A TEAM of talented youngsters from York, who placed third in the world in an international competition, got the VIP treatment from the city's Lord Mayor.
The Fantasy Cheer And Dance Academy has been running for 16 years at Vale of York Academy in Clifton in York, offering classes for anyone age four and over in cheerleading, dance and gymnastics.
And, over the past two years, the girls, who are part of the biggest cheer and dance programme in York, have been on quite the journey, initially travelling to Florida in 2022 to compete at Summit Cheer and Dance competition where they placed as the highest British team, and as a result, the same year won a bid to compete at All Star Worlds Cheer and Dance competition in Florida in April 2023.
The team, called Elegance, consisting of 12 girls aged between 13-15 successfully made it through to the second day of the competition to place third in the world in the final for their Lyrical routine.
Head Coach and owner, Natalie Lyon, said this season has been their most successful to date and the team have travelled the length and breath of the country, competing against some of the best teams in their categories and consistently taking First Place. And they have already secured a bid to compete at All Star Worlds in Florida in 2024.
The Lord Mayor of York Reverend councillor Chris Cullwick heard about the teams achievements and as a result, invited Natalie the girls to the Mansion House on Tuesday (June 27) to congratulate them and present them with their medals.
One of the team, Darcy Calvert said: "It has been the best experience of my life and I am so proud to be part of this team. All the team work so hard and we practise together every week and in our spare time too. It’s a great feeling to be third in the world and I can’t wait to do it all again next year."
Natalie said: "I am so proud of what this team have achieved, they work so hard and their grit and determination has paid off this year. There is no stopping them and I am excited to see what 2024 has in store for them."
The team relay on sponsorship and fundraising throughout the year in order to get them all to Florida and help with the uniform they need and they are looking for new sponsors now. Also any donations of raffles prizes are always gratefully received as they have lots of events planned in the coming months.
They are now taking on new members for next season, so if you would like to be part of the biggest Cheer and Dance programme in the city or are a local business that would like to offer support for the Elegance team, please get in touch at fantasycheeranddance@outlook.com
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