Bus ride brainwave inspires ballroom dancing comeback

Mexborough’s Empress Ballroom hosted its first waltzing couples for a generation after community champion Angela Cooper thought up the perfect way for clients of her isolation-fighting organisation to get moving and have fun.

Angela works for Mindful Activities Yorkshire, a non-profit body based in Denaby, and her mission is to bring the community together and combat loneliness.

“I had a lightbulb moment on the 221 at Conisbrough and when I got into work I asked my bosses if I could do it and they said go for it,” she said.

The ballroom is the centrepiece of the Empress Building, a burgeoning community hub revived through the investment of businessman Jason Mace.

Already home to the Dearne Valley Professional Development Centre, the building welcomed “soulies” for a debut Northern Soul event in July.

And Angela said the return of ballroom showed it was returning to its former glory.

“I can remember buying a pair of shoes from Pettits and doing the Gay Gordons there,” she said.

“My role is to get people back into the community after Covid-19 and combat social isolation.

“I’ve been thinking about what else we could do and the Empress has been operating as a music venue so I thought why don’t we zoom in on the ballroom?

“There has been so much excitement and I sold more than 100 tickets just through word of mouth and on Facebook.

“There have been so many smiles and memories — and that was before we had even gone dancing.”

For those who missed out on ballroom’s long-awaited return, the good news is Angela reckons there’s enough interest for weekly sessions every Tuesday from 1pm, with admission at £4.95 on the door.

“It’s a great chance to dance in a 1920s ballroom with the original sprung floor,” she said.