OXFORD has been hailed as 'the best place outside London' for dance as dozens of performers took to the stage to show off their moves. 

The 3rd annual Dancin' on the Green event saw Gloucester Green play host to the city's finest tap, breakdance, zumba and expressive dance troupes all Saturday afternoon.

Mixing a variety of different styles, the event was intended to showcase the range of talent Oxford has to offer, from professional performances to some of the city's many youth dance groups. 

Claire Thompson, director of Dancin' Oxford, said: "It is all about bringing high quality dance to the heart of the city. 

"A lot of the people who come have never seen live dance before and this is a great platform to show the wealth of talent the city has to offer."

Ms Thompson said the lack of a dedicated dance space for the city meant groups had to be creative with the spaces on offer to them, making events like Dancin' on the Green ever more important. 

She added: "We would love to have a space of our own and I hope one day that will be a reality but for now we need events like this to help convince people to come to a dance show. 

"If they see the quality of dance in the city, then they may be more willing to spend their money on going to see a full length performance. 

"It is growing in popularity all the time and more and more people are getting involved which is fantastic."

Dance company Sole Rebel Tap were among the acts, bringing their mix of blues music and tap to the stage. 

Tap-dancer Hannah Ballard said she felt Oxford had the best dance scene outside of London, largely due to continued investment by the city council in the face of widespread cuts to the performing arts across the country. 

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She added: "It is brilliantly variable with lots of people getting involved. 

"We run tap classes for adults and everyone loves it. It is often seen as something you only do when you are young but it's great exercise and so much fun."

Cassington-based youth dance group Step2Dance unleashed a hip-hop infused medley of energetic routines.

18-year-old Ella Mead said the event was a chance to have some fun after the stress of competing in nationwide competitions. 

She added: "We have been working so hard and it is nice to show everyone what we can do. 

"We've already been at lots of festivals this summer and it's great to be able to introduce new people to dance."

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Stopping to watch was 38-year-old Richard Mackenzie, visiting the city for the day from Shipton-on-Cherwell with children Fleur, one, and Bobbie, seven. 

The family took in a performance by interpretive dance group James Wilton Dance. 

He said: "I've certainly not seen anything quite like it before, in a good way. 

"I've got quite an open mind but I don't go to dance shows and it is great for the kids to see something a bit different."