Young Wigan dancers on top of world after international competition triumphs

The Miss Sutcliffe Academy of Dance from Pemberton has a fine record representing Team England in this prestigious annual event, but only seven girls were sent to Burgos in Spain for this year’s showdown whereas in previous editions there have been bigger contingents.

However, what the team lacked in quantity, they more than made up for with quality as they came away with no fewer than 17 medals, four of them gold.

On top of that, three of the dancers were crowned World Champions and honoured with an invitation to perform in the prestigious Showcase Gala, featuring the top 50 dancers from the entire competition: an extraordinary accolade.

Upwards of 50 countries were represented at the championships with more than 10,000 competitors but the Team England Wigan girls consistently shone, with first place in the UK in two separate categories and top six placements in nearly all other sections.

They fared particularly well in a category called acro: a combination of dance and acrobatics.

In a letter to family of the girls, school bosses said their achievements in the “dance version of the Olympics” – are a testament to their dedication, passion, and talent and they were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would not have been possible without relatives’ support.

Jennifer Fenney who runs the school said: “It’s an outstanding achievement whose results exceeded all our expectations. We have brought home champions before but this is special in several ways, not least the high point scores that some of the dancers achieved. Some were the highest for Team England.

"We only sent seven competitors this year but they delivered big style, not least being crowned World Acro Team Champions.”

Dancers qualify to represent their country through filmed auditions. Once selected they then need sponsorship to get them to whatever country or city is hosting the championships. This year they were sponsored by

Holland and Barrett, Chillblast, Mac Construction, Axon Moore and Boodles.

Next year the championships will take place in Dublin and already thoughts are turning at the Miss Sutcliffe Academy of Dance to how they can maintain their purple streak in 12 months’ time.