Dance festival to pay tribute to ice-skating star John Curry

The Billingham Festival is dedicating the whole of its eight-day programme to the Olympic champion, who would have been 70 this year.

Published Jul 9, 2019

Last updated Jul 9, 2019

An international dance festival is dedicating the whole of its eight-day programme to Olympic ice-skating champion John Curry, who would have been 70 this year.

The Birmingham-born star is being honoured next month at the 55th Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance, where leading figures in skating and dance will come together to pay tribute.

Figure skater Mark Hanretty and ballet dancer Erica Mulkern rehearsing for The Creative Spirit Of John Curry (Malcolm Johnson/PA)

His skating style drew from ballet and modern dance and is still revered to this day.

John Curry with medal — John Curry, who won gold in Innsbruck in 1976, aged 26, was the first Briton to win the Olympic men’s figure-skating championship (PA)

The festival’s artistic director, Olga Maloney, said: “We thought the legendary John Curry was a perfect match for our festival, with his trailblazing attitude, style and techniques.

Figure skater Yebin Mok rehearsing for The Creative Spirit Of John Curry (Malcolm Johnson/PA)

For more information visit billinghamfestival.co.uk