DANCE fever is hitting the North-East this week with the celebration of the official opening of the region's £7.6m dance house.

Dance City, off St James' Boulevard, in Newcastle, which was officially launched yesterday, will mark the event with a week of free workshops, seminars exhibitions and performances.

Centre director Janet Archer said: "We have a first-rate dance facility here at Dance City that we are very, very proud of.

"It is the first of its kind in this country. We want to welcome as many people as we can through our doors in the coming years, and Free at DC is a wonderful way to begin.

"While we provide spaces and performance opportunities for professional dancers and dance companies, we want to make it clear that dance and Dance City is for everyone."

Free at DC, which began yesterday, consists of 89 dance classes of all styles and for all ages and abilities. There are ten-minute demonstrations on the hour of various dance styles, by professional dancers, in the Dance City social space.

The are also four evening gala performances, a health fair with 14 stands, and a dance seminar with five key speakers, as well as three late-night parties.

Dance City has the largest public classes programme in the country, delivered by professional instructors in the first purpose-built dance house in the UK.

Supporters of the charitable organisation include the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Arts Council England North East, Northern Rock Foundation and Newcastle City Council.

For details, call 0191-261 0505 or visit www.dancecity.co.uk