Tango and cash Get your dancing shoes on for charity fundraiser
FANS of Strictly Come Dancing are being invited to take part in the Bristol’s own version of the competition – which is taking place with a huge show at the end of March.
A total of 40 people – 20 couples – are needed to take part, with twice-weekly dance instruction to learn two dances – the tango and a musical theatre dance – in the run-up to the big night.
Organisers said people taking part don’t have to be any good at dancing to start with, just enthusiastic and willing to take part and raise money for two good Bristol causes while they do it.
The Bristol Come Dancing 2020 event was launched this week by Imogen McIntosh from Aid Box Community and popular drag queen Miss Carmen Monoxide, with an appeal for people to get involved.
She said people could sign up as individuals or as partners, and those partners could be made up of any gender – as long as you decide between you who ‘leads’ on the dancefloor.
The event is a major annual fundraiser for Aid Box Community, a charity which supports refugees and asylum seekers who have arrived in Bristol with nothing, and Temwa a Bristolbased charity that is supporting a community in Malawi become self-sufficient.
Training sessions will take place on Wednesday evenings and Sunday teatime into the evening, and those training sessions begin on Sunday, February 16, running up to the live event, at Boomtown’s new Area 404, on Saturday, March 28.
“We’ll be training 40 people – 20 couples – in six weeks to become professional dancers ready for the big event,” she said.
“If you want to get involved, we are looking for dancers – you can come in a couple or we’ll match you up with a dance partner.
“There’s no experience necessary. A lot of last year’s dancers hadn’t done anything other than dance around the kitchen, and within six weeks they were dancing like professionals. So come along whether you have some dance experience or none at all.
“There will be an enormous celebration and competition where one of you will be crowned champion of Bristol Come Dancing 2020.
“We encourage participants to sign up as a pair, so that you already know your partner.
“This reduces time spent in matching you with a partner during training time, so that you can get the most out of your sessions.
“This also likely means you already have a good trusting relationship, which can be a great support during training, which can sometimes feel a bit intense as nerves grow or when tiredness creeps in.
“If you don’t have or can’t find a partner, but still want to take part, get in touch!
“We can try to help in matching up individuals with other potential participants who are also seeking a dance partner.”
The Bristol Come Dancing is a fundraiser for the two charities, so there is a £50 registration fee, and everyone taking part is set a target of raising £600.
“Don’t let the target daunt you,” said a spokesperson for the Bristol Come Dancing team.
“Participants will receive one-to-one support from the fundraising team to help you reach, and beat, your target, as well as be provided with a fundraising toolkit and participant pack with all the useful info about the challenge, live event, fundraising ideas and the work of both charities.
“Expect challenge, new friendships, dedication, boosted confidence, and a lot of sparkle, and know that by taking part you’ll be making a real difference to many lives, by raising invaluable funds to support and empower vulnerable communities both in the UK and in rural Malawi.”
» To get involved visit temwa. org/events/bristol-come-dancing-2020/