Barnsley Our Dancing Town


Barnsley

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In one corner of Britain, it's a special day.

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On this bright summer's morning, hundreds are gathering.

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They're taking part in a street performance

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to celebrate the heritage and history of their town.

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We're here in the 21st century.

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And we need to be put on the map.

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A spectacle that tells the story of what makes their town unique.

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There were pits in this valley.

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It were like Dante's Inferno.

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-Yes.

-The smoke, the steam.

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Helping to bring those stories to life

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is West End choreographer Steve Elias.

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Let's dance!

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THEY CHEER

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Dance can do so much.

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It unites, it allows people to express themselves,

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it celebrates, it entertains.

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Dance, I believe, has the power to be life-changing.

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Steve's spending the summer in Yorkshire,

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where he wants to get three very different towns dancing.

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-Hiya, do you dance?

-Certainly don't.

-No?

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-He'll be persuading everyone from beginners...

-Dancing miners?

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I don't even know... That's a hell of a challenge.

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..to gifted amateurs to join together

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for the performance of a lifetime,

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through the town's streets.

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I'm drawing on flash mobs and viral videos

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and the London Olympics opening ceremony,

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where you witnessed the power dance has

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to bring people together and show the world

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who they really are.

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At the end of the summer,

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Steve's master plan is to bring all three towns together, in York,

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to stage on final extravaganza that celebrates the whole of the county.

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Personally, I think he's raving bonkers.

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And it all begins in Barnsley.

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Three, four, five, six...

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Oh, my God!

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As I thought - carnage.

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One, two, three, four, five, six.

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Yeah. Ka-da, ka-da, ka-da.

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So, there's that little jazz feel coming from here...

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And eight.

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Choreographer and award-winning performer Steve Elias

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has a career spanning 25 years.

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Growing up in South Wales,

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a budding prop forward and the son of a brickie,

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it wasn't a foregone conclusion that I'd end up on the stage.

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One, two, three, four, five, six.

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A-ra, ra, da, ra...

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'I remember the moment like a lightning bolt.

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'I was six,'

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in St Peter's Civic Hall,

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watching my oldest brother in an amateur production of Oliver.

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That was the moment I went, "That's what I want to do."

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And two, and three...

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After studying dance and choreography,

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Steve went on to play roles in some of our best-loved musicals.

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Za-pa-ta, da-pa-ta, da - ah!

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I spent a glorious 25 years working in the West End.

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The original company of Billy Elliot,

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys and Dolls.

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And I feel thankful and lucky

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that I'm able to do a job that I love.

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As a choreographer, Steve's impressive client list

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includes the Scottish Opera and the BBC Proms.

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That's it, triple it. Romantic.

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But none of his work to date matches the scale of this new challenge.

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Dance has this power to let people express themselves.

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Can I achieve the same result for a whole community?

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That's the challenge.

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I want to go to the people,

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find out about their lives and stories,

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and use that as a springboard

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to create choreography which is

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personal to them.

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Steve's heading to Yorkshire.

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Covering 6,000 square miles,

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it's Britain's largest county.

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I have a fond spot for Yorkshire. Having worked there as an actor,

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I found the audiences to be warm,

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loud, accepting.

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I want to find out more, and whether they'd be willing to join me

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on this journey, to get them to dance.

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The first stop on Steve's Yorkshire odyssey is Barnsley,

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an ex-mining town 16 miles north of Sheffield.

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Come on, Barnsley.

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I want to see for myself,

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and discover - what is Barnsley?

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Who are the people who live in Barnsley?

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And where Barnsley is now.

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So, this is the war memorial, and town hall...

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..and there's a fantastic monument which celebrates mining...

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..which has all the names of the pits.

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-Bag of bananas, 50p a bag.

-Hiya.

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HE LAUGHS

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People from Barnsley, you know,

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they're built on solid working-class roots - so am I.

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The town centre is very reminiscent of where I was brought up.

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I'm a working-class boy who works in theatre.

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Am I going the right direction for the working man's club?

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-Yeah, just top of the street.

-Ah, brilliant.

-Oops, sorry.

-It's all right. Cheers.

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Steve's arranged to meet local historian Dave Cherry.

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-Dave?

-Hiya, mate. How are you getting on?

-All right? Good.

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-I'm Steve, nice to meet you.

-Yeah, wonderful, mate.

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-Where you from, where you from?

-Originally, South Wales. Carmarthen.

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-Oh!

-Yeah, yeah.

-Very much like Barnsley...

-Yeah.

-..an old mining...

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-In the Valleys?

-Yes.

-THEY LAUGH

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-So, you were a miner?

-Yes.

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-A job for life, if you like, in them days.

-Yeah.

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-Or so we thought.

-Yes.

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I started at a pit called Barrow,

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and I used to catch the 5.20 bus, when I was 15 years old.

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There'd be, like, three or four hundred men...

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-Yeah.

-..waiting on the bus, you know?

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Once the pit started closing down, what happened?

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-When one miner went..

-Yeah.

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-..15 more ancillary workers lost their jobs.

-Absolutely.

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Even the blokes who made the pies for the canteen,

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the steel works, the railway.

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-You know, it were a big knock-on effect...

-Yeah.

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..a devastating blow, and that was it.

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-Roy Orbison - It's Over.

-All gone. It's Over!

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-It had gone.

-Yeah, yeah.

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Coal mining in Barnsley reached its peak

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in the early part of the 20th century.

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30,000 local men worked more than 50 pits,

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generating wealth that lasted into the 1960s.

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-NEWS READER:

-There is little doubt that Barnsley owes special thanks

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for her prosperity to the presence of the rich coal-bearing seam

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beneath her boundaries.

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Bustling Barnsley.

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Boom town Barnsley.

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The closure of Cortonwood Colliery in 1985

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marked the steady decline of the industry.

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When I was a young kid, this was a massive market town.

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Very vibrant.

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-Wonderful, wonderful place. It's just a shame, a proud town.

-Yeah.

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-We've had the stuffing kicked out of us.

-Yeah.

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We've lost its pride, its identity.

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-Can you explain to me this Yorkshire pride?

-It's this resilience...

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-Yeah.

-..when you've got nowt, you're at the bottom of the pile, you're...

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-That you fight against it.

-Yeah.

-That you won't give in.

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So, then, Steve, why are you here, then? What's...?

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Well, I'd better come clean, then, Dave. You know that I'm an actor...

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-Yes.

-But I'm also a freelance choreographer.

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-Oh, right.

-So, I'm on a mission.

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I want to celebrate your community...

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-Mmm.

-..and the people who live in it...

-Yeah.

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..and create something which is all about Yorkshire pride.

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I want to get Barnsley dancing.

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-Yep...

-Am I being too ambitious?!

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I don't know. You want some luck...

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-Yeah.

-..like any other project.

-Yeah.

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It's getting the word out.

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Personally, I think he's raving bonkers. You know...

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HE LAUGHS

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It's very, very ambitious.

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Hundreds of people dancing through these streets?

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I just wish the lad all the best in the world.

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I think he loved the idea.

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Is he confident that I can pull it off?

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I'm not quite sure.

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Steve has just four weeks to put on a spectacle

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unlike any he's staged before.

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Part of my inspiration is all those

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viral videos and flash mobs,

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that collective power of people dancing together.

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One of my main inspirations

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was the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

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The central message and theme was about

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all communities coming together and celebrating

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what's great about being British,

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and that's what I want to bring to Barnsley.

