NI dance group lift the spirits of thousands as they show off their moves

Members of Coalisland-based Dance Dynamics were left "very disappointed" after The European Dance Masters Championships in County Donegal were cancelled at the weekend because of Covid-19.

Hundreds of dancers from all across Europe and other parts of the world were due to attend the event in Ballyboofey.

Dance Dynamics, which also runs classes in the Ardboe area, had been working hard on their dance moves since September.

Around 40 had been due to travel to Ballyboofey for the competition which would have qualified them for the World Championships scheduled for Blackpool this July.

Teacher Kelly McCrea, who runs the club with her brother Ken Whitehouse, said she was sitting in the house at the weekend reflecting on what she could do to "lift the spirits" of club members and came up with the video idea.

She asked members of the club to film what they were doing and with the expertise of her sister, Dannielle Whitehouse, put together the film.

"If we couldn't go to The European Championships we would bring Europeans to us," she said.

"We put together a video collage of our competition members, dancing in their living rooms, kitchens, sheds etc in their costumes to showcase a bit of all their hard work, and not let it be in vain."

Kelly said they also recorded a few of their supporters cheering them on as they would have done in Ballyboofey.

"The video already has 4 500 views in the short couple of hours from going live. It has picked up the spirits of dancers, all over the world that were supposed to be attending Europeans Dance Masters."

She said they have been inundated with "lovely messages and comments."

Kelly expressed the hope the coronavirus emergency would be over by the time of the World Championships in July.

Last year the club brought back 17 titles from the championships, and members are aiming to better that tally this year - if the compeitition takes place.

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