Muffled conversation
Sound of Waves
Showtown is Blackpool's new museum of fun and entertainment. So in the lead up to the
museum opening we were really wanted to reach out to our communities and invite them into
to this exciting museum and to do that we working with our cultural partners Left Coast
to welcome the community into a dance project get excited about
our long tradition of dancing in Blackpool and have a bit of fun
its been a tough year.
So one of the great things about get dancing is that its deeply routed in place.
But it isn't just a heritage piece this is fantastic opportunity for everybody
around the world to contribute to the dance moves.
I think just the act of people coming together and making
something with one another is pretty good for our emotional distance
as well as our social distance at the minute and certainly my organisation
LeftCoast and Showtown are very proud to be part of the people who are bringing
this to the Blackpool and to rest of the world. I am really proud to be from Blackpool,
Its such an amazing place, its vibrant and its got an amazing energy.
I mean obviously, you've got Strictly that comes her every year
to the Tower Ballroom.
Its famous for Dance Blackpool. Not just in, in this country but world wide.
So I would say what better place to hold get Dancing than in
my home town of Blackpool. [MUSIC]
Sound of waves
[MUSIC]
As with all dances the music is arguably just as important
as the choreography itself.
So I was faced with the challenge how can I compose the piece of music
that both captured Blackpool's legacy but with the modern twist appropriate
for a contemporary audience.
Luckily our friends at Showtown had access to wealth of written sheet music
from across the eras which was a gold mine of inspiration.
During my research in the archives one artist particular stood out.
A gentleman called Lawrence Wright, who also when by the alias Horatio Nicholls.
Not only did Wright, present new music for Blackpool
but he let Blackpool inspire his own music writing and
one song to come out of this new exciting format was the song called
the Blackpool Walk. This song is catchy, fun and
most importantly community focused.
[MUSIC]
To attract the crowds Ballroom Band leaders created
new novelty dancers to keep the public interested.
Then music publishers like Blackpools, Laurence Wright, would publish this sheet music.
The invention of gramophone and wireless Radio,
meant that people were now listening to music in their own homes.
They therefore brought the sheet music to play at the piano which often
had the steps printed on the back or they dance through radio broadcasts.
[MUSIC]
The craze of novelty dance has since remerged in the past three or two years
With apps like Vine, Tiktok, Snapchat and Instagram reels.
So what better time for us to be able to dig into the Blackpool roots
and get the community dancing
[Sound of waves]
Hi Everyone I am Sam, and I am Aish
and we are about to make a very exciting announcement
on Behalf Showtown and Leftcoast.
[MUSIC]
This is an open Call out to the Blackpool Community
and to the world to create something special as an
antidote of the Pandemic.
Get dancing is a new social dance with a twist, we have created a Brand new
piece of music that reflects Blackpool in all its slender.
And now its over to you.
[MUSIC]
Sound of waves
Oh, wow
Cheering and Laughing [clapping]
[Cheering] Alright, Alright, jump it on out! What is we do a...
Lets do a... Yes!
[MUSIC]
sound of waves
Hi everyone, I am Aishely from House of Wings and today I am
going to teach you a dance routine called the Blackpool way.
If I said to you, put your left foot to the left corner of the box.
Ready? Five, Six
[MUSIC]
Then we do exactly the same, facing that way. So we do the
Blackpool Way, going in the opposite direction.
So we go again, to our right you, we go out together out together and
out together. Out to here we spot the seagull. Two, three, four and shimmy,
back to the ground and Clap. Its good.
Yeah, its nice to get everyone together.
I don't live here I am just visit at my mum, I don't live her but I am from Bispham.
Yeah, its good.
Nice! Have you done dancing before? Do you dance at all?
I used to do zumba, yeah? And how is this go?
Is it easy fun, hard? How would you describe learning this dance?
Ahh ask me in a few weeks (Laughs)
[MUSIC]
So did you have fun? Yeah
What what did you like most about the activity and brought you in today?
Getting me out of the house
It was funny and fun.
Have you danced before? Do you dance normally?
No, I do a jig and that's me done.
And what did you think of us turning up here with a van and coming to your street?
It's like we know you're here, so they all get a little bit chuffed.
You know what I mean, They were dead shy at first to come out
and then once its second time, its like, go on then!
'We're going to do the seagull' We go bam, bam, bam, bam.
[MUFFLED CHATTER OVER MUSIC]
Waves Crash
[Music]
[Cheering and Clapping]
[Music]
[Cheering and Clapping]
Waves crashing
Are we all good? Cheers
Alright, it's a little bit windy but its not raining.
What happens in the scenes, is Blake, Where are you Blake?
Blake is here ,Blake is going to set off, and basically we will all join and basically build a crowd
behind that travels with the movement
[CHEERING AND MUSIC]
[MUSIC]
We are going to run through it nice and slowly and I will watch
[MUSIC]
Waves crashing
And now, its over to you!