THE first Bridport Dance Festival takes place over the weekend 23rd and 24th May at venues around the town, including the arts centre and the Electric Palace. The programme ranges across the dance spectrum, from tango to tap.

With workshops, performance and free events there is something for all ages and dance interests, activities for children, and many events will be free.

Multicultural dancers and artists, along with dance groups local to West Dorset, will be out and about, bringing dance from around the world – Argentinian tango to Indian classical, jazz fit to jive, hip-hop to circle dance, as well as choreographed dance films.

Carla Steenkamp Sheills, who formed My Ballet in Bridport in 2010, is co-producing the events with Nikki Northover, founding director of Bridport Youth Dance and Choreography Geography, who has run dance classes in the town for more than 30 years.

The principal performers will be Fiona Harvey, a former ballerina with The Royal Ballet, Nafisah Baba, who won BBC Young Dancer of the Year in 2017, choreographer and dancer Aakash Odedra from Leicester, Leo and Tracey Fandago Acosta from Buenos Aires and Bournemouth, Grace & Growl, founded by West Dorset’s Anna Golding, Vrushali Harihar from India and Bournemouth, dancers from My Ballet and Bridport Youth Dance and alumni, as well as local community dance groups.

There will be dance workshops for all ages and abilities, with some free events on Bridport Arts Centre forecourt and the community orchard, including a silent disco and storyteller.

Little Murmur, a dance theatre show with Aakash Odedra, is at Bridport Arts Centre on Saturday 24th at 2pm. The special dance finale with Nafisah Baba is at the Electric Palace on Saturday at 7.30pm, and features many of the key dancers and groups, as well as a series of short films.

For the full programme, visit the website www.bridportdancefestival.org.uk

Nafisah Baba photographed by Nick Guttridge, Vrushali Harihar and Aakash Odedra’s Little Murmur