DREAMS came true for some Three Towns youngsters last month when they had the chance to star on the world stage.

From Wednesday, August 14 until Sunday, August 18, kids from Dance Mafia were in Blackpool where they were competing in the United Dance Organisation (UDO) World Championships.

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The competition was an incredible spectacle with teams from 42 countries descending on the Winter Gardens to compete for worldwide titles.

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There were over 8,000 competitors taking part in Blackpool, in front of a crowd of over 15,000 people.

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With 54 youngsters from Dance Mafia taking part - there were some fantastic results to be celebrated.

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Even making it to the championships was an incredible achievement - with teams only able to represent their national after battling through fiercely contested regional qualifiers which take place throughout the year.

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It was fair to say that Dance Mafia done the Three Towns, and Scotland as a whole, proud with their performances - after competing from Wednesday until Saturday to claim a place in the finals on Sunday.

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In the under 10s category of the team competition, Lil Gs finished in an outstanding second place out of 17 teams from across the globe.

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The Maniacs under 14 team were the only British team to secure a top five place in their category - coming in at fifth place.

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Dance Mafia's final team, The Mob, also put in a fantastic spectacle as they competed throughout the week.

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There were also some fantastic results in the individual, doubles and trios competitions for some Three Towns youngsters.

Abbie Wilson finished third place in the under 10 intermediate category for her solo performance.

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Cobyn Miller, Aria McCart and Abbie Wilson claimed runners-up position for all level in the under 10 trios.

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Cobyn also had some individual success with a third place finish in the under 10 novice category.

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Abbie and Aria teamed up once again and finished in second place in the under ten duos competition.

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Hallie Cairney and Eva Arnold put up an incredible showing in the under eight intermediate doubles where they earned a second place finish.

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Of the 100s of competitors, Lacie-Leigh Wallace claimed a fantastic seventh place finish in the under 12 solo event.

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Cristie Carey and Sophie McInroy were world championship runners-up in the under 12 duo competition.

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It was another second place prize for Eva Arnold who put in a superb performance in the under eight intermediate contest.

“We did so good with so many finals, placings and top rankings," Dance Mafia coach Amyleigh Cavanagh commented.

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“I don’t think people understand how big it is, because it’s in Blackpool, but the first day we were in it was like the dance Olympics.

“Everyone had their team tracksuits on, it was insane and next level just seeing it all.

“For some kids it was their first major competition so seeing and meeting people from all over the world was brilliant.”

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Amyleigh added that some kids even found the time to make friends with competitors from other countries - with some help from Google translate!

Overall, it was an incredible experience, and the dance coach wished to thank those who made it possible.

She added: “Every single child that attended was sponsored by a local business, so it was the Three Towns that made it possible for all the kids to go.

“We would love to say a massive thank you to everyone who sponsored a child because the kids only go thanks to fundraising.

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“Over the course of the season our kids never pay for competitions, it’s always covered by the fundraising – no child should miss out on the chance to do something like this because of money.

“If it wasn’t for the people that help us fundraise and donate none of it would be possible.

“These kids get to make their wee dreams come true thanks to all this support from local people and businesses.”

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