CHRISTCHURCH Park is to host a mirrored dancing tent - the first of its kind to visit the region - it has been announced.

CHRISTCHURCH Park is to host a mirrored dancing tent - the first of its kind to visit the region - it has been announced.

The Spielgeltent will be erected on Thursday as part of the Ip-Art festival in the park and will hold a series of events from June 27 to July 12.

Organised by DanceEast - the Ipswich-based dance organisation - the Spiegeltent is also visiting venues in Stowmarket, Easton, Colchester and Bury St Edmunds.

A DanceEast spokesman said: “This large, Baroque style wooden construction features a dazzling interior of mirrored booths surrounding a wooden dance floor, creating the perfect intimate space for dance performances, workshops and classes.”

A range of programmes will be on offer from children's workshops to tea dances for all ages, along with performances by national and international dance artists.

The spokesman added: “The tent will be an opportunity to try something different in a fun and relaxed environment.

“The tour's opening performance sees an array of exciting entertainers, Can Can girls and the hilarious dance diva

Let us know what you think of the tent. Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Spiegeltent (German for 'Mirror Tent') is a large travelling tent, constructed in wood and canvas with a large circular wooden dance floor, surrounded by seated booths and decorated with mirrors and stained glass.

The Spielgetent was specifically designed as an entertainment venue during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The tents were transported around the country and assembled at town fairs in areas that did not have a proper dance hall, bringing dance to those who could not afford or that did not have access to such entertainment.

Only a handful of Spiegeltents remain in existence today, and these continue to travel around Europe and beyond, often as a feature attraction at major international arts festivals.

Construction is undertaken by a specialist Belgium crew of 5 people who have worked across Europe and beyond constructing the Spiegeltent . The team will travel to each of the 5 venues to undertake the 10 hour build the structure which has a diameter of 19 meters.