Following on from our two successes of last year, our third Showcase event is on Saturday 14 July 2012. We are planning to join in with the national Big Dance Week, 07 – 15 July 2012, which is a cultural celebration as part of the year’s build up to the London 2012 Olympics.

We shall be closing Hatter Street, and the day will involve locally-sourced musicians, entertainers, sporting personalities and activities, stalls, art, fashion, shows, displays, games and competitions as we did for our Summer Showcase 2011. However the main focus in the street this year will be on a large variety of dance of all kinds – a truly Big Street Dance. We offer a free platform on which our local businesses and residents, together with selected organisations from within the town, may showcase and advertise themselves, joining together in promoting and celebrating all that we have to offer here in this area.

Last year, at our first attempt, we attracted an estimated 1,800 to 2,000 people down our streets and received local, regional and national publicity. This year we are aiming again to create a truly vibrant, lively and exciting day and to make it even better than last, with everyone helping to fill the street with colour, sound, laughter – and dancing!

We are supported by Bid4Bury, who very kindly is arranging the Road Closure and, together with the Tourist Information Centre, assists us with Marketing and Publicity.  With the support of David Bayliss, Leisure Officer for SEBC, we are promised that the Rwandan High Commissioner will be attending, together with some Rwandan dancers and also at least some of the Rwandan Olympic team. We should love to be able to offer them a truly warm welcome from our part of the town, and we are hoping to involve as many as possible in doing so.

Please do join with us in promoting and celebrating our very special area of the town.

10.00 - Chinese dragon Dancers give their Lion Dance welcome.

10.20 Fringe Musicians entertain you.

10.40 Chinese Dragon Dancers perform their Lion Dance again at the bottom of Hatter Street.

11.00 King Edward VI School Dance Company performs 'Olympic Dance' a piece that celebrates the cultures of our global partner schools and Britain.

12.00 Irish Dancers - "The Real Dance Academy"

12.30 The Mystery Dancers

13.00 Sing-a-long sixties songs with James Hogg. Get your feet dancing too!

13.30 Kinga's Zumba Group

14.00 Aquarius Singers - Bury St Edmunds Best loved Ladies Choir singing lively popular songs from their varied repertoire.

14.30 Bury St Edmunds Reel Club - Fun and friendship through Scottish Country Dancing.

15.00 Silvermist Majorettes - a boton and pompom display team based in Bury St Edmunds.

15.30 BSEAODS - Founded in 1903 Bury's longest running Amateur Society.

16.00 Grand Finale - Led my the Silvermist Majorettes.

And our special guest dancers from Rwanda will be appearing during the afternoon.

7.30 - 10.30pm When the day is over, dance the night away at our Barn Dance at the Athenaeum on Angel Hill.

2.30 - 4.30pm on Sunday 15th July join our Tea Dance at the Hunter Club in Guildhall Street.