Resort dancers qualify for global competition

Youngsters from The Dance Place in South Shore are celebrating after qualifying to compete in the Dance World Cup in Burgos, Spain.

The 17 girls and two boys – aged eight to 14 –are training hard at home with online classes to prepare them for the competition in July.

Lian Wray, who runs the dance studio on Rawcliffe Street, said: “Even though we are in lockdown, students are still training hard from their homes with online classes provided by their

dance teachers. They are doing amazingly well in these hard times and have just found out their competition team, which was picked to represent England at the Dance World last year,

will be representing team England again for 2021.

“It is an audition to get picked so we had to send videos of our dancers.”

The team should have been competing in Rome in June 2020, but it was called off due to the pandemic. Now they are focusing their efforts on this year’s contest, with training from Lian,

Megan Barker and Corrine Ashworth.

Lian said: “It’s not a cheap competition. We were over the moon when Blackpool Palatine Rotary sponsored their 2020 tracksuits and will sponsor their 2021 tracksuits.

“We still need to fundraise for travel, competition fees and accommodation costs, which they will do once lockdown is over. The students are looking forward to getting back to the studio.”

Blackpool Palatine Rotary has sponsored The Dance Place £2,000.

Terry Harrison, president of Blackpool Palatine Rotary, said: “They’ve done really well.

“As soon as restrictions are lifted we’re having a concert and all the proceeds will go to The Dance Place too.”

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