0:00:09 > 0:00:12In one corner of Britain, it's a special day.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18On this bright summer's morning, hundreds are gathering.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22They're taking part in a street performance
0:00:22 > 0:00:25to celebrate the heritage and history of their town.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27We're here in the 21st century.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29And we need to be put on the map.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33A spectacle that tells the story of what makes their town unique.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35There were pits in this valley.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37It were like Dante's Inferno.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39- Yes.- The smoke, the steam.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Helping to bring those stories to life
0:00:40 > 0:00:43is West End choreographer Steve Elias.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44Let's dance!
0:00:44 > 0:00:45THEY CHEER
0:00:45 > 0:00:46Dance can do so much.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50It unites, it allows people to express themselves,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53it celebrates, it entertains.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Dance, I believe, has the power to be life-changing.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Steve's spending the summer in Yorkshire,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03where he wants to get three very different towns dancing.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07- Hiya, do you dance? - Certainly don't.- No?
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- He'll be persuading everyone from beginners...- Dancing miners?
0:01:10 > 0:01:13I don't even know... That's a hell of a challenge.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15..to gifted amateurs to join together
0:01:15 > 0:01:17for the performance of a lifetime,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19through the town's streets.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23I'm drawing on flash mobs and viral videos
0:01:23 > 0:01:25and the London Olympics opening ceremony,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27where you witnessed the power dance has
0:01:27 > 0:01:31to bring people together and show the world
0:01:31 > 0:01:33who they really are.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34At the end of the summer,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Steve's master plan is to bring all three towns together, in York,
0:01:38 > 0:01:43to stage on final extravaganza that celebrates the whole of the county.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Personally, I think he's raving bonkers.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48And it all begins in Barnsley.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Three, four, five, six...
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Oh, my God!
0:01:54 > 0:01:56As I thought - carnage.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01One, two, three, four, five, six.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Yeah. Ka-da, ka-da, ka-da.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07So, there's that little jazz feel coming from here...
0:02:07 > 0:02:08And eight.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Choreographer and award-winning performer Steve Elias
0:02:12 > 0:02:13has a career spanning 25 years.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Growing up in South Wales,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19a budding prop forward and the son of a brickie,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22it wasn't a foregone conclusion that I'd end up on the stage.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25One, two, three, four, five, six.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26A-ra, ra, da, ra...
0:02:26 > 0:02:30'I remember the moment like a lightning bolt.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31'I was six,'
0:02:31 > 0:02:33in St Peter's Civic Hall,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37watching my oldest brother in an amateur production of Oliver.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40That was the moment I went, "That's what I want to do."
0:02:40 > 0:02:42And two, and three...
0:02:42 > 0:02:44After studying dance and choreography,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Steve went on to play roles in some of our best-loved musicals.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Za-pa-ta, da-pa-ta, da - ah!
0:02:50 > 0:02:53I spent a glorious 25 years working in the West End.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55The original company of Billy Elliot,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys and Dolls.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00And I feel thankful and lucky
0:03:00 > 0:03:05that I'm able to do a job that I love.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07As a choreographer, Steve's impressive client list
0:03:07 > 0:03:10includes the Scottish Opera and the BBC Proms.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13That's it, triple it. Romantic.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17But none of his work to date matches the scale of this new challenge.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22Dance has this power to let people express themselves.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Can I achieve the same result for a whole community?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29That's the challenge.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I want to go to the people,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35find out about their lives and stories,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and use that as a springboard
0:03:38 > 0:03:39to create choreography which is
0:03:39 > 0:03:41personal to them.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Steve's heading to Yorkshire.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Covering 6,000 square miles,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52it's Britain's largest county.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56I have a fond spot for Yorkshire. Having worked there as an actor,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59I found the audiences to be warm,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02loud, accepting.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I want to find out more, and whether they'd be willing to join me
0:04:05 > 0:04:07on this journey, to get them to dance.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12The first stop on Steve's Yorkshire odyssey is Barnsley,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15an ex-mining town 16 miles north of Sheffield.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Come on, Barnsley.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I want to see for myself,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26and discover - what is Barnsley?
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Who are the people who live in Barnsley?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32And where Barnsley is now.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So, this is the war memorial, and town hall...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48..and there's a fantastic monument which celebrates mining...
0:04:49 > 0:04:52..which has all the names of the pits.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- Bag of bananas, 50p a bag.- Hiya.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57HE LAUGHS
0:04:57 > 0:04:58People from Barnsley, you know,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01they're built on solid working-class roots - so am I.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04The town centre is very reminiscent of where I was brought up.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08I'm a working-class boy who works in theatre.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Am I going the right direction for the working man's club?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- Yeah, just top of the street. - Ah, brilliant.- Oops, sorry. - It's all right. Cheers.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Steve's arranged to meet local historian Dave Cherry.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- Dave?- Hiya, mate. How are you getting on?- All right? Good.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- I'm Steve, nice to meet you. - Yeah, wonderful, mate.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Where you from, where you from? - Originally, South Wales. Carmarthen.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- Oh!- Yeah, yeah.- Very much like Barnsley...- Yeah.- ..an old mining...
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- In the Valleys?- Yes. - THEY LAUGH
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- So, you were a miner?- Yes.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- A job for life, if you like, in them days.- Yeah.
0:05:44 > 0:05:45- Or so we thought.- Yes.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I started at a pit called Barrow,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and I used to catch the 5.20 bus, when I was 15 years old.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55There'd be, like, three or four hundred men...
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- Yeah.- ..waiting on the bus, you know?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Once the pit started closing down, what happened?
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- When one miner went..- Yeah.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05- ..15 more ancillary workers lost their jobs.- Absolutely.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Even the blokes who made the pies for the canteen,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11the steel works, the railway.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- You know, it were a big knock-on effect...- Yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15..a devastating blow, and that was it.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17- Roy Orbison - It's Over. - All gone. It's Over!
0:06:17 > 0:06:18- It had gone.- Yeah, yeah.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Coal mining in Barnsley reached its peak
0:06:21 > 0:06:25in the early part of the 20th century.
0:06:25 > 0:06:2830,000 local men worked more than 50 pits,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31generating wealth that lasted into the 1960s.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- NEWS READER:- There is little doubt that Barnsley owes special thanks
0:06:34 > 0:06:38for her prosperity to the presence of the rich coal-bearing seam
0:06:38 > 0:06:39beneath her boundaries.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42Bustling Barnsley.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Boom town Barnsley.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50The closure of Cortonwood Colliery in 1985
0:06:50 > 0:06:53marked the steady decline of the industry.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58When I was a young kid, this was a massive market town.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Very vibrant.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- Wonderful, wonderful place. It's just a shame, a proud town.- Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- We've had the stuffing kicked out of us.- Yeah.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07We've lost its pride, its identity.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Can you explain to me this Yorkshire pride?- It's this resilience...
