Talented dancer wins championship title three years in a row

Holly Skiggs aged 12 has won the Cumbrian Modern Junior Championship for the third time

Harton Technology College pupil Holly Skiggs came out on top at the Cumbrian Modern Junior Championship once again.

The 12-year-old, of Gorse Avenue, South Shields, trains hard at Carley School of Dance with the hope of one day performing on Broadway in New York.

Holly, who lives with mum Angela, dad Michael, big brother Jack, 18, and is also sister to Jordan. 22, will next year move up to the senior stage of the contest.

Mum Angela, a dinner lady at Harton Primary School, said she swelled with pride as she watched Holly win the title for the third time at the contest in Maryport, Cumbria.

She said: “She went up into the junior competition when she was 10 and won it, then again at 11 and 12. We don’t think anyone has ever won it all three years, but next year she’ll move up into the senior section.

“The trophy that she has gets handed back every time and all the names of the winners are engraved on it. We’ve had a look and some names appear twice but there are none on there three times so we don’t know for sure but think she’s the first to win it three years running.

“We’re just so proud of her. I cried my eyes out like I always do. It’s such an amazing achievement for her to win it three years in a row.”

Holly, who is also a member of the South Shields Gilbert and Sullivan Society, was also handed the Bursary Award for showing promise with her dancing.

Angela, 48, added: “The adjudicators give a bursary to someone in the contest that they see something in to help pay towards their dancing.

“She deserves it because she works so hard – she never stops. She’s been dancing since she was five, doing everything like tap, ballroom, ballet, and modern, and entered her first competition when she was six-and-a-half.

“Her big dream is to dance on Broadway. She’s really into her musical theatre and she just loves being on stage. She’s quite shy normally but it’s like a switch goes off when she gets up on stage. People can never believe how confident she is when she’s up there.”