A dance team from a Caerphilly-based ballet school has qualified for a national final after less than six months in existence.
Elevate Dance’s Lyrical Team formed in February as a mixture of beginners from the ages of 7 to 16, and were only entered into the Dance Challenge UK regional qualifying round to gain experience.
Despite this, the team picked up a third place at the event in Barry Memo on Sunday, April 29.
It has now been confirmed that the team will travel to Blackpool in November for the Dance Challenge UK Final at Blackpool Opera House and Winter Gardens.
Rebecca Jones, 27, who set up Elevate Dance five years ago, said: “When I found out we had qualified for the final I was just ecstatic.”
“This team has only been together since February. They are a team of 11 and Barry was the first time they had ever stepped on stage together. The hope was for the dancers to gain some confidence together, to qualify for Blackpool is beyond our wildest dreams.”
“The team have been working extremely hard, putting in extra hours to ensure they perfect their piece to take to the final.”
Elevate Dance was established in 2013 and has achieved a 100% examination pass rate for five consecutive years. From September, the school will welcome over 160 weekly members.
They have never had to prepare for a major UK final before however, and Ms Jones admits that there have been steep learning curves in the preparation.
She said: “Two of the things we have never had to think about before are fundraising and matching outfits. It’s a real challenge having to get appropriate matching show outfits for eleven girls aged 7 to 16.
“Fortunately, we have managed to get five sponsors on board. Go Air, TSS Sports, Andrew Seary Physiotherapy, Beech Farm and CDS Windows have been really supportive, and without them, Blackpool would not be possible.”
Elevate Dance offers Ballet, Gymnastic Dance and a Lyrical competition team. The school accepts pupils from age 3 upwards. Classes are held Monday to Friday term time.
To find out more about Elevate Dance and Wellbeing, visit their Facebook page or email rjonesdance@hotmail.co.uk.