Blackpool residents have teamed up with Showtown and community arts organisation, LeftCoast, to create a film celebrating the brand new social dance: The Blackpool Way.
The film was launched at the town’s popular arts venue The Old Electric, seeing an array of people enjoy festive treats as they were introduced to the new routine.
During the short film, a young man encounters a whole host of different dancers as he makes his way through Blackpool, ending up at the iconic Empress Ballroom.
The people he meets are all dancing The Blackpool Way in a variety of different dance styles including; ballet, tap, cabaret, hip hop, salsa, afro-fusion, vogueing and of course, ballroom!
Inspired by Blackpool’s 160-year-old tradition of creating and circulating novelty dances across the UK, The Blackpool Way is part of a mass participation dance project called Get Dancing.
Over the past 18 months, Showtown and LeftCoast have worked in partnership with local dance collective House of Wingz to deliver the project.
An initial call out on social media asked people to submit moves for a new social dance, and over 100 submissions were received from across the globe, not just Blackpool.
Creative leads House of Wingz took these ideas and choreographed The Blackpool Way. It has since been their mission to teach people the dance online, on people’s doorsteps, in schools and at events.
In September, local dancers, community groups, and volunteers were invited to be featured in The Blackpool Way film. The three day shoot involved nine Blackpool locations and a cast of 124 people, who were a mix of professional dancers, House of Wingz dance crew, dance schools, Blackpool and the Fylde college students, Blackpool residents, and members of the public who responded to a call out for volunteer extras.
Following its launch, LeftCoast, Showtown, and House of Wingz are hoping residents will take the dance and teach it to their friends and family, spreading the routine far and wide.
Plans are already being put in place to bring The Blackpool Way into 2022 – by the end of next year, the team are hoping the whole town will know about the latest dance craze.
Find out more about the project here www.getdancing.uk