PUPILS from 14 primary schools across Cambridgeshire celebrated the end of a dance and traditions project this week with a special festival in Soham. More than a thousand youngsters from Cambridgeshire primary schools gathered in the grounds of St Andrew

PUPILS from 14 primary schools across Cambridgeshire celebrated the end of a dance and traditions project this week with a special festival in Soham.

More than a thousand youngsters from Cambridgeshire primary schools gathered in the grounds of St Andrew's Primary School in Soham from a celebration of dance, music and storytelling.

The pupils have all been in involved with the Cambridgeshire Roots project which saw them introduced to the rural customs of the county - through Molly Dancing and also to the traditions of newer populations, including Polish, African and Indian.

The youngsters learned about traditional dance music, story and associated seasonal customs, particularly those associated with the agricultural year such as ploughing and harvest.

County Council Arts Development Officer Joanne Gray, said: "All participants have had a unique experience of traditions and dance local to our area, and by studying the heritage and traditions of peoples moving to Cambridgeshire, participants have had the opportunity to see the similarities between different ethnic groups. The work has enabled members of minority communities to have access to the heritage of the locality they have moved into and to re-kindle links to their own cultures. This festival will provide the space for 540 Molly Dancers to dance together in one place - more that ever before!

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