DANCERS from Whitworth Community High School earned themselves a place in the Lancashire final, when they will compete in Blackpool with the county’s best.
For the first ever year, the students won the Rossendale School Sports Partnership dance competition which was held at the Empire Theatre in Blackburn and was keenly contested by Rossendale high schools.
The team of 30 dancers performed a specially choreographed routine which combined different sports of football, rugby and cricket with dance-styles including cheerleading, Bollywood and the Haka.
The performance included flag waving and they also had a bear mascot – an outfit worn by Sophie Baron.
Senior Dance Teacher at Samba Dance and Fitness, Whitworth, Sally Anne Riley has held hour-long sessions with the dancers every Monday after school since January.
Leo Poulter, 11, first started dancing at two when he joined mini movers at Samba and has been a regular there since he was about seven.
He said: “I have won lots of trophies. I got first place in a festival and was ‘Prince’ for the best boy performer.
“I enjoy that I do freestyle and disco dancing; I like the costumes and I like being placed.
“The competition was a really fun night and we were all sitting there holding hands at the end waiting for the result. When we came first we all jumped up and ran on the stage.”
The dancers then performed a conga to celebrate their success.
Louisa Clegg, 13, has competed for the school before. She said: “We got fourth last year and this was the first time we won the competition; it was amazing.”
As one of the cheerleaders, Laila-Grace Mclellan was lifted into the air. She said: “It was scary at first, but we practised and I got used to it.”
She also started with Samba in Mini Movers before she took up horse riding but she went back to dance around four years ago and now does street and cheer as well as stamina classes.
Laila-Grace added: “It was really fun as I have always wanted to compete and it was fun to be there with friends.”
They praised the help they had from Sally Anne to perfect their routine.
They are all looking forward to the regional final in April when the winning team will get a place in the national final in London.
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