STUDENTS from Starlight Boutique Dance Academy competed at the BDO Street Dance World Championships in Telford recently.

It followed the regional dance competition in October, when the academy took students aged six to 15 to compete, and came away with two first places, and seven top three finishes.

A handful of the group subsequently competed in a national competition in November, securing a further nine top three finishes, with two first places.

At the ultra-competitive world championships, Starlight placed sixth in the under 8s street group category, sixth in the under 12s section, with the under 16s managing a top three finish.

Individual displays of note came from Olivia Hurn, who placed sixth in the under 16s solo category, and Gracie Ross and Ava Andrews who reached the semi-finals in the under 12s duets.

Mary Bowdery, school principal, said: "We couldn’t have got there without the support of the wonderful parents and sponsors — Great Wonderfest, Wight Electrical and Red Funnel.

"We had the most fantastic time and got to see some amazing dancers from all over world, as well as guest performers from Britain's Got Talent and other shows.

"It was a truly an inspiring event for our dancers.

"2019 has been a fantastic competition season for us and we can’t wait get ready for 2020."