A DANCE show, which will be bringing groups from across Hexham together to raise money for teenagers with cancer, is set to take Hexham by storm.

Resident Karen Varty has spent much of her career working abroad in dancing and entertainments management, but after recently returning to Hexham, she wanted to bring a bit of her choreography expertise to the town.

Having previously held dance shows in Spain and all over the world for charity, she decided she wanted to do the same this year and has organised the Hexham Eurovision Dance Contest to take place at Hexham Mart on December 18.

As well as including most of the dance groups in Hexham, there will also be other groups including a Makaton choir from Hexham Priory School, a group from St Joseph’s Middle School and a local zumba group.

“Each dance group will represent a different country,” she explained.

“It is inspired by the Eurovision song contest, so there will be voting and a winner will be crowned, but it will be set out as a performance rather than a competition.”

Karen is already rehearsing with the many groups on a weekly basis, and she said performers on the night will be of all ages and range from everything to the Lord of the Dance to the Spice Girls and Charlie Chaplin.

The money from entrance tickets, a raffle and tombola will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust, and with up to 250 tickets available, she hopes the night can make a significant contribution to the charity.

Karen said: “I lost my dad to cancer and that’s why I wanted to do it for a cancer charity.

“I have a teenage daughter and I realise how hard it is for teenagers anyway. With all of the problems teenagers face anyway it must be absolutely horrendous to be a teenager but also to be dealing with cancer.

“We are getting everything donated so one hundred per cent of the money we raise on the night will be going straight to the charity. It will be staying locally and going to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) and the Freeman hospitals.

“The whole community seems to have really got behind this and even people who are not interested in performing have offered to help with things on the night or behind the scenes.”