Blackpool's dance heritage celebrated at festival

The woman behind a month-long festival of dance in Blackpool has hailed the resort's "unrivalled heritage" for the art.

The Capital of Dance pilot event features dozens of live shows, classes and street dancing with everything from drag queen workshops to ballet taster classes.

BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing stars Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez will also be hosting workshops.

Marina Blore, the artistic director of the festival, said she intends build on its success and return in 2025 with the dance and movement version of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Ms Blore said the resort boasts two iconic ballrooms - the Empress ballroom at the Winter Gardens and Blackpool Tower's ballroom, which between them have staged some of the world's biggest dance events with the latter hosting Strictly Come Dancing shows.

She said Blackpool's dance history "goes back to the Victorian dance trains that used to bring hundreds of people to dance on Central Pier through to the big band era", adding there was also "the heyday of variety, disco, Northern soul, super clubs and now, of course, Strictly".

"Where else could you possibly launch a festival like this?"

The festival runs until 14 July.

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