South Shields girl wins British Tap Champion twenty one years after her mother did

A nine-year-old girl from South Shields, has followed in her mother’s footsteps after winning the title of Juvenile British TDCI Tap Champion, the same title her mother, Rio Adams, won back in 2002.

Rio saw history repeating itself as her daughter, Dakota Finn won the title and trophy at the competition in Blackpool, as she did twenty one years ago at the exact same age.

Dakota’s success at the prestigious dancing competition did not end there though, as she also won the title of the Juvenile British TDCI Modern Champion, adding to her ever-growing list of dancing achievements.

The young girl who has been dancing she was two-years-old, has won various regional tap championships, including the title of Tees Valley TDCI Tap Champion, Hartlepool TDCI Tap Champion, Ledger and Montgomery TDCI Tap Champion, Queen of the Solway TDCI Tap and Modern Champion and Workington TDCI Tap and Modern Champion.

But the Blackpool win was an extra special shared moment for the mother and daughter, as Rio explained: “My name is on the trophy she won!”

She continued: “I’m super proud of her, she’s so dedicated and focused for such a young age. She’s following in her mam’s footsteps but achieving even more.”

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Rio also wanted to thank Dakota’s dance school, which she also studied at as a youngster, Lumsdale Theatre Arts, as she said: “This is all thanks to Lumsdale Theatre Arts, the same dance school I attended myself. It is a dance school that has produced a lot of dancers that have gone on to become West End stars and travel the world in their chosen career of dance.

“Dakota aspires to be like these people one day in the future hoping to either open her own dance school or go to a performing arts college and end up on the West End.”

Dakota has also been nominated for the Le Classique de Danse Awards’ Junior Theatre Award, and will attend a glittering awards ceremony at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on Saturday, 16th September, 2023, and will be joined by her dance teachers.