Schoolgirl dancing to TeenStar glory

Ellie-Rose Fenney has been given the thumbs up by judges at the TeenStar, the UK’s only singing and dancing contest exclusively for teens and pre-teens.

Following successful performances in the regional heats, the eight-year-old from Pemberton will now perform in a live showcase in the grand final.

The talented young dancer was one of five contestants selected for the final, and one of only two dancers to go through.

Ellie-Rose has followed in her family’s footsteps, training at mum Jenny’s dance academy.

Jenny said: “It’s an amazing achievement, especially as up until this year, it’s been just a singing competition. But this year they’ve opened it up to dancers too.

“Hopefully this is a good stepping stone for her to perform in front of all the industry judges.”

Proud mum Jenny also spoke of helping choreograph her daughter’s dances which dazzled the panel.

One such routine, called Miss Invisible, tells an interpretive story of a young girl’s emotions.

Jenny said: “It’s about a young girl, and how she feels. She is hiding within her shell but gets more confident and becomes more happy.”

Her second dance of the competition was called The Storm, and featured an impressive combination of gymnastics and acrobatics.

She will now perform an extended version of her first routine, Miss Invisible, in the grand final.

“Hopefully it moves her forward and she’s good enough to go on to other things,” said Jenny.

Ellie-Rose, a pupil at St Aidan’s RC primary school is one of several talented young Wiganers to have graced the TeenStar ranks. She was joined in this year’s contest by fellow dancer Leonie Hellman, who made it to the regional final showcase in Stockport in April.

In 2014, Jake McKechnie, 10-year-old singer from Orrell, won the pre-teen category of TeenStar. Jake’s powerful performance on Avicii’s Wake Me Up earned him the coveted title. Now 12, Jake is now featuring on the hit ITV talent show The Voice Kids UK.

TeenStar is a search for the UK’s best singers and dance acts, aged 19 or under and saw over 8,000 acts audition during the 2016 competition. The overall winning dance act will win a sponsorship deal with a major dancewear supplier, a promotional video and their own photo shoot! Both overall singing and dancing winners also gain extensive media promotion from a professional PR company.

Teenstar describes itself as “the UK’s biggest search for teenage and pre-teen singing and dance acts, with prizes and opportunities.”Previous winners, including former X Factor star Luke Friend, have gone on to further success.