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Steve plans to stage one continuous dance,

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snaking through the streets with more and more groups joining,

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eventually building to a grand finale.

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For this to work, I can't have tens of people,

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it needs to be hundreds.

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You know, moving through the streets of Barnsley,

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picking up different groups, creating choreography

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which is designed for them to tell their story.

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That's why I think this performance is important.

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Obviously, I can't do any of this

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without the people of Barnsley behind me,

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so I've got to meet the people, meet my cast,

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and go from there.

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-Can I give you one of these?

-Thanks.

-Thank you very much.

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Steve wants to get as many locals as he can to the town meeting

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he's holding in three days' time.

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Can I interest you in some dancing?

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-No...

-Not right now?

-I'm going into hospital on the 17th of June

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for a new knee, I can't dance.

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I want to get Barnsley dancing.

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Right...

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Good luck.

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-I'll see you there.

-I'll bring 'em.

-All right, all right, mate, cheers.

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Throw a few shapes...

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THEY LAUGH

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The only time I dance is when I'm drunk!

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SHE LAUGHS

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Or when I'm in Benidorm!

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-Would you like to dance?

-What, now?!

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-If you want to.

-Ah, come on, then.

-Come on, then. Let's go.

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Right. I'm going to turn you round.

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I'm going to take you into a back bend.

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I got you!

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THEY LAUGH

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We're like Fred and Ginger!

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HE SINGS A MELODY

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Which way? Show me which way you're going.

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-You just keep that hand down.

-OK.

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He does ballet already. Show him your ballet.

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What? Like this?

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THEY LAUGH

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It's not about me, it's about them. It's about Barnsley,

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and about celebrating the people who live and work within in it.

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Strawberries for 1.50.

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Can in interest you in some dancing? I'll get you shaking your hips...

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-Right.

-HE LAUGHS

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I can see you're interested now.

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-She's definitely interested now!

-THEY LAUGH

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-Do you dance?

-Not at all, no.

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-I'll do it.

-Fantastic.

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Do I get a vodka?

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-You could get anything you want.

-Yes!

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HE LAUGHS

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Hello, lads. What do you think about dancing?

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Oh, God, you've asked the right guy.

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-Yeah?

-I used to do tap, ballet.

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-Come round the back....

-Yeah?

-..and if you walk round...

-Yeah.

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-..and I'll just come here and have a chat with you.

-All right.

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I got up to level six in classical ballet, tap dancing.

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Ballroom and Latin...

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I've competed at the Blackpool Tower.

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So, you are the real Barnsley Billy Elliot, then?

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Yeah, you've somehow managed to find me in a chip shop!

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THEY LAUGH

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-Come and show me some moves.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

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All right, yeah, I'll come out now.

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-What if we started off with single pirouette...

-Yeah.

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..going into a double pirouette?

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Whoa. I can't believe how it's just gone. See, it's horrible.

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-You're young enough and fit enough for it to just, kind of, click back in.

-Yeah.

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And what about if we take it into more of a kind of classical...?

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Swing leg and then cut behind. Brilliant. It's there.

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-It's coming back...

-Yeah, yeah.

-This is strange.

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-I'm going to be dancing all the way home, now.

-Brilliant.

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I'm going to get in the garden tonight and just keep practising.

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-Yeah? See you in a bit, mate.

-See you later, bye.

-Thank you, mate.

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Cheers.

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That's great. You know, he hasn't danced for six years,

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but I could tell, when he was talking about it,

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his face just comes to life.

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His eyes are sparkling.

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And you can't teach... That's somebody who really loves it

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and who really misses it.

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So, it'd be criminal not to use him.

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Steve's keen to get as many groups as possible.

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He's discovered a nearby charity who use dance as therapy.

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They're a group for people who are suffering from dementia,

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where they and their partners can spend two hours

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learning very simple steps.

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Can I squeeze in? Do you mind?

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'The whole point - it's to embrace everyone.'

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-Hello, my name's Steve.

-ALL:

-Hello.

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Erm... I'm in Barnsley for a special reason...

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to get the whole of Barnsley dancing.

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So, if I've got any volunteers, hand's up now!

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-Yes?

-THEY LAUGH

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So, all the details are on that flyer.

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-I'm glad we're doing all this dancing...

-Yeah.

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..because it's something I miss.

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Dancing means the world to me,

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and I can be up in the garden,

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perhaps hanging the washing out,

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and my feet are going

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all the way up the path, hanging my washing out.

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And my husband wonders why it takes me so long!

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SHE LAUGHS

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But it, you know, this would mean the world to me.

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Can you do a time step, or...?

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-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah?

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I can do Roy Castle's, eh...

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-Oh. Can you show me, Joan?

-Yeah.

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-Oh, yeah.

-That's good, isn't it?

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-Yeah. We call it... Yeah.

-Yeah.

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Da-ka, da-ka da. Yeah.

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Brilliant.

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For 72-year-old Joan, dance has been a lifelong passion.

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I'd be about ten, there.

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I wanted to go dancing, but Mum and Dad said,

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"Right, you can go, but it's only for one lesson."

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And I went from nine years old to 15.

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Just before I got to 15,

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I'd a chance to audition for the Bluebell Girls.

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It was heaven.

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And I went for the interview,

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and I was almost certain for going through,

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but the council wouldn't allow me to go, cos I was still at school.

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And that were devastating.

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Ken came on the scene not long after.

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We got married, and I never dreamt a month of Sundays

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that I would be in this position with Ken.

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-Are you right, love?

-Yes.

-Come on, then.

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Ken had a brilliant job.

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He was in management in steelworks,

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but Ken went into hospital,

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and he finished up with a triple heart bypass.

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-Right?

-Right.

-Do I get my morning kiss?

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Couple of years later, Ken weren't remembering things,

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and it came out that Ken had got vascular dementia.

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Get your chair a little bit nearer, love, please.

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So, I'm giving to him what he's given to me over all these years.

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So, Joan, what would it mean to you if I could get you dancing

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through the streets in this dance... let's call it an extravaganza,

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-this celebration of Barnsley?

-It would mean a hell of a lot to me.

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-Yeah.

-I know I've something to live for in Ken,

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but it'll give me that little bit extra energy.

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I want you to have the best time in this celebration,

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-that's what I want you to do, is walk away and go...

-Thank you...

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-..let's...

-..ever so much.

-No. Pleasure.

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'There's a lot of people like Joan,

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'who just find the simple expression

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'of just moving together a comforting bond.'

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When people go, "What does dance mean to you?"

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well, you've just got to look at Joan.

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After three days of leafleting and meeting local people and groups,

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Steve's hoping tonight's town meeting will be packed out.

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I'm bricking it.

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If there's only 20 people, I'll take that quite personally,

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as in, I've failed. This performance, it's a big deal.

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You know, in my head, I see masses...just hundreds of people.

0:16:090:16:14

'It just has to work like that.'

0:16:140:16:15

Are you for the meeting?

0:16:150:16:16

-No.

-No?

0:16:160:16:18

-Hello! Are you for the meeting?

-Line dancing.

-Line dancing.

0:16:180:16:24

-Fantastic.

-Can you tell?

-I didn't like to presume, you see.

0:16:240:16:28

You could have been on a hen party, I don't know.

0:16:280:16:31

-Hello, Steve.

-What group are you from?

0:16:310:16:33

Barnsley Longsword. The sword dance team.

