Two dancers have ’done the island proud’ by becoming the first Manx couple to win two titles at the Junior Blackpool Dance Festival.

Daniel Smith, from Ramsey, and Megan Croft, from Onchan, gained the British Junior Modern Sequence Championship and British Junior Classical Sequence Championship titles.

Both aged 15, they are the first junior couple from the island to achieve these awards.

Daniel’s mother, Mary Smith, said: ’Daniel has been ballroom dancing since he was nine-years-old and Megan started dancing when she was four-years-old.

’They started dancing together as a couple in June 2015 and won the under-14 competition at the festival in the following April. Two years ago, they were the first Manx couple to win the 12/13 competition at the same event.

’In February 2017 they started training with Kris Turner of Euphoria Dance Studios, in Bedworth, Warwickshire, and have travelled most weekends to lessons.

’They have been supported by Paul Bradford and Gillian Jopson of Footworks Dance School in Ramsey and have gone from strength to strength, achieving places in the final in 2017 and winning in 2018.’

The two championships, which they have now won, comprise of four dances with each competition being danced over four rounds.

She added: ’The festival comprises the three disciplines of Latin, ballroom and sequence, but Daniel and Megan only competed in the sequence events.

Achievement

’They have won several competitions in the UK over the last 12 months and have been nominated for the Le Classique de Danse ’Junior’ Classical Sequence Award, which will be announced at a ball on April 28 in Southport.’

Both sets of parents are proud of the pair, who are studying for their iGCSEs at St Ninian’s High School.

Kimberley Croft, who is Megan’s mother, said: ’We are so proud of them and they’ve done the island proud too.

’It’s a lot of hard work and commitment. They’ve had about three weekends in the island in 14 months because of travelling to training. It’s a kid’s dream to win the British championships, that was their goal and they’ve achieved it and it was amazing.’