WHEN talented young ballroom dancers Tyler and Courtney Blah take to the floor, there are many who admire their technique.

The brother and sister, just nine and 13, took up dancing three years ago. They represent Poole and Bournemouth in open junior competitions for children up to 16 and aspire to be British champions.

But now their mother, Joanne, claims the progress of her children and other promising young dancers is being held up because of "bullying" from older dancers at practice nights.

"There are only about five youth and junior couples that dance at this level and they are supposed to be training every day. Our children are competing most weekends and desperately need practice," she explained.

"We have targeted dance evenings specifically for dancing competitors, only to be told very apologetically that one or two of the older couples had threatened to leave the school if it allowed these young people to attend."

The children have now started dancing at the Pavilion in Bournemouth on Monday nights.

Mrs Blah, of Broadstone in Poole, said: "The compere was thrilled with their dancing and many couple complimented them, but three weeks later, the host very apologetically said he'd had a couple of complaints from the elderly to say the children dance too enthusiastically.

"We don't want our children on street corners, we want them to work hard.

"A lot of the older people are very supportive, but you'll always get a bully that will endeavour to ruin it for everyone."

Long-time Pavilion dancing organiser Mel Douglas recognises the problem but said: "It's not that the older ones don't want to see the younger ones dancing, because they do.

"But the younger dancers and children have a lot of energy and enthusiasm and want to achieve, whereas the older ones treat it more as a hobby.

"When the younger ones are dancing they are moving around the floor at a greater speed, the older ones - some of whom may have cancer or brittle bones - can be seriously hurt if they are knocked over."

Mr Douglas said plans were being made to offer the younger dancers a separate time to practice their faster moves.

He added: "We want the children to achieve and get on, because they could turn out to be world champions. We want to have the younger dancers at a time when they are not mixing with the older ones.

"That is being sorted out, but they just need to be a little more patient."

First published: Sept 25