Hartlepool dancers eye World Cup Trophy as they get ready to face competitors from 62 countries

The Amy Richardson Studios' performers will all compete for their country in August’s Dance World Cup.

The dancers will battle it out with more than 120,000 competitors from 62 countries at the greatest all-genre dance competition around.

They will travel to Telford International Centre, in Shropshire, over six days from Monday, August 9, as they look to make the most of the experience – and maybe even come back with a medal.

The Havelock Street Studios’ principal, Amy Richardson, 33, said: “I have had my school for eight years and this is the first time I’ve attempted to qualify for the Dance World Cup.

“For Amy Richardson Studios to be represented is incredible. I hope they all enjoy it.

“For me it is all about the experience of teamwork together, that vibe of being a team. They have been through so much in the last 18 months with the pandemic, like the virtual sessions, and this is a massive achievement.”

Anabell Morgan, Ashton Amerigo, Belle Dixon, Caitlyn Hall, Charlotte Godfrey, Ellie Woods, Emily Barnard, Emily Simpson, Isabel Emerson, Bella Hope and Jaimie-Leigh Palmer will all be heading to Telford.

And so will Jasmine Richardson, Maisie Ferguson, Maisie Gofton, Olivia Corner, Olivia Johnston, Scarlett Ford, Scarlett Weegram and Sofia Weegram after qualifying through video entry.

Amy Richardson’s entries will be made up of nine solos, two duets and seven troupes.

English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College student Emily Barnard, 17, will be involved in two solos and three troupes.

She said: “It is an amazing feeling to be involved in one of the biggest worldwide dance events after so many hours of hard work.

“We have been so excited, and we now just want to just go out and show everyone what we have worked on.

“The experience itself has been so much more important, the medals would be the icing on the cake but the whole experience of the environment is more important to all of us.”

The World Cup was supposed to take place in Rome but because of Covid-19 there will be video link competition from across the world.

The trip and entry cost has been funded by the PFC Trust, the charity set up by Frances Connolly and her husband Patrick after their EuroMillions lottery win at the start of 2019, and the dancers, aged from 8-17, will wear official England clothing funded by the Gus Robinson Foundation.

PFC Trust founder Mrs Connolly is so proud to be helping the team compete at the showpiece event.

She said: “Our charity is all about supporting people from Hartlepool and there is no better example of how we do that than supporting something like this with the brilliant Amy Richardson Studios.

“There will be 19 local dancers all competing on an international stage and that shows what the people of Hartlepool can achieve if they put the hard work and effort in like this talented group has.”

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