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- Yeah.- ..when you've got nowt, you're at the bottom of the pile, you're...
0:07:13 > 0:07:17- That you fight against it.- Yeah. - That you won't give in.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20So, then, Steve, why are you here, then? What's...?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Well, I'd better come clean, then, Dave. You know that I'm an actor...
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- Yes.- But I'm also a freelance choreographer.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- Oh, right.- So, I'm on a mission.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I want to celebrate your community...
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- Mmm.- ..and the people who live in it...- Yeah.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36..and create something which is all about Yorkshire pride.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I want to get Barnsley dancing.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- Yep...- Am I being too ambitious?!
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I don't know. You want some luck...
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- Yeah.- ..like any other project. - Yeah.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49It's getting the word out.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Personally, I think he's raving bonkers. You know...
0:07:51 > 0:07:53HE LAUGHS
0:07:53 > 0:07:54It's very, very ambitious.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Hundreds of people dancing through these streets?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I just wish the lad all the best in the world.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03I think he loved the idea.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Is he confident that I can pull it off?
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I'm not quite sure.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Steve has just four weeks to put on a spectacle
0:08:14 > 0:08:18unlike any he's staged before.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Part of my inspiration is all those
0:08:21 > 0:08:23viral videos and flash mobs,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27that collective power of people dancing together.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29One of my main inspirations
0:08:29 > 0:08:32was the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35The central message and theme was about
0:08:35 > 0:08:39all communities coming together and celebrating
0:08:39 > 0:08:41what's great about being British,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44and that's what I want to bring to Barnsley.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Steve plans to stage one continuous dance,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50snaking through the streets with more and more groups joining,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53eventually building to a grand finale.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56For this to work, I can't have tens of people,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58it needs to be hundreds.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00You know, moving through the streets of Barnsley,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03picking up different groups, creating choreography
0:09:03 > 0:09:07which is designed for them to tell their story.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11That's why I think this performance is important.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Obviously, I can't do any of this
0:09:14 > 0:09:16without the people of Barnsley behind me,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20so I've got to meet the people, meet my cast,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22and go from there.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- Can I give you one of these?- Thanks. - Thank you very much.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Steve wants to get as many locals as he can to the town meeting
0:09:30 > 0:09:32he's holding in three days' time.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Can I interest you in some dancing?
0:09:35 > 0:09:37- No...- Not right now?- I'm going into hospital on the 17th of June
0:09:37 > 0:09:39for a new knee, I can't dance.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I want to get Barnsley dancing.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Right...
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Good luck.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- I'll see you there.- I'll bring 'em. - All right, all right, mate, cheers.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49Throw a few shapes...
0:09:49 > 0:09:51THEY LAUGH
0:09:51 > 0:09:53The only time I dance is when I'm drunk!
0:09:53 > 0:09:55SHE LAUGHS
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Or when I'm in Benidorm!
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- Would you like to dance?- What, now?!
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- If you want to.- Ah, come on, then. - Come on, then. Let's go.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Right. I'm going to turn you round.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I'm going to take you into a back bend.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08I got you!
0:10:08 > 0:10:09THEY LAUGH
0:10:09 > 0:10:12We're like Fred and Ginger!
0:10:12 > 0:10:15HE SINGS A MELODY
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Which way? Show me which way you're going.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18- You just keep that hand down.- OK.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21He does ballet already. Show him your ballet.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22What? Like this?
0:10:22 > 0:10:24THEY LAUGH
0:10:24 > 0:10:26It's not about me, it's about them. It's about Barnsley,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and about celebrating the people who live and work within in it.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Strawberries for 1.50.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Can in interest you in some dancing? I'll get you shaking your hips...
0:10:35 > 0:10:36- Right. - HE LAUGHS
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I can see you're interested now.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- She's definitely interested now! - THEY LAUGH
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- Do you dance?- Not at all, no.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44- I'll do it.- Fantastic.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Do I get a vodka?
0:10:46 > 0:10:47- You could get anything you want.- Yes!
0:10:47 > 0:10:50HE LAUGHS
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Hello, lads. What do you think about dancing?
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Oh, God, you've asked the right guy.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Yeah?- I used to do tap, ballet.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- Come round the back....- Yeah? - ..and if you walk round...- Yeah.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- ..and I'll just come here and have a chat with you.- All right.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08I got up to level six in classical ballet, tap dancing.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Ballroom and Latin...
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I've competed at the Blackpool Tower.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14So, you are the real Barnsley Billy Elliot, then?
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Yeah, you've somehow managed to find me in a chip shop!
0:11:17 > 0:11:18THEY LAUGH
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- Come and show me some moves. - Yeah?- Yeah.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22All right, yeah, I'll come out now.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- What if we started off with single pirouette...- Yeah.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26..going into a double pirouette?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Whoa. I can't believe how it's just gone. See, it's horrible.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35- You're young enough and fit enough for it to just, kind of, click back in.- Yeah.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38And what about if we take it into more of a kind of classical...?
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Swing leg and then cut behind. Brilliant. It's there.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46- It's coming back...- Yeah, yeah. - This is strange.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- I'm going to be dancing all the way home, now.- Brilliant.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I'm going to get in the garden tonight and just keep practising.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- Yeah? See you in a bit, mate. - See you later, bye.- Thank you, mate.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55Cheers.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58That's great. You know, he hasn't danced for six years,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01but I could tell, when he was talking about it,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03his face just comes to life.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04His eyes are sparkling.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08And you can't teach... That's somebody who really loves it
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and who really misses it.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13So, it'd be criminal not to use him.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Steve's keen to get as many groups as possible.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21He's discovered a nearby charity who use dance as therapy.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24They're a group for people who are suffering from dementia,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28where they and their partners can spend two hours
0:12:28 > 0:12:31learning very simple steps.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Can I squeeze in? Do you mind?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38'The whole point - it's to embrace everyone.'
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- Hello, my name's Steve. - ALL:- Hello.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Erm... I'm in Barnsley for a special reason...
0:12:45 > 0:12:47to get the whole of Barnsley dancing.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51So, if I've got any volunteers, hand's up now!
