Welsh dance team secure hat-trick by winning Welsh, British and World Championships

A team of eight talented Welsh dancers are celebrating an incredible achievement after securing a hat-trick by winning
the Welsh, British and World Championships.

The Shappelles Alegria Formation Team based in Ystrad Mynach have topped an incredible year by securing the top titles in Blackpool earlier this month and Merthyr Tydfil last weekend.

The girls, who are teenagers from across the South Wales Valleys, are trained by Kay Perry and Lloyd Griffiths, and have committed to years of hard work in order to reach the top of their game – many have had to balance their dance training with working towards their GCSEs.

Connection

Many of the team members have been inspired to dance by a former student of Schappelles, Strictly Coming Dancing star, Amy Dowden, who has kept a close connection with the school and its students.

seven out of eight of the girls are bilingual as is one of the trainers, and therefore the Welsh language is regularly heard and spoken around the lessons and during competitions.

Dance teachers, Kay Perry and Loyd Griffiths, said: “We are incredibly proud of our Formation Team and their amazing success. They have put Ystrad Mynach and Wales on the map in competing within a national and international context, earning a reputation for being the best dancers in their field.

“This is an incredible achievement in an art form which is hugely competitive and continues to grow in its popularity, and their stand out performances in Blackpool and in Wales have amazed both the judges and the Audiences.”