YOUNGSTERS got a taste of contemporary and African dance when they took part in a special masterclass at Swindon Dance during Black History Month.

The masterclass for experienced dancers aged 16 and over, which was led by Merville Jones, was held as part of a series of events to coincide with Black History month and the visit of a touring exhibition of black dance during the past 60 years.

The exhibition, which will be in the Central Library until November 7, is from the State of Emergency’s Black Dance Archives Project which aims to catalogue the archives of 29 celebrated dancers and companies – many of which have performed at Swindon Dance – in a celebration of the contribution that British Black dance has made to the UK’s dance scene and cultural life.

Merville, who is one of the founding members of Phoenix Dance Company and teaches at Swindon Dance’s Youth Dance Academy, said: “It’s actually quite amazing because I don’t think I realised that I’ve probably been involved in every one of these companies in some way.

“It’s great to have something like this here, where you can really see how black dance has changed and developed over the years and the influences it has had on contemporary dance too.”