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- Yes? - THEY LAUGH
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So, all the details are on that flyer.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- I'm glad we're doing all this dancing...- Yeah.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00..because it's something I miss.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Dancing means the world to me,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05and I can be up in the garden,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08perhaps hanging the washing out,
0:13:08 > 0:13:09and my feet are going
0:13:09 > 0:13:11all the way up the path, hanging my washing out.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15And my husband wonders why it takes me so long!
0:13:15 > 0:13:16SHE LAUGHS
0:13:16 > 0:13:20But it, you know, this would mean the world to me.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Can you do a time step, or...?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- Oh, yeah.- Yeah?
0:13:24 > 0:13:25I can do Roy Castle's, eh...
0:13:25 > 0:13:27- Oh. Can you show me, Joan?- Yeah.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- Oh, yeah.- That's good, isn't it?
0:13:33 > 0:13:35- Yeah. We call it... Yeah.- Yeah.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Da-ka, da-ka da. Yeah.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Brilliant.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43For 72-year-old Joan, dance has been a lifelong passion.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47I'd be about ten, there.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I wanted to go dancing, but Mum and Dad said,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53"Right, you can go, but it's only for one lesson."
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And I went from nine years old to 15.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Just before I got to 15,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03I'd a chance to audition for the Bluebell Girls.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04It was heaven.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07And I went for the interview,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11and I was almost certain for going through,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14but the council wouldn't allow me to go, cos I was still at school.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16And that were devastating.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Ken came on the scene not long after.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24We got married, and I never dreamt a month of Sundays
0:14:24 > 0:14:29that I would be in this position with Ken.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31- Are you right, love?- Yes. - Come on, then.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Ken had a brilliant job.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37He was in management in steelworks,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39but Ken went into hospital,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and he finished up with a triple heart bypass.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- Right?- Right.- Do I get my morning kiss?
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Couple of years later, Ken weren't remembering things,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53and it came out that Ken had got vascular dementia.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Get your chair a little bit nearer, love, please.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59So, I'm giving to him what he's given to me over all these years.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07So, Joan, what would it mean to you if I could get you dancing
0:15:07 > 0:15:10through the streets in this dance... let's call it an extravaganza,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- this celebration of Barnsley? - It would mean a hell of a lot to me.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- Yeah.- I know I've something to live for in Ken,
0:15:17 > 0:15:22but it'll give me that little bit extra energy.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26I want you to have the best time in this celebration,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- that's what I want you to do, is walk away and go...- Thank you...
0:15:29 > 0:15:32- ..let's... - ..ever so much.- No. Pleasure.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33'There's a lot of people like Joan,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36'who just find the simple expression
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'of just moving together a comforting bond.'
0:15:39 > 0:15:41When people go, "What does dance mean to you?"
0:15:41 > 0:15:43well, you've just got to look at Joan.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52After three days of leafleting and meeting local people and groups,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Steve's hoping tonight's town meeting will be packed out.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57I'm bricking it.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03If there's only 20 people, I'll take that quite personally,
0:16:03 > 0:16:09as in, I've failed. This performance, it's a big deal.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14You know, in my head, I see masses...just hundreds of people.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15'It just has to work like that.'
0:16:15 > 0:16:16Are you for the meeting?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- No.- No?
0:16:18 > 0:16:24- Hello! Are you for the meeting? - Line dancing.- Line dancing.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- Fantastic.- Can you tell? - I didn't like to presume, you see.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31You could have been on a hen party, I don't know.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- Hello, Steve. - What group are you from?
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Barnsley Longsword. The sword dance team.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Oh, fantastic. Good to see you. Good, good, good.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Hey, I think you're doing well.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42'Word has definitely got out.'
0:16:42 > 0:16:43I just can't wait to get started now.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- Hello! - ALL:- Hello!
0:16:46 > 0:16:51In my head, I need a cast of hundreds. It's a fantastic start.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59So, this piece of music is why I got involved in dance and theatre,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and I used to jive with my aunties to this.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Keen to gauge the dance skills of his first raft of volunteers,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Steve invites them to take to the floor.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Everyone just join in to the circle here. That's it.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Open it out, open it out. Use the whole space.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Take away the dance term, yeah?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19You're just walking, so, you're just... One...
0:17:19 > 0:17:21And if you want to kind of use your arms,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24let's get a little bit of swagger.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26I think it's called "flavour" these days.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS
0:17:38 > 0:17:40That's it.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Fantastic.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I thought it was just going to be a meeting, we're just going to come
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and have a few cakes and teas and then we're dancing.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54And here I am now, shattered.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57We're very fit, as you know, for our age.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Well, we've done it often enough, haven't we?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05So, Joan, you told me about your dancing as a child
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and how you had the offer of becoming a professional,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11so I've got something up my sleeve which I think you'll like,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14but I'm not going to tell you what...
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- I'm not going naked?- No!
0:18:17 > 0:18:20No, you're not going naked.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23'Tonight was a great start.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26'There's no shortage of energy or talent or commitment.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29'They really embody the reason why I'm in Barnsley.'
0:18:29 > 0:18:35This lot, these lovely people, it's like preaching to the converted.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40They do it week in, week out, all this dance steps and, you know,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43all this Good Vibrations, all this stuff.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45He's got to go further afield,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48bring the old culture of the town back, you know.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51So where are we off now, Dave?
0:18:51 > 0:18:56- We're going to Mount Vernon, a very scenic view, if you like.- Yeah.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Dave's taking Steve to a hilltop on the outskirts of town
0:19:00 > 0:19:03that offers a glimpse into Barnsley's industrial past.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Look at this for a view, hey? How Green Is My Valley?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- This is the Barnsley you never see. - Absolutely. That's fantastic.
0:19:10 > 0:19:17I was born down here in this council estate here and there were five pits
0:19:17 > 0:19:19in this valley - Platts Common,
0:19:19 > 0:19:25Barrow, Rockingham, Pilley, Wentworth Silkstone.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- It were like Dante's Inferno in them days.- Yeah.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29You know, the smoke, the steam, you know,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32they used to call it "the steam feast" and they used to have
0:19:32 > 0:19:36this whistle on a morning, 4.40, 20 to five in morning,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39that was to get all the miners up, and it were a shrill, loud whistle.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Five minutes. It were ear piercing.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43- It used to waken everybody up. - Yeah.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48- How many men?- Oh, lock, stock and barrel, oh, 10,000. 10,000.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- Every day?- Yeah, yeah, 10,000.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53And I researched it,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56there were three Yorkshire miners killed every week.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59It's a hard, hard life, you know.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03That's the last remnants of the mining in Barnsley...
