36 Maesteg School pupils shook the world of dance this month by winning the UDOIT! UK National School Championships, making the National news in the process!
Maesteg School entered both the Junior and Senior categories of the Wales Street Dance finals at Sophia Gardens in March 2018, where we gained the title of Wales Schools Champions for both Senior and Junior competitions. Pupils combined Waacking, Street and Funk styles to create a winning formula, prompting praise from the judges and qualification for the national competition in Stoke-On-Trent.
Our dance troupes met with Wales Commonwealth athletes at Sophia Gardens during the competition, soaking up the incredible atmosphere whilst rubbing shoulders with the country’s top performers.
In preparation for the finals in Stoke, pupils committed to a strict training regime, accumulating 20+ hours a week in order to perfect and refine their routines. All of our pupils played their part in the choreography of both Senior and Junior routines but special mention must go to Tomas Edmund (Yr.13) for his fantastic leadership skills in the build-up to the competition.
The Junior’s dance troupe, performing as Intensity and the Seniors as Overload embraced the finals with the same character and determination as in Sofia Gardens, thoroughly enjoying the experience of the competition.
The celebrity judges, including ‘Big Chris’ from Flawless, were running strength and technique workshops, a fantastic opportunity for all pupils, which helped calm the nerves before their performances.
Ashton Goldsworthy (Yr.9) was confident that Intensity could do well in the finals. “I felt nervous as we arrived at the centre but we had prepared our routine well,” said Ashton.
“The atmosphere inside the centre made us feel ready, pumped and excited; we couldn’t wait to get started!”
The competition standard was extremely high, with the best dance troupes from across the U.K. in attendance. After all the performances, Intensity rose to the top of the pile, finishing in first place, with Overload finishing a very commendable 5th place.
“It felt overwhelming when we were announced winners, we all ran straight to the podium,” said Shanel Mort (Yr.9.)
“When Ashton lifted the trophy, the crowd went wild. Some of our parents were there alongside our coaches and Miss Scudamore. It was amazing to win in front of them!”
Special thanks to Natalie Davies, a former Maesteg pupil who runs Funk Force dance crew and who does so much to encourage the pupils to compete. Congratulations to Intensity and Overload, we are extremely proud of your achievements!
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- Intensity
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- Overload