0:16:330:16:36

Oh, fantastic. Good to see you. Good, good, good.

0:16:360:16:39

Hey, I think you're doing well.

0:16:390:16:40

'Word has definitely got out.'

0:16:400:16:42

I just can't wait to get started now.

0:16:420:16:43

-Hello!

-ALL:

-Hello!

0:16:430:16:46

In my head, I need a cast of hundreds. It's a fantastic start.

0:16:460:16:51

So, this piece of music is why I got involved in dance and theatre,

0:16:530:16:59

and I used to jive with my aunties to this.

0:16:590:17:02

Keen to gauge the dance skills of his first raft of volunteers,

0:17:020:17:05

Steve invites them to take to the floor.

0:17:050:17:08

Everyone just join in to the circle here. That's it.

0:17:080:17:10

Open it out, open it out. Use the whole space.

0:17:100:17:13

Take away the dance term, yeah?

0:17:130:17:16

You're just walking, so, you're just... One...

0:17:160:17:19

And if you want to kind of use your arms,

0:17:190:17:21

let's get a little bit of swagger.

0:17:210:17:24

I think it's called "flavour" these days.

0:17:240:17:26

JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS

0:17:260:17:28

That's it.

0:17:380:17:40

Fantastic.

0:17:440:17:46

I thought it was just going to be a meeting, we're just going to come

0:17:470:17:50

and have a few cakes and teas and then we're dancing.

0:17:500:17:53

And here I am now, shattered.

0:17:530:17:54

We're very fit, as you know, for our age.

0:17:540:17:57

Well, we've done it often enough, haven't we?

0:17:590:18:02

So, Joan, you told me about your dancing as a child

0:18:020:18:05

and how you had the offer of becoming a professional,

0:18:050:18:08

so I've got something up my sleeve which I think you'll like,

0:18:080:18:11

but I'm not going to tell you what...

0:18:110:18:14

-I'm not going naked?

-No!

0:18:140:18:17

No, you're not going naked.

0:18:170:18:20

'Tonight was a great start.

0:18:200:18:23

'There's no shortage of energy or talent or commitment.

0:18:230:18:26

'They really embody the reason why I'm in Barnsley.'

0:18:260:18:29

This lot, these lovely people, it's like preaching to the converted.

0:18:290:18:35

They do it week in, week out, all this dance steps and, you know,

0:18:350:18:40

all this Good Vibrations, all this stuff.

0:18:400:18:43

He's got to go further afield,

0:18:430:18:45

bring the old culture of the town back, you know.

0:18:450:18:48

So where are we off now, Dave?

0:18:500:18:51

-We're going to Mount Vernon, a very scenic view, if you like.

-Yeah.

0:18:510:18:56

Dave's taking Steve to a hilltop on the outskirts of town

0:18:560:19:00

that offers a glimpse into Barnsley's industrial past.

0:19:000:19:03

Look at this for a view, hey? How Green Is My Valley?

0:19:030:19:07

-This is the Barnsley you never see.

-Absolutely. That's fantastic.

0:19:070:19:10

I was born down here in this council estate here and there were five pits

0:19:100:19:17

in this valley - Platts Common,

0:19:170:19:19

Barrow, Rockingham, Pilley, Wentworth Silkstone.

0:19:190:19:25

-It were like Dante's Inferno in them days.

-Yeah.

0:19:250:19:28

You know, the smoke, the steam, you know,

0:19:280:19:29

they used to call it "the steam feast" and they used to have

0:19:290:19:32

this whistle on a morning, 4.40, 20 to five in morning,

0:19:320:19:36

that was to get all the miners up, and it were a shrill, loud whistle.

0:19:360:19:39

Five minutes. It were ear piercing.

0:19:390:19:41

-It used to waken everybody up.

-Yeah.

0:19:410:19:43

-How many men?

-Oh, lock, stock and barrel, oh, 10,000. 10,000.

0:19:430:19:48

-Every day?

-Yeah, yeah, 10,000.

0:19:480:19:51

And I researched it,

0:19:510:19:53

there were three Yorkshire miners killed every week.

0:19:530:19:56

It's a hard, hard life, you know.

0:19:560:19:59

That's the last remnants of the mining in Barnsley...

0:19:590:20:03

Dave's arranged for Steve to meet with former miner Eric.

0:20:030:20:07

-How are you doing, Eric?

-I'm all right, Dave.

0:20:070:20:09

-Hi, Eric, I'm Steve.

-Hi.

-Thanks so much for agreeing to meet me.

0:20:090:20:13

It's a pleasure.

0:20:130:20:14

After 50 years at the coal face,

0:20:170:20:20

Eric now works at the local mining museum.

0:20:200:20:22

I started here as a volunteer. It's like walking back in time.

0:20:230:20:28

Morning, Graham. Are we busy?

0:20:280:20:31

Miners, they were proud men.

0:20:310:20:34

In them conditions,

0:20:340:20:35

they looked at the job as a challenge and if something

0:20:350:20:40

went wrong, we'd help each other,

0:20:400:20:43

the camaraderie is just unbelievable.

0:20:430:20:46

Unbelievable.

0:20:460:20:47

They also socialised together, so it wasn't just at work,

0:20:470:20:51

it were out of work.

0:20:510:20:52

The announcement of Barnsley's first pit closure in 1984

0:20:540:20:58

marked a year-long strike.

0:20:580:21:00

Barnsley and other mining towns witnessed 12 months

0:21:000:21:03

of often violent clashes between miners and the police -

0:21:030:21:06

the bitter rift between the two lingers to this day.

0:21:060:21:10

When we look back, we got involved in the '84,

0:21:100:21:13

'85 miners' strike and it really got dirty, no doubt about it.

0:21:130:21:20

It were frightening, it were frightening.

0:21:200:21:22

You can't believe the devastating effect

0:21:220:21:26

that it had on us communities.

0:21:260:21:29

It is emotional and I've got to sometimes talk

0:21:290:21:33

a bit more slowly to rid my body of that emotion.

0:21:330:21:38

That's how proud we are. That's how proud we are.

0:21:380:21:41

We're proud of being miners.

0:21:410:21:43

I'm here because I'm on a mission.

0:21:430:21:45

I'm creating a dance piece to celebrate Barnsley, its heritage

0:21:450:21:49

and the people who live and work in it.

0:21:490:21:52

I can't do this without miners being involved.

0:21:530:21:58

Without them, you know, I've no performance.

0:21:580:22:01

I think... I think we have to tell what happened

0:22:060:22:09

in the past and we were part of it, we worked together,

0:22:090:22:13

we socialised together and then we've had sad times together.

0:22:130:22:17

That's what the miners prided themselves on.

0:22:170:22:20

-So it's not impossible.

-I'd really appreciate that.

-I'll try my most.

0:22:200:22:25

It's going to be difficult.

0:22:250:22:26

Dancing miners, I'll tell you now, that's a hell of a challenge.

0:22:290:22:33

I'll try climbing Everest before getting miners to dance.

0:22:330:22:37

-NEWSREEL:

-The figure of a miner is given prominence on a coat of arms.

0:22:390:22:43

His companion is the glassblower,

0:22:430:22:44

second only in importance to the mining industry in Barnsley.

0:22:440:22:49

Alongside coalmining, glass manufacturing was historically

0:22:490:22:53

another of Barnsley's bedrock industries.