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Dave's arranged for Steve to meet with former miner Eric.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09- How are you doing, Eric? - I'm all right, Dave.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- Hi, Eric, I'm Steve.- Hi.- Thanks so much for agreeing to meet me.
0:20:13 > 0:20:14It's a pleasure.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20After 50 years at the coal face,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Eric now works at the local mining museum.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28I started here as a volunteer. It's like walking back in time.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Morning, Graham. Are we busy?
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Miners, they were proud men.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35In them conditions,
0:20:35 > 0:20:40they looked at the job as a challenge and if something
0:20:40 > 0:20:43went wrong, we'd help each other,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46the camaraderie is just unbelievable.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47Unbelievable.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51They also socialised together, so it wasn't just at work,
0:20:51 > 0:20:52it were out of work.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58The announcement of Barnsley's first pit closure in 1984
0:20:58 > 0:21:00marked a year-long strike.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Barnsley and other mining towns witnessed 12 months
0:21:03 > 0:21:06of often violent clashes between miners and the police -
0:21:06 > 0:21:10the bitter rift between the two lingers to this day.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13When we look back, we got involved in the '84,
0:21:13 > 0:21:20'85 miners' strike and it really got dirty, no doubt about it.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22It were frightening, it were frightening.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26You can't believe the devastating effect
0:21:26 > 0:21:29that it had on us communities.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33It is emotional and I've got to sometimes talk
0:21:33 > 0:21:38a bit more slowly to rid my body of that emotion.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41That's how proud we are. That's how proud we are.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43We're proud of being miners.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I'm here because I'm on a mission.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49I'm creating a dance piece to celebrate Barnsley, its heritage
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and the people who live and work in it.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58I can't do this without miners being involved.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Without them, you know, I've no performance.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I think... I think we have to tell what happened
0:22:09 > 0:22:13in the past and we were part of it, we worked together,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17we socialised together and then we've had sad times together.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20That's what the miners prided themselves on.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25- So it's not impossible.- I'd really appreciate that.- I'll try my most.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26It's going to be difficult.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Dancing miners, I'll tell you now, that's a hell of a challenge.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37I'll try climbing Everest before getting miners to dance.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- NEWSREEL:- The figure of a miner is given prominence on a coat of arms.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44His companion is the glassblower,
0:22:44 > 0:22:49second only in importance to the mining industry in Barnsley.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Alongside coalmining, glass manufacturing was historically
0:22:53 > 0:22:56another of Barnsley's bedrock industries.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The first glassworks opened in 1632,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03with many more springing up over the following two centuries.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08But cheaper imports and the arrival of plastic
0:23:08 > 0:23:10drastically reduced demand.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13This place is huge.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Oh, God, here we go.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Ardagh is the last remaining glass factory,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23producing 700 million bottles and jars a year
0:23:23 > 0:23:25and employing a 470-strong workforce.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Steve's arranged to meet them today.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29'It's not going to be easy.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'As soon as I mention the "dance" word, there'll be fear.'
0:23:32 > 0:23:34All right?
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I'm Steve.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I've come here to create a performance
0:23:39 > 0:23:41which celebrates Barnsley
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and you are the heart and soul of Barnsley in my eyes
0:23:45 > 0:23:47with the miners...
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Now here's the big bombshell.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55This performance is a dance performance.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03I am not going to put you in Lycra and tutus, you're not...
0:24:04 > 0:24:09I can... There is room for a solo, so I'll take your name after that.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10That's not what it's about.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13It's not trying to degrade Barnsley folk in any way, is it?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- You're not trying to present us in a bad light.- Not at all.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19No, no, no, no. It literally is celebrating.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22I just need to know, are you in or out?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- We're in.- You're in.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Yeah?
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- Are you in or out? - ALL:- We're in.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38I personally ain't done a lot of dancing and I don't think
0:24:38 > 0:24:41a lot of these people will have done a lot of dancing neither,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44so it should be interesting to see how we go on.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48I'm up for them kind of things, I've got two teenage grandkids
0:24:48 > 0:24:52who think I'm crazy anyway, so that will be good.
0:24:52 > 0:24:53That will be good.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00One week in, and Barnsley's starting to limber up.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Steve's holding his first rehearsal,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04for two groups from the town meeting.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05The line dancers...
0:25:05 > 0:25:09- Have you brought your dancing shoes? - Yeah.- Yes, fantastic.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11..and RMC, a local theatre group.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15I've had to take into account
0:25:15 > 0:25:18people's ages, physicality.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22So, I need to find a piece of choreography
0:25:22 > 0:25:24that can suit everyone.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Steve will select a song and choreograph
0:25:27 > 0:25:29a unique dance routine for each group.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Go here...
0:25:32 > 0:25:36The final performance will hopefully bring all these routines together,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40set to a medley of tracks carefully chosen by Steve.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44It's very stylised, very 1940s kind of gangster's moll.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Don't clench your buttocks.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Just let them fall away.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- They do anyway! - THEY LAUGH
0:25:51 > 0:25:53The song selected for today's session
0:25:53 > 0:25:55is Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing, Sing.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57I want you to give me
0:25:57 > 0:26:00your 1940s glamour.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04So, as if you're flashing your diamonds. Flash your diamonds.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Here we go, five, six, seven, eight,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and right, left. Stretch! Stretch!
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Section one is a little bit tricky,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15because they're having to do opposition,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19which is right leg forward, opposition with the left leg.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22And the second section is much easier, which is...
0:26:22 > 0:26:24I need it much easier, cos then that's the section
0:26:24 > 0:26:26that's going to really travel.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Just really boxy-like springs.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Ba, ba, ga, ga, ga.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Here we go. Five, six...
0:26:32 > 0:26:33A-five, six, seven, eight.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39One, TWO, three, four, five, six,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42SEVEN, eight. Flick, flick! Slide!
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Slide! Step turn! Up down!
0:26:44 > 0:26:46We'll get that. That's brilliant. We will get that.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49And five, six, seven, eight.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52And right, left, stretch, up, up...
0:26:52 > 0:26:54It is a bit ambitious, but I think,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56us, as a group, we're really excited to do it,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and we can't wait for the next rehearsal.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01We're not all quite sure what's it's all about, yet, to be honest,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04but we're a bunch of just-do-its.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08As well as the large groups that form the building blocks
0:27:08 > 0:27:12of Steve's dance, he's also keen to recruit gifted soloists.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Sing, Sing, Sing is an epic number,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and I need someone who can really front it,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and drive the dancers down the street,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22and that lad who I met in the chip shop,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I think he could be the one.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- Hi, Nick.- Hi, Steve.- How are you? - Not bad at all.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29He's the soloist I need.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31It's kind of this Gene Kelly thing where...
