Britain’s Got Talent dance stars Twist and Pulse have visited Dundee to see the progress on a new centre of excellence for dance and sport.
The historic Manhattan Works in Dundonald Street will be the new home of charity Showcase the Street and will also host Dundee Football Club’s youth academy.
Twist and Pulse, real names Ashley Glazebrook and Glen Murphy, met Dundee defender Cameron Kerr for a tour of the state-of-the-art centre, which is to open this autumn.
The centre’s two professional standard 3G indoor pitches are ready for action and will be available for hire all year round to the community, sport clubs and organisations.
The other part of the building will comprise modern dance studios and an area for private parties, and there are also plans to develop a roller hockey venue and a Scottish centre of excellence for disability sport.
Showcase the Street chairman Fergus Storrier said: “Within our own charity we use sport and dance to develop the skills and confidence of young people.
“We reach over 2,000 participants every week right across Scotland and that number will increase as we expand our activities in other areas throughout Scotland.
“However, the fact that we have this fantastic venue at Manhattan Works absolutely cements our presence locally and will allow us to continue to support as many young people as possible and the wider community.”
After completing the tour, a suitably impressed Twist said: “Both me and Pulse travel not just the UK but the world and there are very few venues like this that accommodate dance and sport, especially in a building this big and so well equipped.”
Showcase the Street was set up in 2003 with the aim of engaging with children and young people from deprived parts of the city and has since spread its operations into several other local authorities.
Its work has been supported by the Scottish Government and other bodies.