FAMILIES in Oxford can put on their dancing shoes today as part of the Dancin’ Oxford initiative.

The Autumn Family Dance event, which will feature a variety of dance workshops and performances, will run for seven days in locations around the city.

It will begin with a wheelchair dance workshop at Oxsrad, the city’s inclusive sports centre in Marsh Lane, Marston.

It will be the second time that residents of Oxfordshire get to try dancing in a wheelchair after a first session in March.

Patrick McGeough, business development director of theWheelchair Dance Sport Association, said: “We look forward to showing that dance can be open to all, no matter what the ability.

“This session gives us an opportunity to help individuals to work together to be active and have fun and starts the building blocks to give individuals a choice in how they want to be active.”

Lucy Tappin, disability and youth sport officer for Oxfordshire Sport and Physical Activity, said: “OxSpa, the Wheelchair Dance Sport Association, Dancin’ Oxford and Oxsrad share values, belief and determination to bring inclusive sport forward and develop the Oxfordshire inclusive provision to its full potential.

“Together we are working on delivering a great opportunity to spend the session being active, having fun, trying something new and hopefully inspire people to keep active in the future.”

Grass, a play about the ground and the insects that inhabit it, will run at Pegasus Theatre in Magdalen Road on the second day of the Family Dance Week.

During 50 minutes, two performers from the Second Hand Dance company will use dance, puppetry and projection to inspire children from the age of four to explore the nature around them.

At the end of the show spectators will have the opportunity to play with sand, earth and small insects and vegetables.

Kapa Haka Tale, a show that mixes the ancient New Zealand performing art kapa haka with contemporary dance, will play twice during the day at the Pegasus Theatre next Saturday and will be followed by a Q&A session at 7pm.

The week will wrap up at the West Oxford Community Centre in Botley Road with a dance workshop. Oxford dancer and teacher Joelle Pappas and dance accompanist Christine Evans will inspire families to create their own dances.

For further information visit dancinoxford.co.uk