Perse Prep dancer waltzes to success at national finals
Twinkle-toed Alessia (Year 4) took a step in the right direction at an illustrious national dance competition.
The Perse Prep pupil came third with her dance partner in the U8 waltz category at the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) national finals, held in the iconic Blackpool Winter Gardens ballroom.
Alessia qualified for the ISTD finals after she and her partner had impressed judges with their performances at regional events this year.
At the finals, they were among a field of around 40 couples taking part, with duos being eliminated throughout by a team of 10 judges until the last six remained for the deciding round.
Having finished fourth in her first appearance at the national finals last year, Alessia was delighted to have gone one better.
She said: “I’m very happy because this is the best I’ve ever done and there were lots of dancers not just from England, but Wales and Scotland too.
“It’s hard to get into the final, but the judges are looking for things like smiling as well as good dancing.
“I was pretty relaxed and just thought about the dancing, but it was quite exciting to be in Blackpool because the ballroom is so big.”
Alessia started dancing two years ago after becoming captivated by the hit BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing.
She trains once or twice a week at Supastudios in Cambridge, practising individual dance routines with her teacher, as well as working with her young partner.
On her passion for dance, Alessia said: “I enjoy the music and I just find dancing fun and relaxing. I also like the costumes – I have one for ballroom and one for Latin. It’s nicer for the judges too because they don’t really want to see people dancing in a T-shirt and pyjamas!”
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