Chris Mole MP today celebrated the announcement by the Government that Ipswich will become a Centre of Advanced Training (CAT) for dance during the 2008/09 school year.

The CAT will be based at Ipswich's DanceEast and is one of six that will spring up across the UK between now and 2011 - catering for 1,500 people nationwide. CATs will provide out-of-school-hours training to children and young people with extraordinary potential and commitment to dance, allowing children to have local access to the best available teaching.

The announcement comes as part of the Government's wider commitment to encouraging dance in all sections of society. Dance is already second only to football as the most popular activity of school children and this passion can now be further developed following a review of youth dance by Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House Tony Hall.

Dance will receive a £5.5 million boost from the Government which will form a new organisation (Youth Dance England) to oversee the development of dance in the UK and the piloting of a scheme taking specialist dance co-ordinators into schools to offer support and guidance to teachers.

Chris said:

"This announcement is just the latest boost in a string of fantastic announcements for dance in our town.

"Britain has a reputation for world class dance and I am proud that Ipswich will now be supporting the next generation of this legacy by offering specialist guidance to exceptionally talented performers based locally."

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham MP said:

"Ballet or ballroom, hip-hop or Highland, dance is something we're really good at in this country.

"It also combines physical activity, creativity and beauty in a way that appeals to all. So it's right and good that Government support for the dance world should be put on a new footing, and I look forward to seeing the next generation of dancers - and the one after that - benefit from it."

Director of DanceEast Assis Carreiro said:

"DanceEast is thrilled by the Dance Review, particularly as we are about to launch our Centre for Advanced Training for the East of England in Ipswich.

"In a decade, we will, I hope, see a transformed landscape, with dance, right up there with football as a national pastime and profession that we can all be proud of and that engages all young people whatever their background and circumstances."

(* An artists impression of the new DanceEast headquaters which will be built on Ipswich's waterfront)