Don your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie on down to the first ever Lincoln Dances Festival this weekend!
There will be dancing in the streets on Saturday 4th August when the city stages a day-long programme where there will be plenty of chances to dance, or watch others dancing, at outdoor and indoor venues around the city centre.
The one-day festival has been organised by city-based arts consultant Sara Bullimore, who has a dance background, and Lincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG).
She said: “Both Lincoln BIG and myself have wanted to create a dance festival for the city for many years and 2012 seemed the perfect window of opportunity as we could join in with the Big Dance programme which aims to get the nation on its feet and dancing.”
The programme is divided into three sections – free daytime events around the city centre, an evening programme at Lincoln Drill Hall and Oogly Boogly for babies and their parents.
Oogly Boogly, an interactive movement session for tots aged 12 to 18 months will take place in a specially-created inflatable dome in St Swithins Square (or Drill Hall if it’s wet!) Presented by Dance4, performances are at noon, 1.30pm and 3.30pm and places, which start at £5 for one child and one adult, must be booked in advance.
The free daytime activities centre around the High Street, City Square, St Swithins Square and St Marks with comedy ballroom dancers Two Left Feet kicking off the event in the High Street at 11.15am showing you how it’s not done.
Performances from artsNK’s youth groups, What About Me Theatre Arts, the Lisa Hurt School of Dance and Swings and Roundabouts will also feature throughout the day – and there may be a dancing Flashmob or two!
Sara added: “It’s a very varied programme and we’re hoping that putting the dancers out there among the Saturday shopping crowds will help people to enjoy the fun.
“Lincoln BIG and I would love to make the festival an annual event.”
The festival, funded by Arts Council England, will culminate at 7.30pm in the Drill Hall for a show which will include performances from Matthias Sperling and Rachel Krische as well Swings and Roundabouts, Magic Movers, Fiesta Flamenco, arksNK and youth dance company kNacker’d.
Matt Corrigan, Lincoln BIG Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this exciting dance festival. It will add an extra dimension to our fantastic summertime programme of events, which includes the return of Lincoln by the Sea and our Lincoln LIVE Olympics Live site on the city’s Cornhill.”
Tickets for the evening show are £5 available from the Drill Hall box office on 01522 873894.
For the latest information contact Sara at sara.bullimore@googlemail.com