0:27:31 > 0:27:36It's the lamppost - you're going to go... Buh, buh, buh, swing.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Dah, dah, swing, dakka-dakka.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Up, down, clap! Left, right, left, head!
0:27:41 > 0:27:42Brilliant.
0:27:42 > 0:27:4621-year-old Nick lives with his parents, Helen and David,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48who own the fish and chip shop where he works.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- You want a cup of tea? - Oh, yes, please.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Growing up, Nick had very different ambitions.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56I just love putting on a show.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59I just got this buzz, like, I want to... I want to do it.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02I loved every kind of dance I did.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That's my dance wardrobe, like, all...
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Oh, they're... All my dance outfits.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10That was ballet.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Ballroom.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15At 16, Nick had the chance to realise his dream.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19I went down to this audition in London.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21I can remember, sat in the corridor,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25and all these, like, really big ballet boys,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28all doing their stretches and showing off.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31And I didn't have that much confidence.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35It just made me think I weren't as determined as them.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37So, I just couldn't do it.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40So, that's why I stopped.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44I just started working, then never went back to dance.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Yeah, I do miss it.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50It was his decision, and we never questioned him.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52He just stopped, and that was that.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55We felt so proud to see our son
0:28:55 > 0:28:58up on stage dancing,
0:28:58 > 0:28:59doing something that he loved.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01- Very proud.- Yeah.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Do you want a tissue?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05SHE LAUGHS
0:29:06 > 0:29:07If he came and said,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10"Dad, I'd like to go back to take up dance,"
0:29:10 > 0:29:12it'd be amazing. Yeah.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Dah, dah, dah, yah, kah, dah.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Ha-HA! Buh, buh, huh.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21'I've basically chucked him into the deep end.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23'So, he knows what he's'
0:29:23 > 0:29:25having to achieve,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29but his body and muscle memory is playing catch-up.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33- Was that? Oh... Sugar. Yeah, right. Yeah.- And again - that's good.- Yeah.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35I've just forgot how to use my body.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38And Steve's good, he's pushing.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Slide. Head! Step to, step to, step to.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44That's it! One, two, three, four...
0:29:45 > 0:29:46That's it.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50'Nick lacks confidence. I've got to push him,'
0:29:50 > 0:29:52but it's hard, it is very technical.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I'd like to think that it ignites the flame again for him.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I need to pull that confidence out,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03you know, rebuild that confidence.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07That's it! Dah! Great, mate.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Right, smile. I want to see teeth. Here we go.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15A-five, six, seven, eight. And stretch.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Across Barnsley,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19more and more groups are rehearsing
0:30:19 > 0:30:22their individual dance routines.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Momentum is definitely building.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26I'm running from board meetings
0:30:26 > 0:30:28to car parks
0:30:28 > 0:30:32to shopping centres, to meet groups and rehearse with them.
0:30:32 > 0:30:33Can you move and play?
0:30:33 > 0:30:37I need a brass band, cos Barnsley and brass bands go together. Yeah?
0:30:37 > 0:30:39- ALL:- Yeah! - Yep?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Oh, fantastic. Put on your dancing feet. Cheers, Sam.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Da, da, da, da. Brilliant! Stop!
0:30:46 > 0:30:47LAUGHTER
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Their energy's infectious, it's fantastic.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52I love working with that type of... that age group.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56One, two, and three, four, and five, six, seven, eight.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58ONE, two, three, four, five.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Don't break yourself, yeah?
0:31:01 > 0:31:03THEY LAUGH
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Joan! Good to see you.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Steve's dropped in on Joan to work on her solo.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11You said the Roy Castle step,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14a little time step going into something there.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Perfect.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21'I want her to feel like a Hollywood idol, you know?
0:31:21 > 0:31:25'Back in the 1930s, 1940s, black and white musicals.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28'I want her to be transformed in this dance performance.'
0:31:28 > 0:31:30So, out of your little time step,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33the men will be swaying behind you.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35We'll do one, two, three, four.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38And then, either side they'll go onto their knee.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40You'll sit.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42We think that's the end,
0:31:42 > 0:31:46but then they're going to lift you up like the Queen of Sheba,
0:31:46 > 0:31:47put you back on your feet,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51and then Ken will come and join you and go,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53"This is my woman." And then we're just walking down, yeah?
0:31:53 > 0:31:54SHE LAUGHS
0:31:54 > 0:31:58I just thought he was coming to show me one or two steps
0:31:58 > 0:32:00that he wanted me to...either to learn...
0:32:00 > 0:32:02But I never expected this.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05I can't tell you how I feel.
0:32:05 > 0:32:06I feel like a little girl
0:32:06 > 0:32:10that's just going in for her first exam.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14And I am, honestly, I'm really, really excited about it.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21With rehearsals gathering momentum, Steve heads
0:32:21 > 0:32:24to his stage - Barnsley's streets -
0:32:24 > 0:32:26to map out the route for the dance.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29So, this is where the performance is going to start.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33It only seems fitting to start in front of the war memorial
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and town hall. And then, as the music starts,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38we have a representative of the miner,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40a representative of the glassblower,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43and they come forward in the centre, and they shake hands,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47and then, that for me symbolises the coat of arms of Barnsley.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51And then, literally from nowhere, where have this sound effect of
0:32:51 > 0:32:55the siren which used to wake up the miners.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57The siren screeches, breaks the mood,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00and we go from heritage and history,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03what Barnsley was built on, straight to the modern day.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08So, you've got the miners coming down here...
0:33:08 > 0:33:10As the parade leaves the town hall,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13more and more groups join the dance.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15We hit this point.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18That's the end of section two, Rebel Rebel.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20So, from this exact point here,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22spilling right down here...
