Bath International Dance Festival

We are World Record Waltzers - Thank you all

A sunny Abbey Square saw the record smashed
as 630 waltzed into the record books.Well done!

All information for the 2009 dance festival is here.

World Record Waltz

Headlines - World Record Waltz, call for photos

Bath International Dance Festival waltzed in the record books on Sunday 3rd May, breaking the existing record of 484 simultaneous waltzers and raising the bar to an incredible 630. An unforgettable moment set against the Abbey and Roman Baths on a beautiful sunny May morning. Congratulations to all who joined in this attempt - we welcome your comments and photos and hope you had a very memorable morning. Send all photos (less than 6mb per e-mail) to

Our thanks are extended to Bath & North East Somerset Council for their kind support and having faith in us, also to Jade Dunbar and the Events Management and volunteer team, sponsors Capita Symonds, the Bath Dancentre, Bombay Nights, and Frontline Style, also to the strength and support of Loraine at Morgan-Brinkhurst Consultancy and her team, and finally all of our local media and press, The Bath Chronicle, Western Daily Press, ITV, BBC Points West, BBC Radio Bristol, BBC Radio Somerset, Heart, Bath FM and more... Thank you all so much but our final words rest with the World Record Waltzers: a community brought together by six steps and a song - its a fantastic achievement and our sincere congratulations.

Returned tickets for the Dancestars Show (none presently) will be made available on the door. Presently we don't think there will be any returns but it is possible. All-class passes will be available on the door, but not for single workshops.

The shortform guide is available now and in electronic format here. If you are able to help us put up a poster, please download them from here.

Join in the World Record Waltz on Sunday morning - whatever the weather come and join in one of the events of the year as we dance into the record books in style! Don't forget to register following the link on the left too.

News Archive:

Photo: Andrew Miller

With two months to go, early-bird tickets have just been released for the main events of the dance festival weekend. See the tickets section for details of how to get hold of these, set to be in demand over this busy weekend.

Event listings have now been updated with fuller information of the activities including the provisional taster classes and workshops timetable, and details of the main events and attractions, including how to get involved in the spectacular World Record Attempt on Sunday 3rd May.

Less than four months to go and preparations are well in advance for the 2009 International Dance Festival. The full line-up, due to be announced this month to coincide with ticket sales, is being confirmed but we are excited to bring you news of a special visit of the newly crowned 2008 British National Professional Ballroom Champions, the relatively new partnership of Jonathan Wilkins & Hazel Newberry MBE. We are delighted to announce Jonathan & Hazel will be visiting for the weekend and performing their 5-dance show on Sunday afternoon during the festival's afternoon tea dance in the fabulous Guildhall banquetting room. More details will appear shortly but this is one not to be missed.

Bath International Dance Festival 2009 is launched by the Chairman of Bath & North East Somerset in October where we released the first exciting news of the 2009 festival, including an appearance by former World Showdance Champions, and stars of Strictly Come Dancing, Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace and news of an exicting dance World Record attempt to be set against once of Bath's most famous backdrops on the Sunday morning. Read the article in The Bath Chronicle. Keep an eye out here for the most up-to-date news or sign up for the festival e-news using the sign up box on the left.

Viva La Dance Ltd is pleased to announce two important changes for the festival in 2009: first, Bath Dance Festival becomes Bath International Dance Festival owing to the truly multi-national dance dimension it showcases in the South West every year and second a new set of dates for the diary - Bath International Dance Festival now has a perminent home on the annual calendar of the first Bank Holiday weekend in May each year. This links the event to two other exciting events taking place in the city of Bath over the same weekend: Bath Spring Flower Show and Bath's new singing festival, Sing For Life. Commenting on the changes, James Whitehead, MD of Viva La Dance Ltd said, "The South West will see a fantastically vibrant weekend each year with the International Dance Festival, Flower Festival and Sing for Life. We are delighted to be a key part of these fantastic activities and look forward to welcoming visitors to the region for something quite special. We're expecting everyone to take part in the dance World Record attempt on the Sunday morning too!"