THOUSANDS of primary school children have taken part in a synchronised dance with giant Olympic puppets in a countdown to next year’s Games.

About 5,700 primary school pupils in York took part in yesterday’s event alongside giant 3.5 metre tall puppets which took 11 pupil puppeteers to manipulate.

The council-commissioned project worked with 23 primary schools to create puppets and to organise the dance, which was based on the theme of Olympic sport.

Lee Threadgold, artistic director of the project, said: “It went very well. All the teachers and many parents were dancing. It’s probably one of the largest school programmes to be performed in the country. It is a great sense of achievement for the children when they see the giants standing – they appreciate that anything is possible.”

Next year the giants will compete against each other in the Giants’ Games and as part of York’s pre-Olympics carnival.

Coun Sonja Crisp, cabinet member for leisure, culture and social inclusion, said: “This is a fantastic project that embodies the sporting and cultural aspects of the Olympic Games. It has just been awarded an Inspire Mark from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) in recognition of all the hard work the school pupils have put into the puppets.

“The dance and next year’s Puppet Sport Games will showcase not only the art of these young people, but also their ability to work as a team. My congratulations to all the schools that have got involved.”