The annual Darlington Dance Festival 2019 kicks off on Saturday 18 May in Joseph Pease Place with many performances throughout the day as local dance schools promote the mass dance the next day and showcase their talents.
Then at 1pm Sunday 19 May 19, dance schools and community groups will come together to perform one mass dance that will be choreographed by our very own local talented students from Redhall Dance.
In May 2018 around 800 dancers joined forces to strut their stuff in the Market Square and the theme for this year’s dance festival is ‘This is me’ challenging inequality.
This year the organisers, Darlington Dance Festival Association (DDFA), want more people than ever to get involved, especially those who don’t dance. The DDFA wants to promote how dancing can bring everyone together regardless of background, age, gender, race, disability, or sexual orientation – dancing can be enjoyed by all. The association wants to use dance as a way to celebrate our differences and challenge inequality, we are all different but equal.
If you are a group or you just want to take part then the association really wants to hear from you. Dancers can come to you and teach the mass dance or you can come along to one of the weekly open sessions during April and May.
There will also be information stalls in the town centre during the festival, so if you are a charity or support group and want to promote your services at the mass dance event or you want to learn the dance do get in touch.
Joanne Scott Chair of the Dance Festival Association said:
“Darlington is so lucky to have an event like this that brings everyone together as one community. The market place is brought to life with such a buzz that the mass dance creates and this always amazes me.
“This year is a chance to do something special. We can showcase how dancing can bring people together from all walks of life to celebrate our differences by championing equality.”
The event is organised by Darlington Dance Festival Association which is a voluntary group which aims to get Darlo dancing. For more information contact the Dance Festival Association by email at darlingtondfa@gmail.com or find them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Photo by Scott Akoz from the 2018 mass dance.