A fire breathing dragon and Caribbean rhythms helped warm spirits following the wind and the rain for an explosive addition to the Norwich Dragon Festival.
Hundreds of people gathered in Millennium Plain, outside The Forum, last night for a spectacular performance of percussion and pyrotechnics featuring a five metre metallic dragon.
The performance by Dragon Heart Beats, featuring the fire breathing creature, is part of a packed schedule of events to celebrate the third Norwich Dragon Festival.
The festival has been organised by Norwich's Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART), with support from Norwich Business Improvement District (BID), The Forum and the Norwich Town Close Estate Charity and runs until February 23.
Dragon Heart Beats, which features a band of costumed percussionists, used Caribbean rhythms and electronic beats to get crowds dancing for two performances outside The Forum yesterday. The evening performance featured dramatic pyrotechnics.
Janet Robertson, communications co-ordinator at Norwich HEART, said more than 800 people attended each of the performances. She added that there were plenty of events to keep children entertained during half-term week.
'It was really fun and we saw lots of people jigging around and dancing to the music, which was really good to see,' she said.
Dragons have been closely associated with the city of Norwich since the Middle Ages and dragons are still visible across the city's architecture and feature in many city celebrations. The Norwich Dragon Festival was first held in 2009 and again in 2011.
The dragon festival continues from 10am to 3pm today with a Feast of the Slain Dragon event at St Michael Coslany Church in Norwich featuring a medieval re-enactment presented by the Norfolk and Norwich Medieval Association, featuring discussions on ways to dispatch a dragon as well as singing, storytelling, medieval music, and teaching of the trades and old crafts of Norwich.
For more information about the festival, visit www.heritagecity.org/events-festivals/norwich-dragon-festival.htm
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