Dominic Bareham A DANCE pupil has taken a major step towards a bright future after receiving accolades at a festival organised by one of the judges on the hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.

Dominic Bareham

A DANCE pupil has taken a major step towards a bright future after receiving accolades at a festival organised by one of the judges on the hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.

Alice Shaw, 11, of Somerton Road, Winterton picked up a trophy for winning first prize in the under-12 silver and gold quickstep category and a second prize in the under-12 silver and gold waltz and foxtrot at Len Goodman's Camber Sands Dance Festival, held at Pontin's holiday centre over the weekend of February 15-17.

The Flegg High School pupil beat off competition from more than 30 couples to win the first place trophy.

Her mother Michele Shaw, 44, said: “She is a very quiet girl and she was really happy about winning the competition.”

She was joined for the award-winning performances by her dance partner Daniel Wright, 11, and fellow pupil at The Lait Dance School in Ipswich, which is run by former dancing champions Pat and Tom Lait.

Having started dancing at Ludham Dance Centre, Alice moved to the Ipswich school after finding a male dance partner through a website and now divides her time between attendances at The Lait School on Fridays and the Miller School of Dance in Norwich every Thursday.

Since then, she has risen through the ranks to reach number nine in the English Amateur Dance Association rankings which show the best dancers in the 12-16 age group.

Mrs Shaw said her daughter's ambition was to go on to stage school.

The weekend's festivities included ballroom and Latin American dancing as well as fancy dress competitions and culminated in the four dance finals.