JOEL Morris Dance Academy has enjoyed a great deal of success at this year's Bournemouth Dance Festival.

Pupils of the Shanklin dance academy returned to the Island in fine fettle, having secured a number of first, second and third place finishes.

Scroll through the gallery of photos above

It means many of Joel's pupils are now poised for the semi-finals of the All England Dance Festival in the summer of next year.

Among those to taste success on the day was Abbie Sykes, 16, from Ryde, who even won the ballet championships on the final day ­— a competition participants are invited to dance in if they have won their ballet solo in the week.

Across the event, Newport's Sadie Newnham, 11, secured first place for her ballet solo, while Chloe Neale, 13, from Ryde, finished first in both the character solo and modern solo categories.

Jasmine Willets, 15, from Cowes, placed second in her ballet solo, and there was a second place finish for Ava Cowen, 13, from Shanklin, in the modern solo category.

There were also third place finishes for Beth Morgan-Huws, 14, from Atherfield, Ava Cowen and Jasmine Willets in the ballet solo, character solo and lyrical solo categories, respectively.

Lily Williams, eight, from Ryde, earned herself a third place finish in the novice ballet solo category, while Martha Kendall, nine, from Shanklin, secured second place.

Ballet duet Joe Barlow, ten, from Shanklin, and Erin O’Donnell, ten, from Ryde, finished first in their category, as did the ballet trio of Erin Plimley, 14, from Brighstone, Emily Martin, 13, from Newport, and Ava Cowen.

The trio of Lotti Paine, 14, from Sandown, Jasmin Willetts and Beth Morgan-Huws, also placed first.

Awards went to classical advocate, Jasmine Willetts, and the highest marks for the classical ballet solo were awarded to Abbie Sykes and Joel Morris.

Two weeks prior to the Bournemouth event, Joel and his group took part in the Solent Dance Festival and similarly came home with a haul of medals.

The trio of Erin Plimley, Emily Martin and Ava Cowen once again placed first, with the trio of Ellen Careless, 12, from Niton, Annabell Smith, 11, from Ryde, and Sadie Newnham finishing second.