0:33:24 > 0:33:26..we'll have 100 people,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28all dancing, all choreographed.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Just a celebration of life in Barnsley.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34The performers will dance through the town's streets
0:33:34 > 0:33:39before coming together at the miners' column for the grand finale.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41It's ambitious.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43Possibly too ambitious,
0:33:43 > 0:33:45but I have to get the best
0:33:45 > 0:33:48for the people involved and for Barnsley.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51To fill the route he's planning,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Steve needs far more people than he has so far.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Luckily, he's discovered that Barnsley
0:33:56 > 0:34:00already has a thriving dance scene to tap into.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Tonight, I'm going to a Northern Soul night.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04I know what it is, I've seen it,
0:34:04 > 0:34:08but I've never experienced it first-hand.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13The Northern Soul scene emerged in the '60s out of clubs
0:34:13 > 0:34:16specialising in American soul by lesser-known artists.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Devotees, known as Soulies,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23were unique in their dance style and distinctive dress code.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26The music's fantastic.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29The people are booted and suited.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33You know, they really come dressed for an occasion.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Today, it still has a loyal following,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39and Diane has been a die-hard fan for over 40 years.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43I were 13 years old,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46and we used to sneak into a club,
0:34:46 > 0:34:47dance all night,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51and we got a good hiding when we come home, but it were worth it.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57We used to put weights in the bottom of our skirts
0:34:57 > 0:35:00so that, when we spun, the higher the skirt,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02the better you were at dancing.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06All right, then, I'm going for it.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Are they signature steps? Are they steps you call by name?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27- No, nobody can teach you Northern Soul dancing...- OK.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29- ..regardless of what anybody says. - Yeah.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31They just can't, because it comes from here.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34It's how you interpret the music.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39- If you feel like freaking out... - Yeah?- ..freak out.- Yeah.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43MUSIC: I'll Never Stop Loving You by Carla Thomas
0:35:48 > 0:35:52I haven't sweated like this for years. It's fantastic.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55I would love to get a group of Northern Soulers in.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59There's a section just before the finale where I'd love us
0:35:59 > 0:36:02just to turn a corner and there they are,
0:36:02 > 0:36:07one by one, they get up and individually freestyle,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10because that's what it's all about, it's freestyling.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14The fact that Steve's asked me to get a load of Soulies for this
0:36:14 > 0:36:18huge parade, I think it's a fantastic idea.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20I really do. It's brilliant.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Do we have a Barnsley Beyonce somewhere hidden in the room?!
0:36:30 > 0:36:31LAUGHTER
0:36:31 > 0:36:35With two weeks to go, Steve's on one final push to get as many
0:36:35 > 0:36:38people in Barnsley on board as he can.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Are you up for it?
0:36:41 > 0:36:46Seven, eight, and left. Two, three, four, five, six, seven, head.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50And one and two and three and four and five.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52THEY LAUGH
0:36:52 > 0:36:54I think you're so brave! Well done!
0:36:54 > 0:36:56And one and two and three and four...!
0:36:57 > 0:37:02'80s style. One, two, three, four, five, six.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Gather your thoughts. Back in. Slow, slow.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09- You're our dance captain.- Oh, yes! - Dance captain.- Dance captain...
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Here we go, once more before I lose you.
0:37:11 > 0:37:16PC Craig has served with South Yorkshire police for 29 years.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20- You joined the force in '87? - Just after the miners' strike,
0:37:20 > 0:37:24right in the teeth of the closure of all the pits.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27My father was a miner and lots of relatives were miners.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30In some families, of course, it split families asunder.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Did that affect your relationship with your father?
0:37:33 > 0:37:35It had a positive effect.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39I recall, my dad actually didn't want his lad going down the pit.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43After all, they were very difficult places to work in, dirty.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47A tough job, particularly on the coal face.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51So what's the relationship like now between police
0:37:51 > 0:37:54and the ex-miners, 30 years on?
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Time hasn't healed all the wounds, I'm afraid,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59but Yorkshire people and Barnsley people in particular
0:37:59 > 0:38:02are very broad-minded and we can move on
0:38:02 > 0:38:04and put our differences behind us.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07If somebody had said in 30 years' time, you'll be taking part
0:38:07 > 0:38:12in a dance in Barnsley alongside ex-miners, I'd have said,
0:38:12 > 0:38:13"No, you're off your head."
0:38:16 > 0:38:20Steve still isn't sure he's persuaded the miners to take part.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24- Eric. How are you?- All right, Steve.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26- How are you?- All right. - Good to see you.
0:38:26 > 0:38:32They will come, but as long as you're not wanting miners to dance!
0:38:32 > 0:38:35So we've got to simulate an old-fashioned miners' march,
0:38:35 > 0:38:37- that's the thing.- That's it...
0:38:37 > 0:38:40It's as simple as that.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Well, everyone around this table, are you on board?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- ALL:- Yeah. - Yeah, we're here, aren't we?
0:38:47 > 0:38:51We do have to have a rehearsal, it's a huge event.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Are you expecting the same number of men at rehearsal
0:38:54 > 0:38:56as we'll have on the real thing?
0:38:56 > 0:38:58- Yes.- Difficult.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03- If you're prepared to show that bit of confidence in us...- Yeah.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06We have... We have got ability.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11We can, without rehearsal, can march from the town hall.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14We don't need a rehearsal, we've marched through London,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16we've marched through...
0:39:16 > 0:39:20in Birmingham, we've marched in Norwich Docks.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24We don't need no trial run, I can assure you that.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28I'm not going to know how many I've got until they rock up.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30I've taken a huge gamble.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Stretch, stretch!
0:39:34 > 0:39:3710 days to go and Steve's ever-growing cast now
0:39:37 > 0:39:41- includes everyone from the local ladies' rugby team... - Five, six, seven, eight, go!
0:39:41 > 0:39:44..to the theatre group from the very first meeting.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48What we've got to get used to now is...
0:39:48 > 0:39:49not on the spot.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51So, it's...
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Ba-ba-ga-ga!
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Yeah? That's how far I need you to move now.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Let's pick it up from the top of the dance break, yeah?
0:39:59 > 0:40:03You've got to style it out, you've got to find your inner rock god.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05So, Danny, you're here.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09One, two, three, four, five, six and seven, eight.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12And one, two, three, four, five, six and seven, eight.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16# Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ga-ga-da
0:40:16 > 0:40:18# Ba-ga-ga-ga-ga-da
0:40:18 > 0:40:20# Da-da-da... # Step, step!
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Up! Brilliant! Brilliant.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27There's a lad called Danny and he's good, he's really good.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29He's got potential,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32so I want to push that and see what he can achieve.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37People always say to me, "With the glasses
0:40:37 > 0:40:39"you almost look like Tom Cruise."
0:40:39 > 0:40:41One day I will wake up and I'll look as good as Tom Cruise
0:40:41 > 0:40:46when I look at myself in the mirror. I'll be like...!
