Almost 1,000 people put on their swinging shoes and tripped down to London’s East End to dance their way to a new world record. Choreography pro Scott Cupit was just 23 short of a-thousand ‘swingers’ for yesterday’s record-breaking mass attempt at the Charleston staged at Spitalfields Market.

East London Advertiser: World record at the biggest Charleston dance session staged at Spitalfields MarketWorld record at the biggest Charleston dance session staged at Spitalfields Market (Image: Archant)

But he still managed to lead his mass troupe to smash the Guinness World Record title with 977 dancers taking part.

They doubled the previous record of 503 set only in August in Sussex.

“So many more turned up than was expected that the attempt was almost spilling out onto the road,” Scott said.

East London Advertiser: World record at the biggest Charleston dance session staged at Spitalfields MarketWorld record at the biggest Charleston dance session staged at Spitalfields Market (Image: Archant)

“We didn’t just win the title by a few, we totally smashed it.

“We knew 700 people had registered, but didn’t imagine there would be as many as there were in the end.”

Scott, who choreographs for TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, is founder of Swing Patrol, a dance organisation not shy of stunts when it comes to tripping the light fantastic.

East London Advertiser: World record at the biggest Charleston dance session staged at Spitalfields MarketWorld record at the biggest Charleston dance session staged at Spitalfields Market (Image: Archant)

“The whole ‘Swing Patrol’ community was here,” he beamed.

“Swing dancers came from all over Britain and supported it.”

Scott and his dancing army had to keep up the Charleston routine for a full five minutes to beat the record.

East London Advertiser: World record at the biggest Charleston dance session staged at Spitalfields MarketWorld record at the biggest Charleston dance session staged at Spitalfields Market (Image: Archant)

The title still had to be officially confirmed by Guinness World Records, but Scott is confident they’ve clinched it.

What is confirmed already is the wads of cash the swingers have raised for Guy’s & St Thomas’s hospitals’ cancer centre.