Blackpool's Capital of Dance Festival is back in July!

Following a successful pilot event last year, Capital of Dance will return as an annual fixture in Blackpool’s event calendar from the 1^st-31^st July.

The festival was borne out of Blackpool’s unrivalled heritage in dance that dates back to the late 1890’s, when hundreds of people travelled to the resort to dance on the pier. From the early 1900’s onwards, ‘dance trains’ brought thousands of people to Blackpool, to trip the light fantastic in the resorts two spectacular dance spaces: the Empress Ballroom and the Tower Ballroom. Both venues continue to welcome dozens of national and international dance competitions throughout the year, and for every Strictly professional dancer, ‘getting to Blackpool’ still remains the annual aspiration.

Capital of Dance was created by Martin and Marina Blore, Lytham based festival and theatre show producers. They have set up the Blackpool Dance Board Community Interest Company to promote the resort as the UK’s go to place for all things relating to dance or physical theatre. 

With over 180 dance related events throughout July, the festival is continuing to gain traction year on year. If you are a dance fan taking your first steps, or a trained professional, there is something for everyone.

As part of the month-long festival, ‘Dance Marathon Week’ (5-11^th July), will provide the opportunity for everyone to experience the joy of dancing where the sky meets the sea, with a daily programme of free, outdoor dance events on the Comedy Carpet art installation, at the foot of Blackpool Tower. There will be dance workshops, performances and dance parties taking place from 12 noon onwards every day.

Dance Marathon Week will be launched on Saturday 5^th July with a special performance of ‘Gravity’ by Sadlers Wells National Youth Dance Company (NYDC). Created and choreographed by the UK’s leading hip-hop dance company Boy Blue Entertainment, it features three Blackpool dancers who were offered funded places with the company as a direct result of last year’s Capital of Dance Festival. NYDC hosted a free workshop/audition in the resort last July and the three local, teenage boys were discovered at that event. They are now touring with the show across the UK and will also be travelling to Berlin. NYDC will be back to host another workshop/audition on Sunday 6^th July at Whittaker Dance and Drama Centre in Blackpool, offering another opportunity for local dancers to potentially join the company.

Sunday 6^th July will host Rock The Coast, a national hip-hop and street dance battle under the leadership of locally based House of Wingz arts and dance company.

Other highlights include World Latin Champion and ex Strictly professional Flavia Cacace, who will host two, free outdoor workshops.  

Dollie Henry MBE, the Founder and Artistic Director of dance company BOP, and one of the most formidable exponents of jazz dance, will host a jazz class that is inclusive for all, whatever your ability. The British Dance Sport Association will host Salsa workshops and performances on Tuesday 8^th July, led by Maria Palmieri from Salsatropical Dance Company.

‘Dance Marathon Week’ will culminate on Friday 11^th July at 2pm, with an attempt to break the World’s Largest Disco Dance! The King of Disco, Blackpool‘s Lionel Vinyl will be leading the crowds in what will be the biggest disco party that Blackpool has ever seen on the promenade.

For Strictly fans, the Capital of Dance festival has cooked up a feast of famous faces from TV’s most popular show.

Ticketed events include a dance workshop followed by ‘A Special Afternoon With Nadiya Bychkova’, the Ukranian, two-time World and European Champion, that will take place at Viva Blackpool on the 25^{th of} July.  Nadiya will be performing with her professional dance partner in a show packed with spectacular costume changes, mesmerising routines and a Q& A session with the audience.

Burn The Floor, choreographed by Strictly’s Creative Director Jason Gilkinson, is on at the Opera House on 12^th July starring Strictly Come Dancing winner Dianne Buswell alongside Vito Coppola, whilst Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice take to the same stage two days later.

Following a global tour through Asia, America and Europe, London City Ballet will be at Blackpool’s beautiful Grand Theatre on the 12^th July, showcasing artists rarely seen in the UK with four different dance works. These include an early work called Haieff Divertimento by master choreographer George Balanchine, that has never been seen outside the USA before.

Marina Blore, Artistic Director for Capital of Dance said: “The ambition is for Blackpool to do for dance, what Edinburgh has done for comedy. There is nowhere else in the country to rival Blackpool’s heritage in dance. It has been ever present for over 130 years, through the war years and the big band era in the ballrooms, to variety theatre, disco, Northern Soul, superclubs and of course Strictly Come Dancing.”

“The Blackpool Dance Board will focus on dance and movement throughout the year not just for tourism, but also for the benefit of the local community. Dance will be provided to help with social isolation, Parkinson’s, dementia, obesity and addiction. We will also be focusing on creating new opportunities for locally trained dancers and choreographers to work with some of the world’s leading producers and dance companies.”

This year’s Capital of Dance festival will host workshops for professionally trained dancers by leading choreographers. These include Marlon ‘Swoosh’ Wallen, who has worked with Kylie Minogue and Madonna, performed at Buckingham Palace and is the founder of World Dance Champions, the street dance group Flawless, from Britain’s Got Talent. The crew starred in the smash hit films Streetdance 3D 1 and 2.

Places for workshops can be booked via the website.

Capital of Dance is one of Blackpool’s flagship events in the town’s Cultural Strategy and it has support from Arts Council England and Tourism Business Improvement District.

For the full line-up of events throughout the month visit www.capitalofdance.com