group of little dancers hopes to make history and win America’s Cheerleading World Championships if members can raise enough money for the trans-Atlantic Ocean trip.
The Red Hot Embers, a group of 10 girls between the ages of five and seven, from a dance academy in Salford, are said to be the first international team of their age group to compete in The Summit Championships in Disney World in Florida.
They beat the best of Britain to be crowned National Champions in the ‘Tiny’ Pom-Pom discipline and were awarded Grand Champions for the highest score in their age category following their performance at the Jamfest European Championships at the Liverpool Exhibition Center in June.
Girls normally only compete internationally in older age groups, but their score was the third highest of all dance teams in the competition in Liverpool, giving them a shot at international glory in the US.
But to fly the flag for Britain they need sponsorship, with travel and accommodation costs alone exceeding £1,500 per member, with costumes, poms, training equipment, music licenses and training venues.
They hope to perform routines in pom-pom, jazz, hip-hop and lyrical disciplines, scored by five judges who give points for synchronization, technique, crowd appeal and choreography.
Team members are Millie Quirk, Nyah Dalli, Blythe Partington and Scarlett Davies, all five years old, Amelie Tudor, Erin Eve Smith, Nattaya Boyle, all six and seven year olds, Amber Frame, Olivia Kennedy and Luna-Rose Glynn.
Natasha Wilde, 30, their coach and choreographer at the Studio 96 Dance Academy in Salford, said: “I think I’m still in shock at what these talented little ladies have accomplished this season.
“The girls often sacrifice social events such as friends parties to make sure they are in training, which just shows how committed they are at such a young age.
“I couldn’t be more proud of each of them”
Carmel Craddock, grandmother of Erin Eve Smith, said, “I never thought my granddaughter would compete internationally at such a young age.”
The Annual Dance Summit 2023 will take place April 29-30, 2023 in Coronado Springs in Orlando, Florida.
The Red Hot Flames Dance Academy was founded in 1996 by director Suzanne Roberts, initially starting out as a side-line cheerleading team for the rugby league Super League club, Salford Reds.
Initially intended as a way to support sports teams, competitive cheerleading became a sport in its own right in the 1960s. American colleges and it is now estimated that some 90,000 girls participate in the sport in the UK alone.
Not wanting money to be a barrier to any of the girls, the Embers team is trying to raise a minimum of £5,000 to help families fund the trip.
Anyone who can sponsor the girls is asked to contribute through their GoFundMe page at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-embers-to-the-summit-2023-in-orlando