Ballroom dancers trip the Limerick light fantastic

TEENAGERS from 34 countries are set to gather in Limerick to show off their ballroom dancing skills.

Sixty eight contestants will waltz, jive, twirl and spin for the Junior World title in ballroom and Latin American dancing.

The championships are confined to dancers aged 15 and under.

Ireland will be represented by the Dublin pairing of Luca Mastropietro, aged 14 and 12-year-old Laura Nolan.

Colette Francis of the Irish Dance Sport Federation said they expected up to 2,000 people to watch the young dancers at the South Court Hotel.

She said: “The championships will be held on a portable birch dance floor which is being brought in from the Royal Albert Hall in London where it is used for the international championships held there every October.”

The young competitors will travel from Britain, Germany, France, Spain, USA, Canada, Israel, Russia, Eastern Europe and South America.

The Junior world championships will take place on June 24 and the Irish championships will take place on June 23 and 25.

Ms Francis said: “Ballroom dancing has become hugely popular in this country through the tv series ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ on BBC.

“Federations were asked to nominate one couple to represent their country. It promises to be a fantastic weekend and lots of people will enjoy the magnificent skills of ballroom dancing.”