Dancers stranded on way to big event
TEARS AND ANGER AT DELAY IN GERMANY
HEARTBROKEN members of a Hartlepool dance group were last night stranded in Germany on their way to represent England at one of the sport’s biggest international events.
Three dance teachers, seven students and two parents from the Val Armstrong School of Performing Arts were due to fly out from Frankfurt at 6pm on Thursday.
However, at the last minute their flights with Lufthansa were cancelled due to staff shortages and they have been told they can get them on another flight - but that might not be until tomorrow.
Val Armstong, who is with the group, said the airline won’t release their luggage so they can’t get flights with another company because the girls, aged seven to 17, will not have their costumes to compete in.
And they are not alone - there are dancers from other parts of England, as well as from Poland, Germany and other countries also stranded.
The group set out at 4.30am on Thursday morning and headed to Manchester Airport and from there flew to Frankfurt.
They were supposed to fly from Frankfurt to Bilbao Airport in Spain so they can compete in Dance World Cup 2022 in San Sebastian, where they should be representing
England against 63 other nations. Val said she has 33 dancers competing in the 10-day festival and the others, who took different flights, are already there.
But, some of them won’t be able to compete either because many are in group dances.
She said: “It is soul-destroying. The girls are devastated and all their friends are there. They were supposed to be taking part in a big opening ceremony today and that’s not going to happen.
“The girls are really upset, they have been watching it on screens and knowing they should be there. It has also cost the parents a fortune. Thousands of pounds has been spent on the trip.”
Val said she has been disappointed by the delays, and also the attitude of staff at the Lufthansa airline. Val added that there are queues everywhere.
The Hartlepool dance teacher said: “When our flight was cancelled they told us we would be on another at 9pm. But, when we got to the desk they said that one was full. We have been put on standby for a flight, but they have said it could be Saturday or Sunday.”
She said that after a lot of debate, and initially being offered just four euros each for food, the group was eventually put in a hotel for the night on Thursday night and were back at the airport yesterday morning waiting to see what it going to happen.
She said: “They won’t let us have our luggage so we can’t get a different flight. One of the parents had medication in the luggage and asked for it, but they just said there was nothing they could do and to go to the pharmacy.”
The Gazette has contacted Lufthansa airline for a comment on the situation.