Thousands of schoolchildren in the UK and across the world will join together to try and beat the record for the largest Simultaneous Dance Routine (Multi Venue) tomorrow, helping to mark the day the Olympic Torch arrives in the UK.
The Guinness World Record attempt is set to take place at 1pm and will serve as a worldwide warm-up for Big Dance 2012, which is to run from 7-15 July 2012 and is part of the London 2012 Festival.
Those taking part will perform a dance created especially for the event by top choreographer Wayne McGregor CBE with an original score, Céleste, by Scanner and Joel Cadbury.
The dance will take place simultaneously in over 1,000 schools throughout the UK and across Europe, USA, South America, South-East Asia, the Middle East and the Far East.
Each school will learn the same piece of choreography created by Wayne McGregor which is available to download from the Big Dance website now from the Schools and Teachers section at: http://www.bigdance2012.com/schools_and_teachers.php
The current world record for the Largest Simultaneous Dance Routine (Multi Venue)is held by the Netherlands, with 1,472 locations and 264,188 people dancing.
Big Dance is one of the world's biggest and most influential dance festivals, and this year it is one of the highlights of London 2012 Festival, the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad. In 2012, there will be events across the whole country, building up to Big Dance Week from 7 - 15 July.
The programme will feature dance in the streets, in theatres and schools across the UK.
Speaking ahead of the attempt, McGregor said: "The Schools Pledge is a fantastic and fun opportunity for young people of all ages to learn a new dance inspired by the Olympics and to perform it as part of our world record attempt.
"On the day the Olympic Torch arrives in the UK, young dancers throughout Britain and in our partner countries worldwide will share a unique moment in time, dancing together and in unison, sharing our passion for the art form we love."
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: "Not everyone can compete at the Games, but we want as many people in London and across the world as possible to feel a part of this incredible year. I'm delighted to support Big Dance, which is already hugely popular in the capital and a fantastic way to join in the 2012 celebrations."
"Even if the youngsters taking part in this exciting event won't be competing for medals, it is a unique chance to aim for a new world record, which I hope will inspire them to participate long after the Games are over."
For more information about Big Dance 2012, head to www.bigdance2012.com