THE Britannia Coconutters dance troupe have been invited to the International Folk Festival, a week-long event in St Nicholas, Belgium, starting on August 12.
It is 12 years since their last appearance at the festival and they are trying to raise funds for the trip. They will perform a variety of dances, including their Nut Dance, a routine involving 39 different steps which can take six months to learn. "Nutter" Ronnie Searle said: "It is an honour to be asked back to represent our country - and I'm sure there will be the possibility of one or two pints as well, after a hard day's dancing."
The group are famous for their Easter Eve ritual, which starts outside the Travellers Rest in Britannia. This year (Saturday April 22) they will be joined in the afternoon by six other dance troupes, including the Saddleworth Morris Men, the Bradshaw Mummers and High Spen Sword Dancers. They train every Monday at Beaconsfield Conservative Club, Stacksteads, and welcome new members.
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