Twenty dancers from Donegal’s Elite Dance Academy travelled to Blackpool, after months of hard work, to compete in the Hip Hop World Championship, taking home a World Champion title.
The Senior Elite Crew competed in the over-18’s category, despite only two dancers being over 18, and won 1st place overall.
Elite with their very proud teachers Clare McCarron, her daughter Lanaya and Aoife McEleney and Aoife McGill
The oldest dancer to compete at the competition, Courtney Clare, said: “The suspense of waiting to hear if we won was insane, we had to try our best to keep our cool as two teams weren’t getting called out and placed.
“But when they announced Elite as the World Champions, we just erupted and burst into tears!
“I couldn’t believe it, all of our hard work paid off.”
Clodagh Keys and Aoife Breslin: 2nd place in doubles
Courtney also thanked dance teacher Clare McCarron and choreographers Aoife McEleney and Aoife McGill, for pushing them and supporting the team throughout the competition.
The Solo and Double winners of the weekend were:
- Brandon Lynch – Under-18 Advanced: 2nd place
- Aoife Breslin and Clodagh Keys – Over-18 Doubles: 2nd place
- Amy Leigh Murray – Under-18s: 3rd place
- Leon Halligan – Over-18 Advanced: 5th place
- Aoife Breslin – Under-16 Advanced: 5th place
- Patrick Gill- Under-18 Advanced: 6th place
Elite Dance Company would like to thank everyone who has sent messages of support and congratulations.
Amy Leigh Murray
The company is currently taking some time off but will be back soon, opening their new dance studio in Buncrana, and then welcoming back all classes for 2022/23.