A DANCING duo have secured a place in the Dance World Cup 2023 after coming 3rd in the qualifiers.
Charlotte Forsyth and Poppy Crosby, both 8-years-old, are members of Shadazzle School of Performing Arts, Dance and Cheerleading.
The group was set up by Charlotte's mum, Laura Forsyth, in 2016 as a place where children could dance without the pressures of competitions.
Laura said: "We started as a musical theatre group. There was nowhere kids could just perform without going to dance exams.
"The interest I got when I opened was just huge, so we then added a dance night and after two years got our own studio.
"We also added cheerleading and gymnastic nights, so now we have something on five nights a week."
Charlotte and Poppy, known as 'PopChar', along with other members, began asking if they could enter competitions, as solos, doubles and cheerleaders.
Laura added: "They've trained so hard for around a year and a half. We call them twins even though they're not and they are just inseparable."
Last month Charlotte and Poppy entered a two-minute routine through an online video into the Dance World Cup qualifiers for the 'Mini Jazz' category.
After a long wait, yesterday the pair found out that they would be heading to Portugal next year and had come third in their category out of around 500 entrants.
Laura said: "They were screaming and just so happy.
"We entered thinking it was worth an entry and when we saw they were third, I couldn't believe it.
"I know they love it so much, they've put the hard work in."
Due to there being an entry fee, PopChar are also looking for company sponsors.
Charlotte and Poppy, along with their families, will be heading to Portugal in June 2023.
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