Front row (from left): Freddie Vincent (16) and Scarlett Moore (15); middle row: Rosie Lee (13), James McCormick (11) and Charlotte Hooper (12); back row: Thomas Menard (17) and Rosie Moore (8). Picture: Rob Currie (00825871)

EIGHT young dancers will represent Jersey at the World Irish Dance Championships in Europe next year.

The Irish dancers from the Jersey School of Performing Arts qualified for the competition in the UK last month.

Last month they took part in the British Open Irish Dance Championships in Stratford Upon Avon.

Principal and teacher Lucy Riseborough said that the group – Rosie Moore (8), James McCormick (11), Charlotte Hooper (12), Rosie Lee (13), Christie McCormick (14), Scarlett Moore (15), Francesca Vincent (16) and Thomas Menard (17) – are all ‘very excited’ to be representing Jersey.

She said: ‘To qualify, the students were placed in solos and group events and all eight were extremely successful, some winning 1st, 2nd and 3rd for solos. Both team dances qualified.

‘There were some lovely comments on our figure group choreography. We were told it was exciting to watch with its lifts of eight-year-old Rosie Moore by Thomas Menard, with modern moves, constant changes of pattern and well costumed in gold and black.

‘This has been the first competition that these young people have danced together and considering their varied ages, they really do make a good team.’ The World Irish Dance Championships will be held in Warsaw, Poland, at Easter.