IT’S Huddersfield Town Hall but you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled on to the set of Strictly Come Dancing.

The grand concert hall is filled with dancers in frilly dresses and smart suits and a giant glitter ball sparkles down on them from the ceiling.

But while they have got the moves of professionals, the dancers are actually hundreds of school children.

The youngsters quick-stepped their way to the venue as part of a celebration of a project that has taken the country by storm.

The Essentially Dance project built on the success of the hugely popular TV show to get Latin American and ballroom dancing taught in schools.

Strictly stars and husband and wife duo Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova were key in developing the scheme and were on hand at the event to demonstrate some of their famous moves.

They told the Examiner about their mission to get the whole country dancing.

Darren said: “The response to the scheme has been absolutely brilliant, Huddersfield and Kirklees have particularly embraced it and it’s lovely seeing all these children with big smiles on their faces really enjoying dancing.

“The popularity of Strictly has got people interested in dancing again but it’s not always accessible because some people find it difficult to access classes or perhaps are unable to afford it.

“Dancing is something we are really passionate about and we wanted to give kids the opportunity to learn ballroom and Latin American dancing in schools and if they enjoy it then maybe they will go out and join dance classes.”

Essentially Dance has been piloted across the country but Kirklees is the only authority to involve all its schools.

So far 136 teachers have trained with the two-year scheme and children in 66 schools are now enjoying dancing in PE lessons and after-school clubs.

The local programme has also got older people and community groups on their feet though its Shall we Essentially Dance? version.

Lilia said: “As well it being a physical activity, dancing has lots of other benefits, it builds up confidence and communication skills and gets boys and girls dancing together.

“It’s been fantastic to see boys dancing again, Strictly has made this accessible to them because they have seen sports stars on the show like Darren Gough and Matt Dawson.

“The show has had a massive impact in making ballroom dancing popular again. It’s really changed people’s perceptions as they used to see it as uncool and something their grandparents would do.

“It’s moved on from all the sequins and feathers and is something for everybody to enjoy – whether they are aged six or 96!”

The national and international dance champions have starred in the BBC programme since 2004 and won the show twice with their celebrity partners Jill Halfpenny and Darren Gough.

Fans have to wait and see if the popular pair make a return for this year’s series.

Darren said: “It’s been a fantastic experience meeting all these people and training them to dance has been a great challenge.

“Strictly has had such influence and set the trend for all these dance shows and given us opportunities to do projects like these, to bring dance to people and share our passion.”

Youngsters and older people attending the event took to the dance floor to showcase their newly learned skills in the waltz, quickstep, jive and cha cha cha.

Amy Slater, 10, from Denby First School, said: “I’ve enjoyed getting dressed up and it’s been really exciting to learn all the different dances.

“I got the chance to dance with new people and I’ve enjoyed the waltz best because I found it quite easy to learn.”