The following information about this larger than life sculpture is from a
Dumfries & Galloway Standard news article:
"A 13-FOOT-TALL sculpture of two clasped hands is set to be one of the most photographed in the region.
Created by County Durham artist Ray Lonsdale from weathering steel – the same material as the Angel of the North – The Big Dance has been moved into place in the sculpture garden at the World Famous Blacksmith Shop in Gretna Green.
Standing tall among the surrounding buildings linked to the village’s weddings heritage, it is expected to become a new icon for the region’s most popular visitor attraction.
The sculpture will create an impressive backdrop for wedding photography and holiday snaps for the annual 700,000 visitors.
Alasdair Houston, local farmer, cattle breeder and owner of the Blacksmith Shop, commissioned the sculpture as part of a major project to enhance the courtyard outside the historic building.
He said: “I am excited by the introduction of this new centrepiece sculpture and cannot wait to see how people interact with it.
“This piece is capable of interpretation on many different levels — are the hands coming together? Parting? Meeting up or saying goodbye? Is it a joyful or a sad embrace? Is it hands joining in the support of friendship; is it an embrace of love?”
He added: “Gretna Green is famous not just for marriages, but as the place where two countries, Scotland and England, meet up and join hands, as well as a meeting place for thousands of visitors each year.
“I hope that people will get involved with this sculpture and feel some of the connections to it that I do.”
Highly acclaimed artist, Ray Lonsdale always works in steel and this appealed to Alasdair due to the link to the blacksmith.
It took him two months to create the sculpture, which arrived in Gretna Green on a low-loader before being lifted into place.
He said: “This is the biggest single work I have produced and I am very happy with the finished piece. When you begin any project it is a bit like drawing lines in the air; you are never sure how it will turn out and there is often an element of doubt.
“I love the idea for this piece, which works on so many levels – not just weddings. The Big Dance is about life itself and a lifetime of making connections.”"