0:22:530:22:56

The first glassworks opened in 1632,

0:22:560:22:59

with many more springing up over the following two centuries.

0:22:590:23:03

But cheaper imports and the arrival of plastic

0:23:050:23:08

drastically reduced demand.

0:23:080:23:10

This place is huge.

0:23:100:23:13

Oh, God, here we go.

0:23:130:23:16

Ardagh is the last remaining glass factory,

0:23:160:23:19

producing 700 million bottles and jars a year

0:23:190:23:23

and employing a 470-strong workforce.

0:23:230:23:25

Steve's arranged to meet them today.

0:23:250:23:27

'It's not going to be easy.

0:23:270:23:29

'As soon as I mention the "dance" word, there'll be fear.'

0:23:290:23:32

All right?

0:23:320:23:34

I'm Steve.

0:23:340:23:37

I've come here to create a performance

0:23:370:23:39

which celebrates Barnsley

0:23:390:23:41

and you are the heart and soul of Barnsley in my eyes

0:23:410:23:45

with the miners...

0:23:450:23:47

Now here's the big bombshell.

0:23:470:23:50

This performance is a dance performance.

0:23:510:23:55

I am not going to put you in Lycra and tutus, you're not...

0:23:590:24:03

I can... There is room for a solo, so I'll take your name after that.

0:24:040:24:09

That's not what it's about.

0:24:090:24:10

It's not trying to degrade Barnsley folk in any way, is it?

0:24:100:24:13

-You're not trying to present us in a bad light.

-Not at all.

0:24:130:24:16

No, no, no, no. It literally is celebrating.

0:24:160:24:19

I just need to know, are you in or out?

0:24:200:24:22

-We're in.

-You're in.

0:24:260:24:28

Yeah?

0:24:280:24:29

-Are you in or out?

-ALL:

-We're in.

0:24:290:24:31

I personally ain't done a lot of dancing and I don't think

0:24:350:24:38

a lot of these people will have done a lot of dancing neither,

0:24:380:24:41

so it should be interesting to see how we go on.

0:24:410:24:44

I'm up for them kind of things, I've got two teenage grandkids

0:24:440:24:48

who think I'm crazy anyway, so that will be good.

0:24:480:24:52

That will be good.

0:24:520:24:53

One week in, and Barnsley's starting to limber up.

0:24:560:25:00

Steve's holding his first rehearsal,

0:25:000:25:02

for two groups from the town meeting.

0:25:020:25:04

The line dancers...

0:25:040:25:05

-Have you brought your dancing shoes?

-Yeah.

-Yes, fantastic.

0:25:050:25:09

..and RMC, a local theatre group.

0:25:090:25:11

I've had to take into account

0:25:130:25:15

people's ages, physicality.

0:25:150:25:18

So, I need to find a piece of choreography

0:25:180:25:22

that can suit everyone.

0:25:220:25:24

Steve will select a song and choreograph

0:25:240:25:27

a unique dance routine for each group.

0:25:270:25:29

Go here...

0:25:300:25:32

The final performance will hopefully bring all these routines together,

0:25:320:25:36

set to a medley of tracks carefully chosen by Steve.

0:25:360:25:40

It's very stylised, very 1940s kind of gangster's moll.

0:25:400:25:44

Don't clench your buttocks.

0:25:440:25:46

Just let them fall away.

0:25:460:25:48

-They do anyway!

-THEY LAUGH

0:25:480:25:51

The song selected for today's session

0:25:510:25:53

is Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing, Sing.

0:25:530:25:55

I want you to give me

0:25:550:25:57

your 1940s glamour.

0:25:570:26:00

So, as if you're flashing your diamonds. Flash your diamonds.

0:26:000:26:04

Here we go, five, six, seven, eight,

0:26:040:26:07

and right, left. Stretch! Stretch!

0:26:070:26:10

Section one is a little bit tricky,

0:26:100:26:13

because they're having to do opposition,

0:26:130:26:15

which is right leg forward, opposition with the left leg.

0:26:150:26:19

And the second section is much easier, which is...

0:26:190:26:22

I need it much easier, cos then that's the section

0:26:220:26:24

that's going to really travel.

0:26:240:26:26

Just really boxy-like springs.

0:26:260:26:28

Ba, ba, ga, ga, ga.

0:26:280:26:30

Here we go. Five, six...

0:26:300:26:32

A-five, six, seven, eight.

0:26:320:26:33

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

0:26:330:26:37

One, TWO, three, four, five, six,

0:26:370:26:39

SEVEN, eight. Flick, flick! Slide!

0:26:390:26:42

Slide! Step turn! Up down!

0:26:420:26:44

We'll get that. That's brilliant. We will get that.

0:26:440:26:46

And five, six, seven, eight.

0:26:460:26:49

And right, left, stretch, up, up...

0:26:490:26:52

It is a bit ambitious, but I think,

0:26:520:26:54

us, as a group, we're really excited to do it,

0:26:540:26:56

and we can't wait for the next rehearsal.

0:26:560:26:58

We're not all quite sure what's it's all about, yet, to be honest,

0:26:580:27:01

but we're a bunch of just-do-its.

0:27:010:27:04

As well as the large groups that form the building blocks

0:27:040:27:08

of Steve's dance, he's also keen to recruit gifted soloists.

0:27:080:27:12

Sing, Sing, Sing is an epic number,

0:27:120:27:14

and I need someone who can really front it,

0:27:140:27:17

and drive the dancers down the street,

0:27:170:27:20

and that lad who I met in the chip shop,

0:27:200:27:22

I think he could be the one.

0:27:220:27:24

-Hi, Nick.

-Hi, Steve.

-How are you?

-Not bad at all.

0:27:240:27:27

He's the soloist I need.

0:27:270:27:29

It's kind of this Gene Kelly thing where...

0:27:290:27:31

It's the lamppost - you're going to go... Buh, buh, buh, swing.

0:27:310:27:36

Dah, dah, swing, dakka-dakka.

0:27:360:27:38

Up, down, clap! Left, right, left, head!

0:27:380:27:41

Brilliant.

0:27:410:27:42

21-year-old Nick lives with his parents, Helen and David,

0:27:420:27:46

who own the fish and chip shop where he works.

0:27:460:27:48

-You want a cup of tea?

-Oh, yes, please.

0:27:480:27:51

Growing up, Nick had very different ambitions.

0:27:510:27:55

I just love putting on a show.

0:27:550:27:56

I just got this buzz, like, I want to... I want to do it.

0:27:560:27:59

I loved every kind of dance I did.

0:27:590:28:02

That's my dance wardrobe, like, all...

0:28:020:28:04

Oh, they're... All my dance outfits.

0:28:040:28:08

That was ballet.

0:28:080:28:10

Ballroom.

0:28:100:28:12

At 16, Nick had the chance to realise his dream.

0:28:120:28:15

I went down to this audition in London.

0:28:150:28:19

I can remember, sat in the corridor,

0:28:190:28:21

and all these, like, really big ballet boys,

0:28:210:28:25

all doing their stretches and showing off.

0:28:250:28:28

And I didn't have that much confidence.

0:28:280:28:31

It just made me think I weren't as determined as them.

0:28:310:28:35

So, I just couldn't do it.

0:28:350:28:37

So, that's why I stopped.

0:28:390:28:40

I just started working, then never went back to dance.

0:28:400:28:44

Yeah, I do miss it.

0:28:440:28:47

It was his decision, and we never questioned him.

