A PORTUGUESE dance troupe specialising in funky rhythms is the latest act to sign up to a youth festival being staged in Tadcaster next month.

The Funkyphatbeats will showcase their energetic moves at the Youth Arts Festival in Tadcaster Grammar School on July 5.

They will also host a series of warm-up workshops at schools and youth clubs across North Yorkshire to make sure youngsters are confident enough to strut their stuff at the festival.

"They came to North Yorkshire last year and blitzed the place," said youth arts forum co-ordinator David Duncan, a freelance artist who works for the festival organisers, the continuing education unit of North Yorkshire County Council, through its Connecting Youth Culture (CYC) project.

"The dancing will blow most people away. They are very, very good." The Funkyphatbeats dancers also sing and are recording an album. At the youth festival they will perform on stage, and host workshops throughout the day.

More than 1,300 people are expected to turn up to the festival, which will run from 10.30am to 11pm.

Highlights of the day will include a world-record-breaking drum session and the finale of a talent showcase and DJing competition.

There will also be a mixture of arts, crafts and drama workshops.

Coun Jim Clark, the county council's executive member for lifelong learning, said: "This year's youth festival will be bigger and better than ever showing our commitment to the young people of North Yorkshire and that we are responding to their needs."

Updated: 10:28 Wednesday, June 18, 2003