A BLACKBIRD Leys dance school is sending three of its most talented pupils to Germany on Sunday to represent England.

Teenage tap dancers from Dance Connection, which trains at Oxford Stadium in Sandy Lane, are going to the World Tap Dance Championship.

The three young stars all have places in the England team, made up of 24 dancers from around the country.

Fourteen-year-olds Lily Clifton, and Freya Leyland, from Goring, and Astrid Tozer, 11, from Woodcote, are dancing in large formation and small groups in front of judges.

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Lily said: “I’m really excited but also a bit nervous.”

She will be taking on a formation, duet and solo performance at the contest in Riesa near Dresden, which lasts for five days.

The St Helen & St Katharine school pupil said: “I went to Germany last year and it was the most exhilarating thing ever.”

Lily’s mother, Sam, runs Dance Connection and put the girls forward for the contest.

She said: “It’s a fantastic chance for them.

“To say they’ve been able to dance for their country is amazing. It opens a lot of doors for them when they come back as well. There is a lot of commercial work and things they can get.”


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