Dance group's video welcoming Britney Spears to Brighton goes viral

The video, set to Britney’s song Gimme More, has been watched more than 25,000 times, just one day after it was posted on Facebook.

It has been shared by more than 450 people on the dance company’s page alone.

It comes as Britney is set to headline Brighton Pride Festival in Preston Park on Saturday, August 4.

Andrea Walker, founder of 201 Dance Company and choreographer and director for the video, said: “I’m losing count of the views, it’s getting a bit insane. I always wanted it to go viral but obviously I had no idea.”

201 Dance Company released the video on its Facebook page just before 6pm yesterday and received 500 views in the first hour alone.

Opening with a sunny aerial shot of the beach and the city, the video cuts to Church Street before following the group to the Pavilion Gardens, Kensington Gardens, Palace Pier and the seafront.

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Britney Spears to headline Brighton Pride

Andrea Walker said he started to work on the project as soon as it was announced that Britney would be bringing her Las Vegas show, called Britney – Piece of Me, to the UK.

“You don’t normally get to see the words Britney and Brighton in the same sentence, so I assembled every street dancer I knew.

“I am the biggest Britney fan you are ever going to meet.”

The routine was rehearsed in just four sessions in the space of a month and filmed by Ben Mark Films in five hours from 7am on a Sunday.

The interchanging group consists of 37 dancers from 201 Dance Company, JP Omari’s StreetFunk and Marina Studios, where Andrea trains.

Yasmin Cogan De Abreu fronts the troupe of dancers, whose ages range from seven upwards.

The video has also been shared by Brighton & Hove Pride on its official Facebook page.

Andrea said: “I really wanted Brighton Pride and Britney to notice it and Brighton Pride have.”

Andrea Walker is best known for choreographing performances aimed at tackling controversial topics and social prejudices through the medium of dance.

Smother (2015) addresses same-sex relationships through street dance and Skin (2017) tackles a boy’s gender transitioning journey.

“I really want to meet her [Britney] and it’s so lucky that this happened a month before we go on tour,” said Andrea.

Skin launches in Brighton at the The Old Market September 7.