Talented teens bring street dance to Tameside

A group of Denton boys are proving that dance isn’t just for girls by trying their hand at street dance after taking their inspiration from Britain’s Got Talent winners, Diversity.

The teenagers have been getting down to hip hop and breakdance beats with the help of a professional dance coach, as part of new Friday night street dance sessions at Duke Street, the Tameside young people’s centre.

The sessions are just one of many Friday and Saturday night activities available at the centre which are funded by the Government’s Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) scheme, part of the Aiming High for Young People 10 year strategy  providing places to go and things to do at times when young people tell us they most want and need them.

Matthew Pilling, the locality youth worker for Denton and Houghton Green, said: “Ever since the Diversity dance troop won Britain’s Got Talent last year, the young lads have been asking us if we could organise some dance sessions.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for them, because dance classes are often aimed at girls. We are hoping to carry on the sessions after the pilot scheme and then we will look at the lads taking a performance around schools.”

Joey (14) said: “I’ve always wanted to try street dance, but have been too embarrassed to have a go, but now that it’s just the boys I don’t mind trying something new.”

Callum (13) added: “Now we have the chance to learn street dance we can enter the Big Dance competition in Ashton in the summer and hopefully show off our new skills.”

Tameside young people’s centre in Duke Street, Denton, introduced Friday and Saturday night activities last year and its packed weekend activity programme has been a runaway success, attracting scores of local teenagers.

Cllr Alison Gwynne, executive member for services for Children and Young People, said: “The activities we have been putting on at the Tameside Young People’s Centre with PAYP money have been really popular.

“Before this facility opened, there were large numbers people hanging around in Denton town centre and on the nearby park and members of the community were concerned. Now, we have around 70 young people coming to us every Friday night - a huge number and we’ve seen a big drop in anti social behaviour.”

For more details of activities in your area go to www.direct.gov.uk/getinvolved  

Background Information:

Experience shows that young people are more likely to get involved in positive activities when they have a say in what is available, and that taking part helps them to learn new skills, as well as divert them from behaviour that might be considered by the wider community as anti-social.

Through investment from the Government’s Aiming High for young people strategy, £3.312m million has been made available to young people in Tameside until 2011 to increase participation by young people in positive activities, particularly those in deprived areas or at risk of involvement in anti-social behaviour.

Since April 2003, the Positive Activities for Young People programme (PAYP) has provided targeted developmental activities for 8-19 year olds at risk of social exclusion and community crime. Young people can participate in activities during the school holidays and access out of school activities throughout the year. Those most at risk can engage with key worker support. Extra funding over between 2008 and 2011 will increase holiday provision for 'at risk' teenagers, and extend the supply of tailored activities across the year.

More information on Aiming High is available at: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/youthmatters/aiminghigh/ 

For information on the Youth Crime Action Plan and related initiatives visit www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/ytf

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