A dance school in Dorchester will be competing to be national champions at a prestigious competition this summer.
The Studio Dorset, based on The Grove Trading Estate in Dorchester, will be joining over 200 dance schools across the nation to compete at the All England Dance National Finals which will be held at The Halls in Wolverhampton.
The competition celebrates young dancers aged three to twenty one years old, giving them on stage experience, performing different dance styles such as tap, modern and jazz.
Performers qualify through a network of nationwide nominated festivals to participate in the regional finals and then the final.
Four students from The Studio Dorset will be performing at the final: Florence Heal, from St Osmunds School, Niamh Roff, Meadow Noble and Lola Maddison who are all students at Thomas Hardye Sixth Form.
They will be representing the school in a group tap-dancing routine .
Dance teacher Emilie Hardy, who set up the school in 2009, shared how this is a "fantastic achievement" for the dancers to get to this final.
She said: “We’ve always got through the first rounds but this is a great achievement for the small town of Dorchester to get through to the final stage."
“They’ve been working phenomenally hard behind the scenes. It’s an acknowledgment for them that all of that hard work has paid off. It’s a proud moment for parents as well.”
In the lead up to this, thirteen dancers from the school competed at festivals to qualify for the regional finals where Thomas Hardye School student, Matilda Crumbleholme, was part of the original cast who helped qualify for the regionals.
Due to a family event, Florence stepped in for the regional competitions. The most recent festivals were Bournemouth and Portsmouth with the school winning a total of 50 medals across the two events.
Emilie adds how the excitement for the upcoming festival is driving the dancers on with their training for the finals which will run from July 24 to August 1.
She said: “I think they’re going in with a level head. I know they’re practising hard, making sure they’re strong and prepared.”
“It’s really fantastic for them. It’s lovely to see them rewarded for their hard work and families are also excited and very proud.
"Our school is part of a very family orientated community. For us at the school we all feel a sense of achievement."
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