PRIMARY school pupils are being urged to get their dancing shoes on to win lessons with a professional clog dancer.

The winning group will perform in the town centre at the Blackburn Heritage Festival this September.

The search is for a group of Year Five pupils who will work with clog dance expert Alex Fisher for eight sessions this summer, culminating in an end-of-term performance and then a town centre performance at the beginning of the next academic year on September 13 during the festival.

Clogging is a type of folk dance in which the dancer’s footwear is used musically.

The dancers strike the heel, the toe, or both against the floor or each other to create percussive rhythms.

Alex has worked with a number of primary schools in Lancashire.

She said: “Clog dance goes back to Lancashire’s industrial past and is a unique part of our nation’s dance heritage. Both boys and girls love it because it is fun, powerful and exciting to perform.”

Event organiser Harriet Roberts, added: “We are looking forward to the town centre coming alive with theatre, dancing and theatre in various locations. It will be wonderful to see young people and their families getting involved in clog dancing which is so much part of our cultural heritage.”

The tuition will be provided free of charge and will include loan of clogs.

School wishing to discuss the project should email alexfis@tiscali.co.uk Application packs at www.blackburnheritage.co.uk