0:28:470:28:50

He just stopped, and that was that.

0:28:500:28:52

We felt so proud to see our son

0:28:520:28:55

up on stage dancing,

0:28:550:28:58

doing something that he loved.

0:28:580:28:59

-Very proud.

-Yeah.

0:28:590:29:01

Do you want a tissue?

0:29:010:29:03

SHE LAUGHS

0:29:030:29:05

If he came and said,

0:29:060:29:07

"Dad, I'd like to go back to take up dance,"

0:29:070:29:10

it'd be amazing. Yeah.

0:29:100:29:12

Dah, dah, dah, yah, kah, dah.

0:29:150:29:17

Ha-HA! Buh, buh, huh.

0:29:170:29:19

'I've basically chucked him into the deep end.

0:29:190:29:21

'So, he knows what he's'

0:29:210:29:23

having to achieve,

0:29:230:29:25

but his body and muscle memory is playing catch-up.

0:29:250:29:29

-Was that? Oh... Sugar. Yeah, right. Yeah.

-And again - that's good.

-Yeah.

0:29:290:29:33

I've just forgot how to use my body.

0:29:330:29:35

And Steve's good, he's pushing.

0:29:350:29:38

Slide. Head! Step to, step to, step to.

0:29:380:29:41

That's it! One, two, three, four...

0:29:410:29:44

That's it.

0:29:450:29:46

'Nick lacks confidence. I've got to push him,'

0:29:460:29:50

but it's hard, it is very technical.

0:29:500:29:52

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

0:29:520:29:54

I'd like to think that it ignites the flame again for him.

0:29:540:29:58

I need to pull that confidence out,

0:29:580:30:01

you know, rebuild that confidence.

0:30:010:30:03

That's it! Dah! Great, mate.

0:30:030:30:07

Right, smile. I want to see teeth. Here we go.

0:30:090:30:12

A-five, six, seven, eight. And stretch.

0:30:120:30:15

Across Barnsley,

0:30:160:30:17

more and more groups are rehearsing

0:30:170:30:19

their individual dance routines.

0:30:190:30:22

Momentum is definitely building.

0:30:220:30:24

I'm running from board meetings

0:30:240:30:26

to car parks

0:30:260:30:28

to shopping centres, to meet groups and rehearse with them.

0:30:280:30:32

Can you move and play?

0:30:320:30:33

I need a brass band, cos Barnsley and brass bands go together. Yeah?

0:30:330:30:37

-ALL:

-Yeah!

-Yep?

0:30:370:30:39

Oh, fantastic. Put on your dancing feet. Cheers, Sam.

0:30:390:30:42

Da, da, da, da. Brilliant! Stop!

0:30:420:30:46

LAUGHTER

0:30:460:30:47

Their energy's infectious, it's fantastic.

0:30:470:30:49

I love working with that type of... that age group.

0:30:490:30:52

One, two, and three, four, and five, six, seven, eight.

0:30:520:30:56

ONE, two, three, four, five.

0:30:560:30:58

Don't break yourself, yeah?

0:30:580:31:01

THEY LAUGH

0:31:010:31:03

Joan! Good to see you.

0:31:040:31:07

Steve's dropped in on Joan to work on her solo.

0:31:070:31:10

You said the Roy Castle step,

0:31:100:31:11

a little time step going into something there.

0:31:110:31:14

Perfect.

0:31:160:31:18

'I want her to feel like a Hollywood idol, you know?

0:31:180:31:21

'Back in the 1930s, 1940s, black and white musicals.

0:31:210:31:25

'I want her to be transformed in this dance performance.'

0:31:250:31:28

So, out of your little time step,

0:31:280:31:30

the men will be swaying behind you.

0:31:300:31:33

We'll do one, two, three, four.

0:31:330:31:35

And then, either side they'll go onto their knee.

0:31:350:31:38

You'll sit.

0:31:380:31:40

We think that's the end,

0:31:400:31:42

but then they're going to lift you up like the Queen of Sheba,

0:31:420:31:46

put you back on your feet,

0:31:460:31:47

and then Ken will come and join you and go,

0:31:470:31:51

"This is my woman." And then we're just walking down, yeah?

0:31:510:31:53

SHE LAUGHS

0:31:530:31:54

I just thought he was coming to show me one or two steps

0:31:540:31:58

that he wanted me to...either to learn...

0:31:580:32:00

But I never expected this.

0:32:000:32:02

I can't tell you how I feel.

0:32:020:32:05

I feel like a little girl

0:32:050:32:06

that's just going in for her first exam.

0:32:060:32:10

And I am, honestly, I'm really, really excited about it.

0:32:100:32:14

With rehearsals gathering momentum, Steve heads

0:32:180:32:21

to his stage - Barnsley's streets -

0:32:210:32:24

to map out the route for the dance.

0:32:240:32:26

So, this is where the performance is going to start.

0:32:260:32:29

It only seems fitting to start in front of the war memorial

0:32:290:32:33

and town hall. And then, as the music starts,

0:32:330:32:36

we have a representative of the miner,

0:32:360:32:38

a representative of the glassblower,

0:32:380:32:40

and they come forward in the centre, and they shake hands,

0:32:400:32:43

and then, that for me symbolises the coat of arms of Barnsley.

0:32:430:32:47

And then, literally from nowhere, where have this sound effect of

0:32:470:32:51

the siren which used to wake up the miners.

0:32:510:32:55

The siren screeches, breaks the mood,

0:32:550:32:57

and we go from heritage and history,

0:32:570:33:00

what Barnsley was built on, straight to the modern day.

0:33:000:33:03

So, you've got the miners coming down here...

0:33:060:33:08

As the parade leaves the town hall,

0:33:080:33:10

more and more groups join the dance.

0:33:100:33:13

We hit this point.

0:33:130:33:15

That's the end of section two, Rebel Rebel.

0:33:150:33:18

So, from this exact point here,

0:33:180:33:20

spilling right down here...

0:33:200:33:22

..we'll have 100 people,

0:33:240:33:26

all dancing, all choreographed.

0:33:260:33:28

Just a celebration of life in Barnsley.

0:33:290:33:31

The performers will dance through the town's streets

0:33:310:33:34

before coming together at the miners' column for the grand finale.

0:33:340:33:39

It's ambitious.

0:33:390:33:41

Possibly too ambitious,

0:33:410:33:43

but I have to get the best

0:33:430:33:45

for the people involved and for Barnsley.

0:33:450:33:48

To fill the route he's planning,

0:33:490:33:51

Steve needs far more people than he has so far.

0:33:510:33:54

Luckily, he's discovered that Barnsley

0:33:540:33:56

already has a thriving dance scene to tap into.

0:33:560:34:00

Tonight, I'm going to a Northern Soul night.

0:34:000:34:02

I know what it is, I've seen it,

0:34:020:34:04

but I've never experienced it first-hand.

0:34:040:34:08

The Northern Soul scene emerged in the '60s out of clubs

0:34:100:34:13

specialising in American soul by lesser-known artists.

0:34:130:34:16

Devotees, known as Soulies,

0:34:170:34:20

were unique in their dance style and distinctive dress code.

0:34:200:34:23

The music's fantastic.

0:34:230:34:26

The people are booted and suited.

0:34:260:34:29

You know, they really come dressed for an occasion.

0:34:290:34:33

Today, it still has a loyal following,

0:34:330:34:36

and Diane has been a die-hard fan for over 40 years.

