Plenty to dig at festival...

Graceful, sophisticated and elegant – they are not words that usually spring to mind when you see a giant yellow digger.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Jul 2014, 08:00 BST
Dance theatre group Motionhouse will perform an unusual show mixing dancers and diggers at this year's Tram Sunday event in Fleetwood.Dance theatre group Motionhouse will perform an unusual show mixing dancers and diggers at this year's Tram Sunday event in Fleetwood.
Dance theatre group Motionhouse will perform an unusual show mixing dancers and diggers at this year's Tram Sunday event in Fleetwood.

But three JCBs are set to star in a rather unusual dance show as part of the Fleetwood Festival of Transport, better known as Tram Sunday.

A top UK dance company has said it aims to surprise with its Traction performance, combining six human dancers with three industrial diggers, which has not been seen in this country for three years.

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Leamington Spa-based Motionhouse says visitors to the popular festival can expect “a stunning performance of extreme acrobatic partnering, animaline strength and startling unison phrases”.

Kevin Finnan, artistic director of Motionhouse, said: “We are delighted to be performing Traction at such a popular event as the Fleetwood Festival of Transport.

“We know how much visitors look forward to the festival every year and we’re really excited to be able to surprise them with something really special.

“We recreated Traction on the beach in Marseille last year for the Marseille Provence European Capital of Culture celebrations, and the response we got from the crowd was phenomenal.

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“We’ve not performed Traction in the UK since 2011, so we’re delighted to be able to present this high-voltage show to British audiences again.”

Meanwhile, festival organisers say they are hoping to make this year’s event the biggest one yet.

The original car used in 1960s mystery spy thriller series The Saint, starring Roger Moore, has been restored over the last 16 years and will be among the attractions on display during the festival.

Robert Brown, chairman of the Tram Sunday committee, said preparations for the event, on July 20, are going better than expected.

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He added: “This year we are working with (Fylde coast arts group) LeftCoast regarding having a parade later in the day, which is new.

“The thing I’m really looking forward to is seeing the car from the The Saint series. That is a personal highlight.

“We keep getting more people wanting to help with the festival too.

“There’s a lot of interest – it should be even better this year.”

Free parking will be available on the day at the docks.

Related topics:Robert BrownTram