Steptacular: Represent Team Ireland in the Dance World Cup

Ten young dancers from Steptacular Performing Arts School located in Firhouse, Templeogue and Dundrum will represent Team Ireland in the Dance World Cup in Braga, Portugal from June 29 to July 8, reports Avery Lin.

Hailing from Firhouse and Templeogue, the talented students include Sophie Daly, Grace McDonald, Izabella Collier, Ella May Delaney O’Neil, Emily Goulding, Layla Bracken, Maisy Hynes, Maisie O’Connor, Sophie O’Brien and chosen team captain Ria Collier.

The Dance World Cup, considered the greatest all-genre dance competition for children and young adults since 2004, is held at a different location each year and hosts over 120,000 competitors from 62 countries.

The girls range from 10 to 16 and are part of the school’s three invitation or audition-only elite teams for dancers between 7 and 18-years-old. In order to qualify for Team Ireland, they placed within the top three in the audition competition.

Though the elite teams have excelled in competitions throughout Ireland and the U.K. since their formation in 2016, the Dance World Cup marks a dazzling new milestone with the training to match.

The dancers will be entering 10 solos in lyrical, jazz, hip-hop and freestyle as well as four duos and one trio in lyrical, jazz and hip-hop.

In addition to team rehearsals on Wednesdays through Saturdays, the girls have been regularly taking private lessons to be ‘Dance World Cup ready’. They recently enjoyed a much-deserved recovery session and have an upcoming session with a personal trainer.

The students have been active fundraisers, too, successfully securing the sponsorships of numerous local businesses.

While in Portugal, they will have the opportunity to enjoy the city and to engage with new friends from across the globe outside of the intensive dancing.

Held over ten days in several theatres in the cultural and religious centre of Braga, the competition will kick off with an opening ceremony on June 29 and wrap up with a closing gala on July 8. Irish captain, Collier will front the team’s lap of honour and stand at the World Cup podium with the Irish flag at the opening event.

For director Nicole McDonald who founded the school in 2006, “The opportunity to represent our country, too, is just amazing.”

Daily coverage of the team’s participation can be followed on Steptacular’s social media platforms, including @steptacular_arts on Instagram and on the school’s Facebook page.

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