THEY’LL be ‘Dancing in the Street’ when assorted Morris men and jivers take over a town centre this Saturday.

Final preparations are under way for Coleford’s ‘Dancing in the Street’ festival on June 10 from 10am to 3pm, which will see a wide range of dances, from Morris, to ballet and tap, Egyptian and North African, to jive and street dance.

Local groups and dance schools will be strutting their stuff from 10am to 3pm.

A massed dance by 12 sides from the 46th Annual Forest of Dean Morris Festival kicks it all off from 10am to 11pm, followed from 11.15am to 11.45am by the Strawberry Hill Dance Centre from Newent.

Lindy Hop will be jiving from 12noon to 12.30pm, with LVC Fitness demonstrating two different dance fitness styles from 12.45pm to 1.15pm, CANDI Street Dance from 1.30pm to 2pm, and Arabesque from 2.15pm to 2.45pm.

Festival spokesman, Mayor of Coleford Nick Penny, said: “We were amazed by the presence of around 100 Morris dancers in the town centre last June, so we have decided to make more of a day of it rather than just a short performance this year, in the hope that people will come to the town, relax, watch some dancing and walk around our shops.

“Similar to the annual busking festival, we will provide tables and chairs allowing residents and visitors the chance to get a coffee or sandwich from one of the local businesses and enjoy the variety of performances on offer.”

For more information contact Nick Penny on 07801 650977 or email [email protected]

Meanwhile, dancers in the 46th Annual Forest of Dean Morris Festival will be performing all over the region this weekend after their Coleford performance.

The Miners Arms in Sling, the Brockweir Inn and the Gatehouse in Monmouth will all be hosting Morris dancing at 12 noon on Saturday, followed by the Miners Arms in Whitecroft and the Anchor Inn in Tintern at 1.15pm.

Taurus Crafts in Lydney and the Sloop in Llandogo are the venues at 3pm, followed by the Railway Inn and Black Pig in Newnham and the Boat Inn in Penallt, over the Redbrook railway bridge, at 4.15pm.

Sunday, June 11, sees them all head to Dean Heritage Centre in Soudley from 11am to 12noon.

Sides from Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham, Nuneaton, Carmarthen, Southport and South Wales are among those in action, alongside the region’s own Forest of Dean Morris Men and Wimberry Clog.

See www.forestmorris.org.uk for more details.