Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Firebirds soar in world contest bid
Coatbridge dancers hope to earn their stars and stripes after securing their place at a prestigious international dance competition in America.
Thirty- five youngsters from the Firebird dance company will spread their wings Stateside after winning their bid to compete in the 2020 Worlds BCA cheer and dance championships in Florida.
The Dundyvan industrial estate studio’s junior jazz team, Storm, dazzled in their Newcastle heat; while senior hip-hop stars, Glacier, melted the opposition with their slick style to secure their place at Glasgow’s SEC earlier this year.
And the dedicated youngsters were in shock after reaching their first ever world championship next April.
It was also a dream come true for owner Natalie Skinner, who opened the school only three years ago and cannot wait to see her talented troupes set the stage alight in Orlando.
Natalie expressed her delight in her young proteges’ achievements on social media, saying: “Glacier and Storm – wow! I am so proud of you guys. To walk out in your first and second seasons and take home a world bid is absolutely incredible.
“You have pushed above and beyond this season in every training session, and came on leaps and bounds since August. Hard work has paid off! Worlds here we come.”
Natalie, 24, a former St Ambrose High pupil, is a talented dancer and choreographer in her own right and takes her inspiration from legendary American choreographer and producer Brian Friedman, famed for working on the X Factor as well as international divas including Beyonce, Britney Speirs and Mariah Carey.
Natalie began her love of dance as a toddler at the former Garrowhill dance school in Baillieston. She then went on to study dance at Glasgow Kelvin College, where she graduated in 2016, before going on to open her own school.
Natalie told the Advertiser: “I’ve trained in every type of dance from when I was two.
“When I got older I did cheer which is a different style. I think we are the only school in Coatbridge who do the All Star dance and cheer competitions.
“We have competed in two seasons so far. In the first season our junior jazz team were dance champions.
“The worlds has always been my 10-year goal. It will be great. I’m nervous but it will be amazing. The level of talent is ridiculous over there.
“And we have a really great support system behind us, which is great.”
The United States All Star Federation ( USASF) hosts the cheerleading and dance world championship annually, with more than 120 individual teams from the States and over 40 countries worldwide competing.
The international event attracts over 11,000 cheer and 4000 dance athletes all vying for world championship titles in senior and international club divisions.
And in preparation for their debut in Orlando, the “dedicated” kids have been training up to five days a week to hone their skills.
And proud parents Nicola and Keith Carlyle, whose daughter Kirsten, 13, is among the young hopefuls heading across the pond have also been brimming with pride.
Nicola enthused: “They have done amazingly well; it’s their biggest competition so far. We would never have thought this would have been achievable.
“The Firebird school is fabulous. It starts off as a confidence builder, but they come on in leaps and bounds. It has such a family feel; all the girls look out for each other.”
Nicola and some of the other mums have also started a fundraising committee and are seeking support from local businesses.
She added: “We have had a couple of responses so far, but it’s still early days and we have a few fundraising nights coming up as well.”
For more i n f o rmat i o n on the Fi reb i rd dance school, visit Facebook. com/ firebirddancecompany. nurturing environment.
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The call for local applicants is part of a nationwide recruitment campaign seeking to recruit more than 500 new volunteers across Scotland – and aiming for “a diverse range of applicants, with an emphasis on recruiting more men and young people”.
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