0:34:360:34:39

I were 13 years old,

0:34:410:34:43

and we used to sneak into a club,

0:34:430:34:46

dance all night,

0:34:460:34:47

and we got a good hiding when we come home, but it were worth it.

0:34:470:34:51

We used to put weights in the bottom of our skirts

0:34:550:34:57

so that, when we spun, the higher the skirt,

0:34:570:35:00

the better you were at dancing.

0:35:000:35:02

All right, then, I'm going for it.

0:35:030:35:06

Are they signature steps? Are they steps you call by name?

0:35:210:35:24

-No, nobody can teach you Northern Soul dancing...

-OK.

0:35:240:35:27

-..regardless of what anybody says.

-Yeah.

0:35:270:35:29

They just can't, because it comes from here.

0:35:290:35:31

It's how you interpret the music.

0:35:310:35:34

-If you feel like freaking out...

-Yeah?

-..freak out.

-Yeah.

0:35:340:35:39

MUSIC: I'll Never Stop Loving You by Carla Thomas

0:35:390:35:43

I haven't sweated like this for years. It's fantastic.

0:35:480:35:52

I would love to get a group of Northern Soulers in.

0:35:520:35:55

There's a section just before the finale where I'd love us

0:35:550:35:59

just to turn a corner and there they are,

0:35:590:36:02

one by one, they get up and individually freestyle,

0:36:020:36:07

because that's what it's all about, it's freestyling.

0:36:070:36:10

The fact that Steve's asked me to get a load of Soulies for this

0:36:100:36:14

huge parade, I think it's a fantastic idea.

0:36:140:36:18

I really do. It's brilliant.

0:36:180:36:20

Do we have a Barnsley Beyonce somewhere hidden in the room?!

0:36:270:36:30

LAUGHTER

0:36:300:36:31

With two weeks to go, Steve's on one final push to get as many

0:36:310:36:35

people in Barnsley on board as he can.

0:36:350:36:38

Are you up for it?

0:36:380:36:40

Seven, eight, and left. Two, three, four, five, six, seven, head.

0:36:410:36:46

And one and two and three and four and five.

0:36:460:36:50

THEY LAUGH

0:36:500:36:52

I think you're so brave! Well done!

0:36:520:36:54

And one and two and three and four...!

0:36:540:36:56

'80s style. One, two, three, four, five, six.

0:36:570:37:02

Gather your thoughts. Back in. Slow, slow.

0:37:020:37:05

-You're our dance captain.

-Oh, yes!

-Dance captain.

-Dance captain...

0:37:050:37:09

Here we go, once more before I lose you.

0:37:090:37:11

PC Craig has served with South Yorkshire police for 29 years.

0:37:110:37:16

-You joined the force in '87?

-Just after the miners' strike,

0:37:160:37:20

right in the teeth of the closure of all the pits.

0:37:200:37:24

My father was a miner and lots of relatives were miners.

0:37:240:37:27

In some families, of course, it split families asunder.

0:37:270:37:30

Did that affect your relationship with your father?

0:37:300:37:33

It had a positive effect.

0:37:330:37:35

I recall, my dad actually didn't want his lad going down the pit.

0:37:350:37:39

After all, they were very difficult places to work in, dirty.

0:37:390:37:43

A tough job, particularly on the coal face.

0:37:430:37:47

So what's the relationship like now between police

0:37:470:37:51

and the ex-miners, 30 years on?

0:37:510:37:54

Time hasn't healed all the wounds, I'm afraid,

0:37:540:37:56

but Yorkshire people and Barnsley people in particular

0:37:560:37:59

are very broad-minded and we can move on

0:37:590:38:02

and put our differences behind us.

0:38:020:38:04

If somebody had said in 30 years' time, you'll be taking part

0:38:040:38:07

in a dance in Barnsley alongside ex-miners, I'd have said,

0:38:070:38:12

"No, you're off your head."

0:38:120:38:13

Steve still isn't sure he's persuaded the miners to take part.

0:38:160:38:20

-Eric. How are you?

-All right, Steve.

0:38:200:38:24

-How are you?

-All right.

-Good to see you.

0:38:240:38:26

They will come, but as long as you're not wanting miners to dance!

0:38:260:38:32

So we've got to simulate an old-fashioned miners' march,

0:38:320:38:35

-that's the thing.

-That's it...

0:38:350:38:37

It's as simple as that.

0:38:370:38:40

Well, everyone around this table, are you on board?

0:38:400:38:44

-ALL:

-Yeah.

-Yeah, we're here, aren't we?

0:38:440:38:47

We do have to have a rehearsal, it's a huge event.

0:38:470:38:51

Are you expecting the same number of men at rehearsal

0:38:510:38:54

as we'll have on the real thing?

0:38:540:38:56

-Yes.

-Difficult.

0:38:560:38:58

-If you're prepared to show that bit of confidence in us...

-Yeah.

0:39:000:39:03

We have... We have got ability.

0:39:030:39:06

We can, without rehearsal, can march from the town hall.

0:39:060:39:11

We don't need a rehearsal, we've marched through London,

0:39:110:39:14

we've marched through...

0:39:140:39:16

in Birmingham, we've marched in Norwich Docks.

0:39:160:39:20

We don't need no trial run, I can assure you that.

0:39:200:39:24

I'm not going to know how many I've got until they rock up.

0:39:240:39:28

I've taken a huge gamble.

0:39:280:39:30

Stretch, stretch!

0:39:320:39:34

10 days to go and Steve's ever-growing cast now

0:39:340:39:37

-includes everyone from the local ladies' rugby team...

-Five, six, seven, eight, go!

0:39:370:39:41

..to the theatre group from the very first meeting.

0:39:410:39:44

What we've got to get used to now is...

0:39:440:39:48

not on the spot.

0:39:480:39:49

So, it's...

0:39:490:39:51

Ba-ba-ga-ga!

0:39:510:39:53

Yeah? That's how far I need you to move now.

0:39:530:39:56

Let's pick it up from the top of the dance break, yeah?

0:39:560:39:59

You've got to style it out, you've got to find your inner rock god.

0:39:590:40:03

So, Danny, you're here.

0:40:030:40:05

One, two, three, four, five, six and seven, eight.

0:40:050:40:09

And one, two, three, four, five, six and seven, eight.

0:40:090:40:12

# Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ga-ga-da

0:40:120:40:16

# Ba-ga-ga-ga-ga-da

0:40:160:40:18

# Da-da-da... # Step, step!

0:40:180:40:20

Up! Brilliant! Brilliant.

0:40:200:40:23

There's a lad called Danny and he's good, he's really good.

0:40:230:40:27

He's got potential,

0:40:270:40:29

so I want to push that and see what he can achieve.

0:40:290:40:32

People always say to me, "With the glasses

0:40:350:40:37

"you almost look like Tom Cruise."

0:40:370:40:39

One day I will wake up and I'll look as good as Tom Cruise

0:40:390:40:41

when I look at myself in the mirror. I'll be like...!

0:40:410:40:46

19-year-old Danny works for his dad's company,

0:40:460:40:48

a recruitment agency for HGV drivers.

0:40:480:40:52

-Morning.

-Morning, Danny. Are you all right?

-All right.

0:40:520:40:55

My original dream when I were a bit younger was

0:40:550:40:58

I'm going to get on a cruise and I'm going to be a professional dancer,

0:40:580:41:01

but coming from school, I did get bullied a lot for doing dance

0:41:010:41:04

because it wasn't something that guys did.

