Eldon Square Hosts 50s Bash for the Ages
Late last year, a group of young shoppers that regularly visit Eldon Square set out to prove that they weren’t the hooligans people often expect teenagers at the mall to be. Calling themselves ‘The Utter Legends,’ the group approached Patsie Beaton, the center’s operation’s manager, with a plan.
“They came up with dance and fashion from the 50s which we thought had fabulous potential. We were able to provide rehearsal space in-centre on Saturdays,” said Beaton.
The group also approached the Elders Council of Newcastle and Eldon Tea Dancers, creating an inter-generational dance group. They’ve spend the last months learning their dance routines, sourcing costumes and sharing their knowledge of times past and present, and now they’re ready to wow shoppers with a 50s dance performance this weekend.
Said Simone Wood, a member of The Utter Legends, “the whole focus has been to bridge perceived inter-generational gaps of understanding, and in addition to the dance activity, we’ve learnt so much about life in the 50s and each other along the way, and been able to chronicle this thanks to a documentary we’ve produced as a result of the workshops.”
With the dedication the groups have shown, the big event this Saturday should be something to see.
