Big Dance 2006 will be a week long celebration of dance with a huge variety of dance activities and initiatives London-wide and across the UK from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 July 2006. Led by the Mayor's Office, both the Arts Council and the BBC are key partners in delivering this project.

As a result London will be showcasing a vast range of dance activity and specially devised projects for Big Dance as many organisations and have already signed up to the campaign.

The BBC will televise a number of special events on the 22nd of July in Trafalgar Square and across the city. During this live transmission, BBC1 will also cover Big Dance events which have been happening throughout London and the UK during the week.

The Big Dance project can embrace a variety of different events and we are hoping that your organisation can contribute to and benefit from the project as a whole.

Big Dance Events - London & Nationally

The Mayor’s Office is working closely with the BBC to develop the BBC1 programme for Saturday 22 July 2006 with live footage from Trafalgar Square and coverage of many of the events that will have taken place throughout the campaign week throughout London so keep us updated with your plans.

Arts Council England is working closely with the Mayor's Office to encourage Big Dance events in all the regions as we want everyone to partipate in Big Dance wherever you live. Contact Shirley Collier: shirley.collier@artscouncil.org.uk for events outside of London.

Please let me know if there any dance activities in your area so that we can profile them in the press. Email me at shareena.ali@sportengland.org

If you are interested in finding out more about how to become involved please contact: Jacqueline Rose 020 7983 4728

http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bigdance/

Listings

The Big Dance guide will promote all the dance events happening across the Capital in dance studios, theatres, sports & health clubs, cinemas, leisure & fitness centres, sports facilities, community centres, health clubs and gyms, nightclubs & shops that have signed up to the campaign.

If you would like your event listed please send the details on the attached form to the above email address and we will incorporate this in the guide. The information should include all normal listing information as well as a brief description of the project.

There will be an online guide as well as a printed guide. Do send us details of your events between 15 - 23 July 2006.

Please note the key dates for details of your event below and send your completed form to: big.dance@london.gov.uk or to Big Dance Guide, Culture Team, Greater London Authority, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA

Key Dates

1 April 2006 Mayor's Big Dance website launched

21 April 2006 Deadline for entries to the printed Big Dance Guide

30 June 2006 Deadline for copy for the online Big Dance Guide

15 – 23 July The Big Dance Campaign

Trafalgar Square Weekend 21 - 23 July 2006

Saturday 22nd July is The Big Dance - Trafalgar Square's famous architecture will be the stage for the largest piece of mass choreography to be achieved on the square. This specially devised piece choreographed by Jeanefer Jean Charles will be a key element of the live broadcast. The aim of this piece is to create a new world record as well as delivering a stunning dance piece.

To make this work we are looking for dance groups/organisations and dancers amateur and professional to represent the widest range of dance styles possible. Are you interested? We are looking for everything from Hip Hop to Irish Step, from Bhangra to Ballet. If you are interested in this opportunity please contact thebigdancemass@btinternet.com  for more detail to be part of history and the largest dance event performed on Trafalgar Square.