0:40:46 > 0:40:4819-year-old Danny works for his dad's company,
0:40:48 > 0:40:52a recruitment agency for HGV drivers.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- Morning.- Morning, Danny. Are you all right?- All right.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58My original dream when I were a bit younger was
0:40:58 > 0:41:01I'm going to get on a cruise and I'm going to be a professional dancer,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04but coming from school, I did get bullied a lot for doing dance
0:41:04 > 0:41:07because it wasn't something that guys did.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09I stopped dancing when I were 15.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11I decided to just leave dance completely.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13I thought I didn't want it, but I think meeting Steve,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16it's made me realise that dance is what I've wanted all along.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Come on, just give us a small snippet.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21It gets in like this and it turns into a Michael Jackson section
0:41:21 > 0:41:24like that and then a bit of a kick, spin.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I didn't think you could dance, I'll be honest.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28That was quite good, I'll be honest with you. It were good.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30MUSIC: Rebel Rebel by David Bowie
0:41:30 > 0:41:35And five, six and seven, eight and one, two, three, four, five...
0:41:35 > 0:41:39Danny's really special, very untapped, raw talent coming through.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42So I've tried to make a featured section.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45He's now become the solo rebel
0:41:45 > 0:41:48and basically he's going to represent
0:41:48 > 0:41:50the youth of Barnsley today.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53I feel really excited about it, but I am a little bit nervous,
0:41:53 > 0:41:55considering there's only weeks left before we bash it out
0:41:55 > 0:41:57in the middle of Barnsley.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00So I'm looking forward to it, but I am really nervous!
0:42:04 > 0:42:08Joan was offered to be a Bluebell dancer at Blackpool
0:42:08 > 0:42:11and she never managed to achieve that dream.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Hi, Joan. Hi, Ken.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16'I wanted to make her that showgirl,'
0:42:16 > 0:42:20to stand out amongst those 300 people in the finale.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22So I've got you a very, very nice surprise, Joan.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26They're just up on the playing field...
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- So, Joan... - Oh, my God!
0:42:29 > 0:42:33..welcome to the Barnsley bodybuilders!
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Come and meet the boys.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41- Come and meet the boys. - You stay there, Ken!
0:42:41 > 0:42:43THEY LAUGH
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- This is our lovely Joan. - My name's Ryan.- Hello.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- Are you all right, darling? - I am now.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Hello, Joan, I'm Jamie. Nice to meet you, sweetheart.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55So, if the boys get down into position, you're going to put
0:42:55 > 0:42:58your arms just there.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00- There's one man under your one bum-cheek...- Right.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03..another man under the other bum-cheek.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06- I'm getting interested in this! - STEVE LAUGHS
0:43:06 > 0:43:08We hold one... That's it.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10And then Joan's happy.
0:43:10 > 0:43:15Arms up... and then we lower down, we lower down. That's it.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17So what do you need more from the boys? You say.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Tell us what you need and we'll make sure we get it.
0:43:20 > 0:43:21I daren't tell you what I need!
0:43:28 > 0:43:31One week to go and Steve's holding his one and only
0:43:31 > 0:43:36rehearsal of the entire performance at a local playing field.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39There was no way I could close of Barnsley town centre for
0:43:39 > 0:43:42the rehearsal and the performance.
0:43:42 > 0:43:48So we've literally done a metre by metre scale of the route.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51The route Steve's planned will start at the town hall,
0:43:51 > 0:43:54then wind its way through the centre of Barnsley
0:43:54 > 0:43:56before culminating with what he hopes
0:43:56 > 0:43:59will be hundreds of locals gathered together
0:43:59 > 0:44:01in a grand finale at the miners' column.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03I'm just going to walk 20.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05One, two...
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Invited to rehearse the route today,
0:44:07 > 0:44:10everyone from the police to the local brass band.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13The thing is, when you're rehearsing in isolation,
0:44:13 > 0:44:19it seems so doable, but then it's not just one building block,
0:44:19 > 0:44:23we've got 20, 30 building blocks coming together
0:44:23 > 0:44:26for the first time... with music,
0:44:26 > 0:44:31and they've got to cover distances within that time.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33To add to the complexity of the final dance,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37Steve will capture it all in one continuous and unedited camera shot.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41What we get then is something special and memorable,
0:44:41 > 0:44:42warts and all.
0:44:42 > 0:44:48This never repeated moment, which is captured in real time.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53Basically, you, theatre, need to be in front of these guys.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56You do your first section and you punch.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59That's the cue for the baton twirlers
0:44:59 > 0:45:01to come in front of you.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04Despite Steve's best efforts to corral all the groups,
0:45:04 > 0:45:06not everyone has turned up.
0:45:06 > 0:45:07We haven't got miners at the moment
0:45:07 > 0:45:10and three glass manufacturers out of 30.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13Now I've seen everyone here, it's getting pretty nerve-racking now.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16This morning I woke up with butterflies, it were weird!
0:45:16 > 0:45:18So instead of pirouette on the floor,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21you're still moving that way. Yeah?
0:45:21 > 0:45:23Danny, go.
0:45:23 > 0:45:24Move! Move!
0:45:24 > 0:45:26SIRENS
0:45:26 > 0:45:29That it! Now, come on!
0:45:29 > 0:45:31Whoo!
0:45:31 > 0:45:34And punch, punch, punch, punch!
0:45:34 > 0:45:36Move, move, move!
0:45:36 > 0:45:39And one, two... Keep on moving forward.
0:45:39 > 0:45:44Four, four, four, five, five, six, seven, eight and one!
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Go, go!
0:45:46 > 0:45:49RMC have to go!
0:45:49 > 0:45:51As I thought, carnage.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52It's crazy.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Oh, no, now I'm getting nervous.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57Five, six, seven, eight.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02Three, two, three, four, six, seven, eight.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05I need you to move. Go, back, back, back.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07No, centre, centre, centre, back, back, back.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Back!
0:46:09 > 0:46:12So you're going to kiss and you're just going to walk
0:46:12 > 0:46:14and give some room, Joan.
0:46:14 > 0:46:15He's changed it.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18I didn't know he'd changed it!
0:46:18 > 0:46:20See, you can do it.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22Brilliant!
0:46:22 > 0:46:25It really is brilliant.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27Who'd have thought you could put Northern Soul
0:46:27 > 0:46:30with a brass band and kids... It's awesome!
0:46:33 > 0:46:36They all associate Barnsley people with working down the pit.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38Them days are gone.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41We're here in the 21st century
0:46:41 > 0:46:46and we need to be put on the map, because we're a proud people.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50The dress rehearsal has stirred up doubts
0:46:50 > 0:46:52about one of Steve's soloists.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57'Nick still is terrified.'
0:46:57 > 0:47:00Am I brutal enough to go, "I'm sorry, mate,
0:47:00 > 0:47:04"I'm not going to allow you to embarrass yourself"?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07'I hope it doesn't come to that.'