0:41:040:41:07

I stopped dancing when I were 15.

0:41:070:41:09

I decided to just leave dance completely.

0:41:090:41:11

I thought I didn't want it, but I think meeting Steve,

0:41:110:41:13

it's made me realise that dance is what I've wanted all along.

0:41:130:41:16

Come on, just give us a small snippet.

0:41:160:41:18

It gets in like this and it turns into a Michael Jackson section

0:41:180:41:21

like that and then a bit of a kick, spin.

0:41:210:41:24

I didn't think you could dance, I'll be honest.

0:41:240:41:26

That was quite good, I'll be honest with you. It were good.

0:41:260:41:28

MUSIC: Rebel Rebel by David Bowie

0:41:280:41:30

And five, six and seven, eight and one, two, three, four, five...

0:41:300:41:35

Danny's really special, very untapped, raw talent coming through.

0:41:350:41:39

So I've tried to make a featured section.

0:41:390:41:42

He's now become the solo rebel

0:41:420:41:45

and basically he's going to represent

0:41:450:41:48

the youth of Barnsley today.

0:41:480:41:50

I feel really excited about it, but I am a little bit nervous,

0:41:500:41:53

considering there's only weeks left before we bash it out

0:41:530:41:55

in the middle of Barnsley.

0:41:550:41:57

So I'm looking forward to it, but I am really nervous!

0:41:570:42:00

Joan was offered to be a Bluebell dancer at Blackpool

0:42:040:42:08

and she never managed to achieve that dream.

0:42:080:42:11

Hi, Joan. Hi, Ken.

0:42:110:42:13

'I wanted to make her that showgirl,'

0:42:130:42:16

to stand out amongst those 300 people in the finale.

0:42:160:42:20

So I've got you a very, very nice surprise, Joan.

0:42:200:42:22

They're just up on the playing field...

0:42:220:42:26

-So, Joan...

-Oh, my God!

0:42:260:42:29

..welcome to the Barnsley bodybuilders!

0:42:290:42:33

Come and meet the boys.

0:42:360:42:38

-Come and meet the boys.

-You stay there, Ken!

0:42:380:42:41

THEY LAUGH

0:42:410:42:43

-This is our lovely Joan.

-My name's Ryan.

-Hello.

0:42:440:42:47

-Are you all right, darling?

-I am now.

0:42:470:42:49

Hello, Joan, I'm Jamie. Nice to meet you, sweetheart.

0:42:490:42:52

So, if the boys get down into position, you're going to put

0:42:520:42:55

your arms just there.

0:42:550:42:58

-There's one man under your one bum-cheek...

-Right.

0:42:580:43:00

..another man under the other bum-cheek.

0:43:000:43:03

-I'm getting interested in this!

-STEVE LAUGHS

0:43:030:43:06

We hold one... That's it.

0:43:060:43:08

And then Joan's happy.

0:43:080:43:10

Arms up... and then we lower down, we lower down. That's it.

0:43:100:43:15

So what do you need more from the boys? You say.

0:43:150:43:17

Tell us what you need and we'll make sure we get it.

0:43:170:43:20

I daren't tell you what I need!

0:43:200:43:21

One week to go and Steve's holding his one and only

0:43:280:43:31

rehearsal of the entire performance at a local playing field.

0:43:310:43:36

There was no way I could close of Barnsley town centre for

0:43:360:43:39

the rehearsal and the performance.

0:43:390:43:42

So we've literally done a metre by metre scale of the route.

0:43:420:43:48

The route Steve's planned will start at the town hall,

0:43:480:43:51

then wind its way through the centre of Barnsley

0:43:510:43:54

before culminating with what he hopes

0:43:540:43:56

will be hundreds of locals gathered together

0:43:560:43:59

in a grand finale at the miners' column.

0:43:590:44:01

I'm just going to walk 20.

0:44:010:44:03

One, two...

0:44:030:44:05

Invited to rehearse the route today,

0:44:050:44:07

everyone from the police to the local brass band.

0:44:070:44:10

The thing is, when you're rehearsing in isolation,

0:44:100:44:13

it seems so doable, but then it's not just one building block,

0:44:130:44:19

we've got 20, 30 building blocks coming together

0:44:190:44:23

for the first time... with music,

0:44:230:44:26

and they've got to cover distances within that time.

0:44:260:44:31

To add to the complexity of the final dance,

0:44:310:44:33

Steve will capture it all in one continuous and unedited camera shot.

0:44:330:44:37

What we get then is something special and memorable,

0:44:370:44:41

warts and all.

0:44:410:44:42

This never repeated moment, which is captured in real time.

0:44:420:44:48

Basically, you, theatre, need to be in front of these guys.

0:44:490:44:53

You do your first section and you punch.

0:44:530:44:56

That's the cue for the baton twirlers

0:44:560:44:59

to come in front of you.

0:44:590:45:01

Despite Steve's best efforts to corral all the groups,

0:45:010:45:04

not everyone has turned up.

0:45:040:45:06

We haven't got miners at the moment

0:45:060:45:07

and three glass manufacturers out of 30.

0:45:070:45:10

Now I've seen everyone here, it's getting pretty nerve-racking now.

0:45:100:45:13

This morning I woke up with butterflies, it were weird!

0:45:130:45:16

So instead of pirouette on the floor,

0:45:160:45:18

you're still moving that way. Yeah?

0:45:180:45:21

Danny, go.

0:45:210:45:23

Move! Move!

0:45:230:45:24

SIRENS

0:45:240:45:26

That it! Now, come on!

0:45:260:45:29

Whoo!

0:45:290:45:31

And punch, punch, punch, punch!

0:45:310:45:34

Move, move, move!

0:45:340:45:36

And one, two... Keep on moving forward.

0:45:360:45:39

Four, four, four, five, five, six, seven, eight and one!

0:45:390:45:44

Go, go!

0:45:440:45:46

RMC have to go!

0:45:460:45:49

As I thought, carnage.

0:45:490:45:51

It's crazy.

0:45:510:45:52

Oh, no, now I'm getting nervous.

0:45:520:45:55

Five, six, seven, eight.

0:45:550:45:57

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

0:45:570:45:59

Three, two, three, four, six, seven, eight.

0:45:590:46:02

I need you to move. Go, back, back, back.

0:46:020:46:05

No, centre, centre, centre, back, back, back.

0:46:050:46:07

Back!

0:46:070:46:09

So you're going to kiss and you're just going to walk

0:46:090:46:12

and give some room, Joan.

0:46:120:46:14

He's changed it.

0:46:140:46:15

I didn't know he'd changed it!

0:46:150:46:18

See, you can do it.

0:46:180:46:20

Brilliant!

0:46:200:46:22

It really is brilliant.

0:46:220:46:25

Who'd have thought you could put Northern Soul

0:46:250:46:27

with a brass band and kids... It's awesome!

0:46:270:46:30

They all associate Barnsley people with working down the pit.

0:46:330:46:36

Them days are gone.

0:46:360:46:38

We're here in the 21st century

0:46:380:46:41

and we need to be put on the map, because we're a proud people.

0:46:410:46:46

The dress rehearsal has stirred up doubts

0:46:480:46:50

about one of Steve's soloists.

0:46:500:46:52

'Nick still is terrified.'

