Fundraising danceathon at Barton Grange to send Ludus dancers to Edinburgh Fringe Fest

A LANCASHIRE youth dance charity wants to get you dancing this Saturday and it's promising to show you how.
Ludus Dance members perform Encore
Photograph by Simon Marshall PhotographyLudus Dance members perform Encore
Photograph by Simon Marshall Photography
Ludus Dance members perform Encore Photograph by Simon Marshall Photography

It has issued a “put on your dancing shoes” invitation as part of a massive fundraising effort to send 15 talented young Lancashire dancers to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The seven hour charity danceathon starts at Barton Grange Garden Centre, Brock, at 9.30am.

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A spokeswoman for Ludus Dance, the county’s dance development charity said: “With production fees to pay, as well as transport, accommodation and chaperone costs, this talented group of young people, all aged between 14 and 21, have calculated that they need to raise £6000 to make their ‘chance of a lifetime’ opportunity a reality. Their efforts so far have seen them raise in excess of half of the money they need, but there is still a long way to go.... LYDC (Ludus Youth Dance Company) would like to invite anyone and everyone to come to Barton Grange and either get involved or just throw a few coins in the bucket.”

The danceathon will be split into seven one-hour sections, each covering a different dance style or genre and all led by professional dance artists. It will cost £5 to take part and Ludus says everyone is welcome to join in whether for 15 minutes or the full day.

The programme will comprise: 9:30-10:30am Fun Warm Up (creative dance suitable for all ages including parents with toddlers); 10:30-11:30am Street Dance (smashing out those hip hop shapes);11:30 am -12:30pm Vintage Pop (from Steps to the Spice Girls); 12:30-1:30pm Global Grooves (dance from different cultures); 1:30pm - 2:30pm School Disco (party dances); 2:30 - 3:30pm Big Dance (learn the Akram Kahn national Big Dance routine); 3:30-4:30pm Stretch and Relaxation (slowing and cooling down)

Once in Edinburgh, LYDC will perform a piece called ENCORE, devised for them by leading contemporary choreographer, Gary Clarke. The performances will take place over three days from August 11-13 at the Greenside Emerald Theatre and will form part of a mixed bill of northern dance, alongside professional work from Lancashire and Cumbria-based artists including Maelstrom.

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