The Dance Hall is back in Ballymoney

An exclusive event will happen in Ballymoney on Saturday 22 October, bringing back memories for those who were around the first time, and bringing generations together, young people and older people, on the same dance floor and dancing to the same tunes.
DU Dance (NI) Credit Joe Fox PhotographyDU Dance (NI) Credit Joe Fox Photography
DU Dance (NI) Credit Joe Fox Photography

Dance Hall Extravaganza will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Ballymoney Evergreen Club and they will join together with DU Dance (NI) to relive the renowned dance halls of the 1950s.

The event will transform St Patrick’s Parish Centre, Queen Street, Ballymoney into a Dance Hall reminiscent of 1956, the year the Evergreen Club first opened its doors.

Live music from The John Trotter Band will begin at 7pm and finish at 10pm. Young and old will have the opportunity to polish up their dancing shoes, get on the dance floor and try out a Waltz or dust off their Fox Trot. In the intervals while people catch their breath and grab their next dance partner there will be entertainment by members of the Evergreen Club, Alternative Energies youth dance group will ‘Rock Around the Clock’ and the Causeway Crew rock group will sing songs from the era. There will even be a light supper to keep everybody going.

Speaking with excitement about this special celebratory event Isabel Dunlop, Treasurer with the Ballymoney Evergreen Club said

“We are so proud and pleased to be celebrating 60 years of continuous activities in the Evergreen Club. Members are excited about our themed song and dance night in St Patrick’s Parish Centre and we hope the community will come out and celebrate with us “

DU Dance (NI)’s Alternative Energies programme aims to bring young people together with people of different generations in the same community. The group has been running in Ballymoney since 2011. Young people from the group and from the Causeway Crew rock band are just as excited to be taking part in this event

“We get to dress up in swing skirts and have been hearing stories about the dance halls. The Evergreen Club has been teaching us how to waltz too which is lots of fun,” said one young person.

The event is supported with funding from Big Lottery Fund’s Celebrate programme.

Joanne McDowell, Big Lottery Fund NI Director, said:

“Grants made under this programme celebrate what’s special about individual communities across Northern Ireland. We are delighted to see people of all ages coming together for the Dance Hall Extravaganza to celebrate 60 years of the Ballymoney Evergreen Club.

“Celebrate offers grants of between £500 and £5,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community. It closes to applications at noon on 21 October so organisations should get their applications in by then.”

Dance Hall Extravaganza will be a once only event on Saturday 22 October from 7pm to 10pm, with a light supper served. Tickets are £3 which must be booked in advance from the Ballymoney Evergreen Club on tel. 028 2766 4134

The event is family friendly, suitable for all ages. DU Dance (NI) encourages everyone to dress up, come along and join in.

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