Huge success for local dance students at prestigious competition

Students from Leinster School of Dance in Moate won a number of categories at the 5678 Elite Dance Competition in Dublin recently.

Owner of Leinster School of Dance and teacher Shauna Coffey said that it was an “amazing day” for the students.

The students who won the U12 acro dance group category were Emilie Bannon, Daisy Wingfield Brown, Saoirse Moran and Emily Geoghegan. Meanwhile, Yasmin Reynolds won first place in the U6 event at the dance competition.

Following the competition, Moate natives Amira Reynolds and Emilie Bannon have qualified for the All-Ireland grand final in Belfast next February. Ruby McCabe and Caoimhe Moran also picked up second place accolades and Amira Reynolds and Abby Evans respectively had third place finishes.

Shauna said that the remaining students were highly commended and that it was an “amazing achievement” for the girls.

The 5678 Elite Dance Competition took place on Saturday September 9 and Sunday September 10 in O'Reilly Theatre in Dublin.

The competition was judged by Choreographer Neil O'Brien, dance teacher Lizzy Benham and Dancer and choreographer Adam Fogarty, who was a backing dancer in the films Disenchanted and Barbie.

The competition is aimed at children and young adults with talent in a range of dance forms including: ballet, street dance, jazz and lyrical. They strive to create an electric experience on stage where both the dancers and audience can enjoy the event to the full.