Back from lockdown for Jubilee of dance

Young dancers will step out in competition for the first time in three years when our dance festival bounces back from lockdown on Platinum Jubilee weekend.

Our annual Luther Greenwood dance festival had to skip two years after the Covid pandemic put a stop to indoor social gatherings.

The last time it was held in 2019, 60 competitors aged from four to 17 from all over the North West and South Yorkshire put on more than 200 performances in the two-day event at Colne Muni.

The Muni is the venue again for the 2022 festival, from Friday to Sunday June 3 to 5, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

“We are sending out syllabuses now to the dance schools that usually compete, and we’re hoping for a good response after the enforced three-year lay-off,” said Susan Thorp, our dance festival chairman.

“We’d also like to hear from any other dance schools that haven’t taken part before, and we hope it’ll be a special event for Jubilee weekend.”

Classes cover ballet, modern, character, duet, Greek, national, song-and-dance and tap. In addition to trophies and certificates, the adjudicator will pick the best dancers to compete in a dance-off for a £200 bursary prize to help with their progress.

The adjudicator will be Sue Latham, from Redditch, Worcs, a professional choreographer whose own dance school pupils have graduated into teaching, professional work, TV and West End. As an examiner, she has travelled internationally including Australia, Cyprus, Holland and Norway.

Enquiries: Email susanandkeith30@hotmail.co.uk or contact 01282 722515.

 All smiles from a group of dancers in the 2019 Luther Greenwood dance festival