TWO dancers from Bury will perform at an official celebration for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next month.
Bury College students Kerry Hitchen, 17 and Sadie Parker, 16, are among 200 people from Greater Manchester performing at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant Parade taking place in London on Sunday 5 June.
The pageant will be one of the final events across the four-day bank holiday weekend to commemorate the Queen's 70 years on the throne.
Kerry and Sadie will perform in a section of the parade choreographed by Manchester-based arts organisation, Global Grooves.
Global Grooves' carnival-influenced spectacle, ‘A Sharing of Gifts’, draws inspiration from across the Commonwealth, including the Caribbean, Africa and the Indian subcontinent and as well as music, fashion and dance influences from closer to home.
A keen dancer since childhood, Kerry has been offered degree places in Hip Hop Dance and Artistry and Musical Theatre at the Institute for Contemporary Theatre in Manchester.
Sadie was part of the Freestyle European Championship winning team and placed third in the UK as a solo dancer. She has been dancing since the age of four and is trained in a wide range of dance styles.
In June, the performers will travel to the capital to represent Bury in front of members of the Royal Family.
The promenading entourage will be led by drag artist Cheddar Gorgeous, in the role of carnival queen.
Following behind her will be four giant walkabout puppets, a 100-strong young people's carnival music group, 50 lavishly costumed dancers and a sea of giant flag bearers.
The parade will wind its way through the streets of Westminster and along the Mall, past Buckingham Palace, using carnival, dance, music, circus and street theatre to tell the story of HRH's record 70-year-long reign.
Global Grooves producer, Freya Bennett-Nielsen said: "Our carnival parade celebrates Greater Manchester in all of its wonderful diversity and shines a light on the cultural exchanges that take place when people collaborate with others who have vastly different experiences, ideas and ways of living.
“We are proud to be taking some of Bury's finest young performers down to London and absolutely know they will do us proud in front of the eyes of the world."
Kirsty Connell, network coordinator, Greater Manchester Arts, which is supporting Global Grooves to take the young people to London, said: "The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant offers a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the talent we have here in Greater Manchester.
"We're really pleased to be able to support Global Grooves in ensuring that all of Greater Manchester is represented.
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