into free and tasty food and get tips on living a healthier lifestyle. Photo exhibitions, personal stories and dance demonstrations from groups which have been set up as a result of the project were also available to see.

Wheelchair user Lynn Chantrey (54) from Langworth, who has attended the zumba class in Bardney for about a year, tried different dance taster sessions on the Saturday before performing on stage in front of around 100 people. 

She said: “The music is great and makes exercising enjoyable. It’s especially good being in a wheelchair as it helps my arms and shoulders to be less stiff. Literally anyone can get involved, people are always friendly and welcoming.  The event this weekend has been fantastic, especially performing for all those people!”

Yesterday (Sunday 18th November) four rural locations – Spilsby, Holbeach, Binbrook and Scotter – as well as Lincoln city hosted a traditional céilidh, also known as a barn dance. Live bands played at each venue, with dance leaders and dancers who have been attending classes kicking off the event alongside members of the public.  They all started at the same time across all locations, bringing synchronised dancing to the county!

Di Carter (50) headed down to both days of the event, going to the Lincoln céilidh on Sunday. She said: “It’s been really, really good. The Saturday event was good because of the variety on offer and the céilidh was fantastic as I met lots of people and had a great time learning all the new dances.”

All the classes available through the Dance4Life programme will continue to run. Full details can be found at www.lincolnshiredance.com

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Lincolnshire Dance is a charitable organisation launched in 2000 to offer a chance for people from all walks of life to become involved in dance in some way.  The idea was to change hearts and minds to get people involved. As part of that programme, a two-year project called Dance4Life was launched as a spin-off from the Government-led Change4Life scheme. 

• Dance4Life is funded through the Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Fund, which is supported by Lincolnshire County Council and NHS Lincolnshire. The scheme aims to give adults who may not have had access to dance or lacked confidence a chance to try different disciplines.

• Dance4Life is targeted at adults and works to break down barriers which could stop them taking up dance. It’s about encouraging people who may have lacked confidence – sometimes with the help of a dance buddy – creating opportunities in areas which have been poorly serviced previously such as small towns and villages, offering quality classes which will appeal to adults ranging from burlesque to street dance, and giving people the chance to become a qualified dance instructor.

Jez Ashberry
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
jez@shootingstar-pr.co.uk
www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk
t: @jezashberry

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