Pair step it up to world stage

EMMA CURRY

APAIR of hip hopdancing cheerleaders have been selected to represent their country.

Ninteen year olds Alicejane Evans from Britannia, Bacup, and Saffron Neal from Accrington, are members of the FLM Allstars squad, a cheer and dance team based in Rawtenstall, and compete on the squad’s Blue Diamonds Cheerleading Team and Tenacity Hip Hop Team.

The duo were spotted at a regional competition with FLM, head hunted and invited to try out for Team England, an elite cheerleading squad.

They took part in the try-outs in Essex on September 9 and have both been offered a spot on the team, which will be competing at the ICU Cheerleading and Dance World Championships in Orlando in April 2018.

Alicejane has also been offered a spot on the Team England’s first para hip hop team, which will also be competing at the same event.

FLM coach and choreographer Fayhe-Louise Mitchell said: “I have been lucky enough in my cheerleading career to compete at the World Championships twice representing England, and it has always been a dream of mine for my athletes to one day be able to experience competing on that famous competition floor representing our country. Both girls are extremely hardworking and truly deserve this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Alicejane and Saffron are now training hard, meeting with the rest of Team England once a month in Essex to practise together before they fly to America in April to take on teams from across the world.

Fayhe added: “Both myself and the rest of the athletes from FLM are so proud and very happy for them and we will be supporting them every step of the way.”