Getting out of bed can be an achievement for some people on the weekend but a young dancer has greatly trumped this with two major trophy wins.
Twelve-year-old Katie McKnight, who trains an incredible four days a week with Futunity UK dance school in Uxbridge, jumped and flipped her way to a team victory with Chalfonts Community College on Friday last week.
After triumphing at the Under-16, Mixed Sex National Floor and Vault Gymnastics Championships in Stoke-on-Trent, Katie continued her winning streak to become an under 14 freestyle solo champion at the United Dance Organisation (UDO) British Dance Championship, held at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday and Sunday.
The year eight student said: “It was a surprise, it did not really hit me. I ran up there.
When they called out my name I was ecstatic.”
Katie, of Chalfont St Peter, trains at Futunity in Harefield Road for nine hours a week in total, and she works with the gym sqaud twice a week.
The performer, who began with modern British ballet aged five and picked up modern street dance this year, is not just limited by the studio.
”I practise most days in my room,” she said. “I put on some random music or my radio, and I definitely like street dance more.”
The dance school collected three firsts in the solo categories, one in the duos and the quad - a team of four including Katie - reached the quarter finals. The student moved her way through four heats, a semi final and the finals, coming top of a dance off between 48 others.
She said: “ Although I have done it several times before I was very nervous. They do freestyle so they play different songs and you make it up.
“I prefer to just make it up on the spot. It makes things a bit difficult but when I know the song it is really enjoyable.”
Solo dancing is nerve racking for the teenager but, she says, in a team dance it is more obvious when you slip out of synchronisation and make a mistake.
Looking ahead, Katie says she will continue dancing, hopefully as a career, as it is the thing she ‘loves to do.’
Mother, Karina McKnight, said: “I am tremendously proud of Katie. She has a fantastic attitude, working incredibly hard at everything she does and thoroughly deserves this win.
“She inspires me with her dancing.”
Katie was not the only Futunity dancer to taste success at the weekend. Abdul Basit Ayanwusi, Aliyha Seales and the pairing of Chloe Domingues and Elise Tuffin also came top in their respective competitions, in a strong showing all round for the school.
Full Futunity UK results from the United Dance Organisation British Dance Championship
SOLOS
Under Six
Blake Swinburne (5th)
Under 10
Aliyha Seales (1st)
Under 12
Abdul Basit Ayanwusi (1st)
Under 14
Katie McKnight (1st)
Under 16
Callum Denega (4th)
Under 14 Advanced
Joe Jarrett (5th)
Under 16 Advanced
Elena Gyasi (3rd)
Over 16 Advanced
Casey Deckey (5th)
Semi finalists
Zack Hotston, Katie Robson, Daisy Cooper, Liam Denega, Chloe Domingues, Ethan Bishop, Jada Johnson, Aman Birdy, Joshua Ward,
DUOS
Under 16
Chloe Domingues and Elise Tuffin (1st)
Semi Finalists
Katie Mcknight and Skye Hammond, Abdul Basit Ayanwusi and Aliyha Seales, Daisy Cooper and Elena Gyasi.
TEAMS
Under 14
Push To Start (4th) Abdul Basit Ayanwusi, Aliyha Seales, Megan Nevard, Megan Jarrett, Jada Johnson, Zack Hotston, Ethan Bishop
Over 18 Advanced
Pinnacle (2nd) Nicole McDonnell, Emily Farns, Beth Whittall, Georgia Walker, Casey Bulford and Nellie Baker
Parents’ team
No Direction (7th) Gurdish Webster, Emma Gyasi, Sandra Jarrett, Kerry Denega, Simon Jarrett, Junie Johnson, Sonia Nevard, Sarah Baker, Rachael McCabe, Karen Banner, Julie Swinburne, Janette Cooper, Laura Nappi