0:46:520:46:57

Am I brutal enough to go, "I'm sorry, mate,

0:46:570:47:00

"I'm not going to allow you to embarrass yourself"?

0:47:000:47:04

'I hope it doesn't come to that.'

0:47:040:47:07

-Hi, Nick.

-Hiya.

-All right, mate.

0:47:070:47:10

-You have a bag of sugar...

-Yep.

0:47:100:47:12

..connected here, right under your undercarriage.

0:47:120:47:16

Think of that bag of sugar drawing you, relax the knees.

0:47:160:47:19

I want you to think, "I am the best dancer in Barnsley."

0:47:190:47:23

It's all about the crown jewels.

0:47:230:47:25

You've got to go, "Yeah, baby!

0:47:250:47:27

"Yeah, baby!"

0:47:270:47:28

That's the arrogance I need!

0:47:280:47:31

Find that inner rock god.

0:47:310:47:34

Yeah? And a one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

0:47:340:47:38

Two, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

0:47:380:47:40

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

0:47:400:47:43

One, two, three, four... Aww!

0:47:430:47:45

-STEVE EXHALES

-Come on, we can do this.

0:47:480:47:50

Four, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

0:47:500:47:53

One, two, three and four, five and six and seven, eight.

0:47:530:47:55

One and two and three and four and five and six and seven, eight.

0:47:550:47:58

-Yes!

-I'm knackered!

0:47:580:48:00

Bag it, wrap it. Good, good.

0:48:000:48:03

That's the first time, if I'm honest, that I saw Nick the dancer.

0:48:030:48:08

-It's the first time I felt it.

-Yeah? So now this is your benchmark.

0:48:080:48:12

Today, was the first time I found that confidence,

0:48:140:48:17

the right confidence, holding myself like that.

0:48:170:48:21

Where he is now today, if he can maintain that,

0:48:210:48:23

he'll deliver a great performance.

0:48:230:48:26

It's 72 hours until Barnsley dances.

0:48:320:48:36

LAUGHTER

0:48:360:48:38

Five, two, three, four, five and six and seven, eight. Pop!

0:48:380:48:41

Shoulders down, long neck. Lovely.

0:48:450:48:48

That's it!

0:48:480:48:49

Enjoy it.

0:48:490:48:51

-Look at the smile on his face.

-I know! He's loving it.

0:48:530:48:56

He's grinning like a Cheshire Cat there.

0:48:560:48:58

Yes, yes, yes!

0:48:580:49:00

Nailed it!

0:49:020:49:03

The room for error is huge.

0:49:030:49:06

When you're working with non-dancers, it's a big gamble.

0:49:060:49:10

There's a lot of things that can go wrong... weather.

0:49:110:49:15

What if the music's not on cue?

0:49:150:49:18

And stretch! Stretch!

0:49:180:49:20

It takes one person to trip and then it's a domino effect.

0:49:200:49:25

I mean, what if somebody falls down the steps?

0:49:250:49:27

You don't think, "What can go right?"

0:49:270:49:29

You're dreading, "What could go wrong?!"

0:49:290:49:32

We've got Danny on the bike, one slip, out.

0:49:330:49:37

My biggest worry is, will the ex-miners even turn up?

0:49:390:49:42

We have one chance and one chance only,

0:49:450:49:48

so who knows what's going to happen?

0:49:480:49:51

It's performance day.

0:50:090:50:12

I'm scared, excited....

0:50:120:50:15

feeling sick.

0:50:150:50:17

It's an absolute huge challenge,

0:50:210:50:25

a one camera shot, no editing.

0:50:250:50:28

Once it begins, it continues till the end.

0:50:280:50:31

OK, stand by, track.

0:50:310:50:33

As soon as Matt's on, we'll go for it.

0:50:330:50:35

It's just now corralling people, making sure they're confident

0:50:370:50:40

where they're standing.

0:50:400:50:42

Nearly 250 people are descending on Barnsley's town hall.

0:50:420:50:46

We have glassblowers in a tableau. Yeah, that's it.

0:50:490:50:52

In all the time I've worked in the glass industry, 50 years,

0:50:520:50:55

I never thought I'd be doing this!

0:50:550:50:57

Despite Steve's fears,

0:50:590:51:01

in amongst the crowd are Dave, Eric and 30 ex-miners.

0:51:010:51:04

We have a handshake that goes into the miners' siren.

0:51:060:51:09

An immense feeling of pride when we march up back under those banners.

0:51:090:51:13

That's how we all feel.

0:51:130:51:15

That belongs to us and we're representative of that.

0:51:150:51:19

-Good morning!

-ALL:

-Morning!

0:51:210:51:23

To see you all here is humbling, nerve-racking...

0:51:260:51:29

LAUGHTER

0:51:290:51:31

..exciting.

0:51:310:51:34

I want you to dance with pride, passion and commitment.

0:51:340:51:40

-I'd love you to get it right...

-LAUGHTER

0:51:400:51:42

..but it's a celebration.

0:51:420:51:45

Barnsley...

0:51:450:51:47

-let's dance!

-CHEERING

0:51:470:51:50

BRASS BAND PLAYS

0:51:590:52:05

SIRENS

0:52:240:52:29

MUSIC: Rebel Rebel by David Bowie

0:52:340:52:40

MUSIC: Rebel Rebel by David Bowie

0:52:570:53:01

MUSIC: Beautiful Day by U2

0:53:230:53:28

MUSIC: Beautiful Day by U2

0:54:080:54:15

MUSIC: I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders

0:54:320:54:40

MUSIC: Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by Eurythmics

0:54:540:55:01

SWING BAND PLAYS

0:55:120:55:20

MUSIC: You've Been Gone Too Long by Ann Sexton

0:55:490:55:54

SCOOTERS BEEPING

0:55:540:55:57

BRASS BAND PLAYS

0:56:040:56:11

CHEERING

0:56:470:56:51

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:57:010:57:04

I'm feeling top of the world.

0:57:050:57:08

As they say in Barnsley, it's the best thing since sliced bread.

0:57:080:57:12

It's the first time I've been part of a body of police officers

0:57:140:57:17

and we've actually been cheered to the rafters.

0:57:170:57:20

That was amazing!

0:57:200:57:21

I think we've nailed it. We pulled it off.

0:57:210:57:25

CHEERING

0:57:250:57:27

It's ignited that spark in me again that just wants to make me just

0:57:270:57:30

dance every week now.

0:57:300:57:32

CHEERING

0:57:320:57:34

What I've just seen is absolutely spectacular.

0:57:340:57:37

It warms the cockles of this old man's heart.

0:57:370:57:41

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:57:410:57:44

Barnsley, we did it!

0:57:440:57:47

I've accomplished what I came to do,

0:57:470:57:50

leaving Barnsley with something to remember, something to be proud of,

0:57:500:57:54

a shared experience that they won't forget.

0:57:540:57:58

That's all you can ask.

0:57:580:58:01

Next time, Steve heads to the Dales and the market town of Skipton...

0:58:080:58:13

I'm looking for volunteers. It can't do it without you.

0:58:130:58:17

Dancing and farmers just don't go.

0:58:170:58:19

..to pull off another dance spectacular.

0:58:190:58:21

I don't personally like dancing.

0:58:210:58:23

What do you think?

0:58:230:58:24

I'll have to start thinking of a plan B,

0:58:270:58:29

but, to be honest, I don't have a plan B.

0:58:290:58:32

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