Swindon Dance marketing officer Clare Fantini with some of the happy dancers Picture: STUART HARRISON Ref: 76617-225SWINDON Dance will be moving to the sound of success after securing more than £800,000 in funding.

And the Town Hall-based organisation received a further boost with news that Julia Drown, Labour MP for South Swindon, is to help increase its profile in parliament.

The school will be the centre of a parliamentary exhibition in April, which means a space in the Houses of Parliament dedicated to them.

There will a display of Swindon Dance's work using photos, DVDs and maybe a dancer.

Marie McCluskey, director of Swindon Dance, said: "The funding is fantastic. It's very welcome. You never know for sure that you're going to get it until it's there.

"And the parliamentary exhibition is an amazing opportunity. We will have a week in parliament so all the MPs will have an opportunity to see what we do."

Swindon Dance has run courses for the past 21 years.

In that time it has been awarded two major Arts Lottery grants in recognition of its leading approach to dance and learning. The latest funding of more than £800,000 of Arts Council money is for the next three years. The group will receive £265,000 in 2005/6, £272,288 in 2006/7 and £279,775 in 2007/8.

And Ms Drown has long been a supporter of its work.

She said: "The work of Swindon Dance is almost unique and yet it's not very well known beyond the dance world.

"We have this excellent dance school in the town and I want to help heighten their profile.

"Swindon Dance adds hugely to the culture in Swindon.

"It's known as one of the best dance schools in the country and has been extremely successful in bringing in a range of talent, some of it literally off the streets."

Former student Kelly Edwards attended courses at Swindon Dance between 2002 and 2004, and is now studying for a degree in performing arts at Millennium Dance in London.

She said: "It's really good news that they've got the funding. They help a lot of people and made a big difference to me.

"It's really well known. In London people I'm dancing with know of it. It's got a really good reputation."

The parliamentary exhibition will run from April 4 for a week.

Gareth Bethell