Get Dancing – last chance to submit your best moves!

Get Dancing – the new dance craze by Showtown, Blackpool’s first museum of fun and entertainment, and Blackpool arts organisation LeftCoast, still want to hear from you! With over 100 submissions from far and wide, there is one week left to send in your best moves and help create 2021’s viral dance sensation.

So, if you are struggling to keep your spirits up in this third Lockdown, dancing is the perfect way to let go, keep fit and release those happy hormones!

Kerry Vasiliou, Showtown’s Learning and engagement manager said, “We are calling on the public to help us invent a brand new dance inspired by the town’s own vibrant dance legacy. We have really enjoyed seeing the response to the music and the videos sent in from local people and we’ve even had submissions from abroad!”

Tina Redford, LeftCoast’s Artistic Director said, “Even though we have tipped over the 100 submissions we were aiming for, we would love to see more. There have been all kinds of submissions.. from people who can dance to those that just want to give it a go and be part of something special in the town. Watching people from Blackpool and around the world dance to the music has been making the creative team smile – it really is an antidote to the pandemic!”

And where better to create the dancing antidote to the pandemic then Blackpool? For decades the town has been known worldwide as THE place to dance, and in 1938, Lawrence Wright, renowned composer and publisher created ‘The Blackpool Walk’ music with a novelty dance similar to the ‘Lambeth Walk’ which became extremely popular both in Blackpool’s ballrooms and all over the UK. This dance craze dwarfed the likes of ‘the Floss’, ‘the Harlem Shuffle’ (and for the TikTok fans out there), ‘the Renegade’, meaning that thousands of Brits would flock to Blackpool every summer eager to learn the latest dance craze created within the town. Dancing really is in the town’s genes!

Creative lead for the project is Blackpool based dance company House of Wingz, following a national call-out and selection process the perfect partner was found in Blackpool, showing we have home-grown world-class talent right here. They are supported by London-based dance extraordinaire Manuela Benini, and Blackpool based designer Nick Steel, who will create the digital imagery for a live performance of the new dance, in the autumn. Leeds-based composer, Callum Harvie, has composed a new piece of music, ‘The Blackpool Way’, inspired by Blackpool Council's historic sheet music collection, for the project. It really is a winning combination!

Speaking about the project House of Wingz said, “We’ve been really impressed with what people have done with the music, we have got some great moves to work with to create the final dance. The music is really catchy and makes you want to dance – be that from your armchair or around your kitchen –whatever your moves, we want to see them all!

“We are also relay excited to see those who have submitted a video already, getting involved in future phases of the project”

The past year hasn’t been an easy time for anyone, and this joyous project is the perfect opportunity for people to come together digitally and make new connections. Showtown and LeftCoast want to highlight how Blackpool’s dance legacy has sparked the creativity and skills of amateur dancers around the world and the benefits of getting involved with a large-scale dance and music project.

The dance will be launched on 29 April, the International Day of Dance , and people will be able to learn the dance online and share far and wide. It’s time for Blackpool to go viral and do what it does best! When the going gets tough – we come back dancing!

Anyone can get involved, regardless of dancing experience – you just need to submit your favourite dance move online at www.getdancing.uk, via Tik Tok (@houseofwingz) or you can

call our Get Dancing hotline on 01253 532989. Your move should encapsulate the vibrancy, joy and creativity of Blackpool’s long dance legacy.

Share your Blackpool dance moves by using the following hashtags:

#GetDancing

#MyBplDance

Find out more at www.getdancing.uk