Your Local Independent 198

September 2025 Page 23 AD SALES 01204 478812 A BOLTON dance group that has racked up over 25 million views on TikTok and Facebook is hoping its online fame will help educate people about the Romani culture. The KaskoSan charity regularly uploads short clips to showcase the skills of its fleet-footed dancers, and they are appreciated by millions around the world. Juice Vamosi runs the charity along with Maria Palmai and the pair put their viral success down to the fact that there is nowhere else online to watch what Juice calls “Gypsy dancing”. He said: “It’s faster, more intricate and way more com- petitive than any other form of dance. “When two Romani peo- ple dance, they aren’t simply dancing with each other; they’re competing to see who can best express the celebra- tion of an identity that’s so often hidden from the out- side world. “The dance becomes a vibrant, fiery act of resistance and joy: a way to say: ‘We are here, and this is who we are’.” Juice and Maria are all too aware of what the group is up against in their battle to win hearts and minds. A University of Birmingham and YouGov survey has found that 44.6 per cent of people viewed Gypsies and Irish Travellers negatively. Their charity, KaskoSan, aims to build the capabilities and life chances of Roma communities, and brings together talented dancers of all ages, from Horwich, Bolton, Oldham, Blackburn, Preston and beyond. Under the tutelage of dance professional Michael Syletsky, who has performed internationally for over 20 years, they have been meet- ing regularly to practice their steps at Bolton Socialist Club since February 2023. A Romani language inter- preter, filmmaker and com- munity leader, Juice said: “People have such a distorted view of our community and we face much prejudice everywhere we go. “It’s been a long-held dream for the local commu- nity to have a space that is big enough to meet up. And the KaskoSan dance group has been going from strength to strength since Bolton Socialist Club offered us a room.” More than 1,000 Roma people fromall over the North have dropped in since they first had access to the com- munity space, including peo- ple from different groups that would not normally interact. Maria said: “As Roma immigrants, our families often feel isolated. But in this club, children can express their Roma identity freely and proudly, without fear of racism or judgment. “We see howmuch the chil- dren grow here. Their confi- dence grows week by week, and they become more con- nected to their identity and to each other. “Beyond dancing, we offer cultural sessions, including Roma language workshops, storytelling, and music. Our mission is to build a bridge between communities, to challenge prejudice by shar- ing our culture, and also to pass our identity on to the next generation. “What we do here is not just about dance - it’s about pride, belonging, growth, and hope for the future.” A FOUNDING member of one the most famous rock bands in the world, who also helped to rescue Bolton Wanderers from financial crisis, received an honorary doctorate from the town’s university. Nick Mason, former drummer with Pink Floyd, received the honour of Doc- tor of Arts (Hon DArts) from the University of Greater Manchester in recognition of his outstanding contribu- tion to entertainment and local sport. He is also part of Football Ventures (Whites) Limited, who took over Wanderers in August 2019. An audience in the Albert Hall in Bolton Town Hall watched on as he received his honour during gradua- tion ceremonies which saw students from the universi- ty’s nursing and midwifery programmes receiving their degrees. After leaving school, Nick spent five years training to become an architect, but his career and life went in a wildly different direction when his studies were inter- rupted and he became a founding member and drum- mer of Pink Floyd. Nick told students and their families: “Whatever you are doing, follow your dreams, but in between learn something else, because you can always be certain it will become useful somewhere. “For me, I trained as an architect and ended up with a bad lot in a rock and roll band. But I’ve used almost everything I learned at college somewhere in the music business. “So, as I say, learn Rus- sian, learn to cook, or, you know, make cheese biscuits - whatever, there will always be something there for you!” Before he left the micro- phone, he joked: “And if you need the recipe for the cheese biscuits, see me afterwards!” Nick’s involvement with the world-famous band spanned several decades from 1965- 1995. Their album, ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, was in the American hit parade contin- uously for 30 years, and ‘The Wall’ stayed at number one for 14 consecutive weeks in the USA. He has been the only constant member since the band’s formation in 1965, and the only member to appear on every Pink Floyd album. His band Saucerful of Secrets was formed in 2018 and is still playing today. Before the ceremony, as he posed for photographs with Pink Floyd fans, he said: “It’s is gratifying and humbling that the music we created means so much to people. It just shows the extreme power of music. “I was so surprised to receive this honour from the university today, but also thrilled - it is quite special. “The whole Bolton expe- rience has been special for me. I know little about foot- ball but it has been great to be involved and to see the club progress. I must say a big thank you to Chairman, Sharon Brittan.” Financed by his musical career Nick has pursued another great passion – mot- orsport and he has published two books on the subject. University honour for rock band legend Dance group steps out to online fame