Stocksbridge dance school troupe to compete at world championships

Twenty-one youngsters from the dance school will compete at the world championships

Children as young as eight from a dance school near Sheffield have been picked to represent England at an international competition.

Pupils at the Lauren McCaslin School of Theatre Dance in Stocksbridge will compete at the International Dance Federation World Championships.

The competition will take place in Pula, Croatia, between 22 and 26 May.

School principal Lauren McCaslin said being asked to represent England had been "an absolute honour".

"We are all really excited," she said.

"It just means so much and they have worked so hard."

The team of 21 children will perform several different styles of dance in Croatia, including modern, ballet, tap, street and acro, after raising £16,000 to fund their trip.

"I just want to get there now and watch them perform," said Ms McCaslin.

"We didn't think we'd get anywhere near that amount, but the community got right behind us."

The dance school has been operating for 20 years and welcomes boys and girls from across South Yorkshire.

Nicole Burgin joined when she was 10-years-old and is now part of the teaching team.

She said: "Lauren trained me and then I went to professional dance college, the same college that Lauren trained at.

"Once I finished, I came back as a teacher."