Blackpool Dance Festival Launches in China
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More than 90 years after its original inception the world renowned Blackpool Dance Festival is to launch its first overseas event which will see it expand into China.
Working in partnership with International Special Attractions (ISA) the Blackpool Dance Festival will promote and be responsible for a brand new festival almost 6,000 miles away in Shanghai.
The event’s global expansion is part of an on-going relationship with ISA, the creators and investors behind Illuminasia which opened in April 2014 at the Blackpool Winter Gardens. Illuminasia has attracted more than 100,000 visitors since opening and recently announced a three year extension in the resort.
Based in Shanghai, ISA will work with the team in Blackpool on the organisation, branding and management of the prestigious dance event which will be promoted under the name Blackpool Dance Festival (China).
The first ever overseas Blackpool Dance Festival will be held at the Grand Stage, Shanghai, China from 19th – 23rd August 2016, with the annual May Festival continuing to take place at The Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
The Blackpool Dance Festival has become one of the world’s most prestigious annual dance tournaments attracting in excess of 20,000 competitors and spectators from more than 60 countries over the course of the nine-day festival. Since the first event in 1920 the Festival has become one of the key attractions in Blackpool’s annual tourism calendar.
Michael Williams, Managing Director of Winter Gardens Blackpool, said: “This is a great opportunity for Ballroom Dancing and will further enhance Blackpool’s position as hosting the number one Festival in the world. Over the past few years we have seen an influx of Chinese dancers competing in Blackpool and for us to take elements of our Festival to China can only increase the number of dancers that will want to come and experience the magic of dancing in the magnificent Empress Ballroom.
“This is an historic occasion to take such a prestigious event to China which will further strengthen the Blackpool Dance Festival as the world’s most prestigious and foremost dance event.”
Over the past 20 years Ballroom dancing has been a fast growing business in China and formed part of the Government’s drive for citizens to lead a heathier lifestyle, with more than 50 million people now registered as ballroom dancers with official Chinese bodies. The rise in popularity has also seen an increase in participants at the Blackpool Dance Festival who now regularly visiting from the Asia Pacific region to compete each year.
Michael added: “The expansion into China with ISA will allow more people from across the globe to compete in the world renowned event but will also raise the profile of our own Festival held each May providing an invaluable opportunity to introduce Blackpool across East Asia.”
The Blackpool Dance Festival (China) will initially take place over 3-5 days with plans to grow the event each year. Competitors will be able to compete in a full range of Latin and Ballroom dancing disciplines.
Gary Fjelstad, ISA’s Vice President/General Manager, said: “ISA is very proud to have the opportunity to work with Blackpool to introduce the Blackpool Dance Festival to China.
“With our deep understanding and working relationship with people and patterns in China we are confident this adventure will bring fruitful results to all parties involved. ISA is excited and looking forward to working with all our friends in the dance world in China.”
Entries and ticket applications for the Blackpool Dance Festival (China) will open on 15th July 2015 at: [email protected]
To find out more about the Blackpool Dance Festival visit www.blackpooldancefestival.com
ENDS
14th May 2015
For further information, please contact:
Anthony Williams, Blackpool Entertainment Company Limited,
T: 07748 705013 E: [email protected]
The Blackpool Dance Festival has been a part of Blackpool's history and celebrates 90 years in 2015.
There are five Dance Festivals held in Blackpool and which are held annually in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens comprising of the Blackpool Dance Festival, Freestyle Dance Championship, The Sequence Dance Festival, Junior Dance Festival & the British National Dance Championships.
- Junior Dance Festival
An exciting event for younger competitors - Blackpool Dance Festival
The longest running festival in Blackpool - Blackpool Freestyle Championships
Includes Rock & Roll to Streetdance - Blackpool Sequence Dance Festival
Classical, Modern & Latin Sequence Dancing - British National Dance Championships
Dancing for all ages at this festival
The Winter Gardens Blackpool offers a variety of venues for events ranging from business lunches to exhibitions and conferences. 11 separate spaces are available for hire either individually or in combination. Whether it be the grandeur of The Empress Ballroom or The Opera House, the vast space of Olympia or the more intimate surroundings of The Spanish Hall Suite, each of the venues has its own unique character and history – the perfect setting for any event.
International Special Attractions, Ltd. (ISA) was established in 1996 and over the past two decades has become a world leader in the production of large-scale events, exhibitions and theatrical productions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, ISA has branch offices in the UK and China, making it uniquely situated to offer exceptional experiences and service to its clients around the globe.
ISA’s ICE! attractions, produced in association with Gaylord Entertainment and managed by the Marriott Hotel Corporation, can be seen annually at four locations throughout the United States and are enjoyed by over 1 million people each year. ISA also produces The Ice Kingdom, the centerpiece of CHILL, an annual holiday event held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. ISA was the first company to bring Chinese acrobats to Broadway and produces Cirque Shanghai, which has performed in some of the most prestigious venues in the world. Additionally, ISA acrobats have performed daily for the past four consecutive years in Walt Disney World at Epcot Center. Finally, ISA’s Illuminasia, which combines traditional Chinese lantern making with modern construction techniques, has a standing show at the Winter Gardens complex in Blackpool, UK and annual seasonal shows in the United States, Mexico and the Middle East.
As well as its original productions, ISA has presented and promoted artists and events in China, many of which had never before been seen in the region. Jay Cochrane, who is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records for having performed the longest tight rope walk in history, is one such artist, earning that record by wire-walking across the Yangtze River, an ISA produced event. Other ISA presentations include the first ever Chinese production of the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess, performed in Shanghai at the Grand Stage and in Beijing at the Great Hall, Disney on Ice, presented in the Shanghai Mercedes Benz Arena, and live stage performances by world famous singer Sarah Brightman and magician David Copperfield.
With its original productions and ability to effectively produce and promote world class talent, ISA has truly established itself as a multinational entertainment group.