0:47:07 > 0:47:10- Hi, Nick.- Hiya. - All right, mate.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12- You have a bag of sugar...- Yep.
0:47:12 > 0:47:16..connected here, right under your undercarriage.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19Think of that bag of sugar drawing you, relax the knees.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23I want you to think, "I am the best dancer in Barnsley."
0:47:23 > 0:47:25It's all about the crown jewels.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27You've got to go, "Yeah, baby!
0:47:27 > 0:47:28"Yeah, baby!"
0:47:28 > 0:47:31That's the arrogance I need!
0:47:31 > 0:47:34Find that inner rock god.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38Yeah? And a one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40Two, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45One, two, three, four... Aww!
0:47:48 > 0:47:50- STEVE EXHALES - Come on, we can do this.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53Four, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55One, two, three and four, five and six and seven, eight.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58One and two and three and four and five and six and seven, eight.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00- Yes!- I'm knackered!
0:48:00 > 0:48:03Bag it, wrap it. Good, good.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08That's the first time, if I'm honest, that I saw Nick the dancer.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12- It's the first time I felt it.- Yeah? So now this is your benchmark.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17Today, was the first time I found that confidence,
0:48:17 > 0:48:21the right confidence, holding myself like that.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23Where he is now today, if he can maintain that,
0:48:23 > 0:48:26he'll deliver a great performance.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36It's 72 hours until Barnsley dances.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38LAUGHTER
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Five, two, three, four, five and six and seven, eight. Pop!
0:48:45 > 0:48:48Shoulders down, long neck. Lovely.
0:48:48 > 0:48:49That's it!
0:48:49 > 0:48:51Enjoy it.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56- Look at the smile on his face. - I know! He's loving it.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58He's grinning like a Cheshire Cat there.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Yes, yes, yes!
0:49:02 > 0:49:03Nailed it!
0:49:03 > 0:49:06The room for error is huge.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10When you're working with non-dancers, it's a big gamble.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15There's a lot of things that can go wrong... weather.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18What if the music's not on cue?
0:49:18 > 0:49:20And stretch! Stretch!
0:49:20 > 0:49:25It takes one person to trip and then it's a domino effect.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27I mean, what if somebody falls down the steps?
0:49:27 > 0:49:29You don't think, "What can go right?"
0:49:29 > 0:49:32You're dreading, "What could go wrong?!"
0:49:33 > 0:49:37We've got Danny on the bike, one slip, out.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42My biggest worry is, will the ex-miners even turn up?
0:49:45 > 0:49:48We have one chance and one chance only,
0:49:48 > 0:49:51so who knows what's going to happen?
0:50:09 > 0:50:12It's performance day.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15I'm scared, excited....
0:50:15 > 0:50:17feeling sick.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25It's an absolute huge challenge,
0:50:25 > 0:50:28a one camera shot, no editing.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Once it begins, it continues till the end.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33OK, stand by, track.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35As soon as Matt's on, we'll go for it.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40It's just now corralling people, making sure they're confident
0:50:40 > 0:50:42where they're standing.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Nearly 250 people are descending on Barnsley's town hall.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52We have glassblowers in a tableau. Yeah, that's it.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55In all the time I've worked in the glass industry, 50 years,
0:50:55 > 0:50:57I never thought I'd be doing this!
0:50:59 > 0:51:01Despite Steve's fears,
0:51:01 > 0:51:04in amongst the crowd are Dave, Eric and 30 ex-miners.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09We have a handshake that goes into the miners' siren.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13An immense feeling of pride when we march up back under those banners.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15That's how we all feel.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19That belongs to us and we're representative of that.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23- Good morning! - ALL:- Morning!
0:51:26 > 0:51:29To see you all here is humbling, nerve-racking...
0:51:29 > 0:51:31LAUGHTER
0:51:31 > 0:51:34..exciting.
0:51:34 > 0:51:40I want you to dance with pride, passion and commitment.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42- I'd love you to get it right... - LAUGHTER
0:51:42 > 0:51:45..but it's a celebration.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47Barnsley...
0:51:47 > 0:51:50- let's dance! - CHEERING
0:51:59 > 0:52:05BRASS BAND PLAYS
0:52:24 > 0:52:29SIRENS
0:52:34 > 0:52:40MUSIC: Rebel Rebel by David Bowie
0:52:57 > 0:53:01MUSIC: Rebel Rebel by David Bowie
0:53:23 > 0:53:28MUSIC: Beautiful Day by U2
0:54:08 > 0:54:15MUSIC: Beautiful Day by U2
0:54:32 > 0:54:40MUSIC: I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders
0:54:54 > 0:55:01MUSIC: Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by Eurythmics
0:55:12 > 0:55:20SWING BAND PLAYS
0:55:49 > 0:55:54MUSIC: You've Been Gone Too Long by Ann Sexton
0:55:54 > 0:55:57SCOOTERS BEEPING
0:56:04 > 0:56:11BRASS BAND PLAYS
0:56:47 > 0:56:51CHEERING
0:57:01 > 0:57:04CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:57:05 > 0:57:08I'm feeling top of the world.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12As they say in Barnsley, it's the best thing since sliced bread.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17It's the first time I've been part of a body of police officers
0:57:17 > 0:57:20and we've actually been cheered to the rafters.
0:57:20 > 0:57:21That was amazing!
0:57:21 > 0:57:25I think we've nailed it. We pulled it off.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27CHEERING
0:57:27 > 0:57:30It's ignited that spark in me again that just wants to make me just
0:57:30 > 0:57:32dance every week now.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34CHEERING
0:57:34 > 0:57:37What I've just seen is absolutely spectacular.
0:57:37 > 0:57:41It warms the cockles of this old man's heart.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:57:44 > 0:57:47Barnsley, we did it!
0:57:47 > 0:57:50I've accomplished what I came to do,
0:57:50 > 0:57:54leaving Barnsley with something to remember, something to be proud of,
0:57:54 > 0:57:58a shared experience that they won't forget.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01That's all you can ask.
0:58:08 > 0:58:13Next time, Steve heads to the Dales and the market town of Skipton...
0:58:13 > 0:58:17I'm looking for volunteers. It can't do it without you.
0:58:17 > 0:58:19Dancing and farmers just don't go.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21..to pull off another dance spectacular.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23I don't personally like dancing.
0:58:23 > 0:58:24What do you think?
0:58:27 > 0:58:29I'll have to start thinking of a plan B,
0:58:29 > 0:58:32but, to be honest, I don't have a plan B.