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Dance partners, aged 7 and 8, to compete at national competition in Blackpool

News | Alexia Conrath | Published: 09:00, Saturday November 23rd, 2019.
Zac Ryland-Jones, eight, and Brooke Smith, seven

Two children aged seven and eight will compete at a Latin dance competition in Blackpool today (Saturday, November 23).

Dance partners Brooke Smith, seven, from Caerphilly and eight-year-old Zac Ryland-Jones from Hengoed will be competing in the under-12 category.

The duo practice at Shappelles dance school in Ystrad Mynach, spending four hours a week training together.

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The dance partners are set to compete in Blackpool

Brooke and Zac, who are coached by Kay and Sean Perry, have already competed in five competitions together, reaching the final each time.

Zac, who began dancing in February, follows in the footsteps of his mother, Bethan Ryland, who was also a dancer at Shappelles and was coached by Mr Perry.

Brooke, who has been dancing for longer than her partner, has already competed on her own in seven competitions.

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Together, the young duo will dance the cha-cha-cha, samba, rumba and jive.

Zac and Brooke practice at Shappelles Dance Studio in Ystrad Mynach

Coach Mr Perry said: “Brooke has been dancing for longer than Zac, but we decided that they would make a very useful couple together.

“We have got great hopes for them. They are both going to be very very good as they get older.

“Blackpool is a British national championship, so the best 35 British couples will be dancing.

“I think that a lot of couples in Brooke and Zac’s category will be 11-years-old – so a lot older than them.

Mr Perry added: “It is their first time and it’s a hard competition, so we’re basically sending them up to see how they will do and it will give use an idea of how they’ve got to improve.

“It is going to be very high standard competition.

“We just want them to have a feel from it and then move on and hopefully in two years time, maybe three years, they will go win it. That’s the idea.”

Brooke’s father, Paul Smith, is already looking to forward to seeing his daughter and her dance partner compete on the world stage.

“She’s an incredible talent. It’s unbelievable for a seven-year-old to compete at Blackpool.

“I keep pushing for the world competition next year in Dublin.

Paul Smith
Paul Smith
Paul Smith

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