A DANCE SCHOOL has won a place at the Dance World Cup for the first time in its history.
Pupils from Brooks Dance Academy (BDA) in Lancing will be representing Team England at the competition in Spain this summer.
They will be performing in both solo and group dances at the event, for which thousands of children from 62 countries have auditioned.
The event is described as “the greatest all-genre dance competition in the world for children and young adults.”
A panel of judges selected ten BDA dances after they placed in the top three in each of their categories across England, with the most entered category having a whopping 106 entries.
Jackie Brooks, principal of the school, said she is “thrilled” the judges have recognised the talent of her pupils.
She said: “I'm thrilled the judges have recognised the talents of our competitive team.
“After a difficult year for the school and constantly adapting to new measures, our selection for this event has been a real boost to our dancers, teachers and families.
“I can't wait to see our students on stage again soon."
Heidi Ogden, who attends Shoreham Academy and Matilda Paul from Steyning Grammar School, both aged 13, have been selected to compete with their lyrical duet, Holding Your Head Up.
Heidi again wowed the judges and secured a spot at the Finals in the Solo Ballet Pointe Repertoire (age 12–13 only) category.
The routine has been choreographed by Lucy Brooks, assistant director of BDA.
She said: "I'm so proud of the team and excited to get back to the studio with our dancers and start preparing.
“In March 2020, we had just completed our most successful competition season ever, and then Covid-19 hit.
“Subsequently, all the national events we qualified for were cancelled and all of our classes moved online.
"I've been so impressed at the resilience of our dancers over this time. The students have missed out on so much over the last year, and it's so important to have a goal to look forward to and keep them motivated.
“I know the dancers are ready to give their best performance yet.”
Over the coming weeks and months, BDA and their dancers will be embarking on fundraising activities to cover entry fees, membership fees and costumes for this illustrious event.
For more information about the Dance World Cup, visit www.dwcworld.com Follow Brooks Dance Academy or www.brooksdanceacademy.com
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