Marie Lao Dance School wins at Wessex Dance Championships

Newport's Lao School of Dance was based in Ringland but had to leave their base at Open Hearth towards the end of 2019 and is still on the hunt for a permanent unit.

The dance school, which currently has dancers ranging from three years old to 23, has managed to adapt and is currently based at Shaftesbury Community Centre, with dancers also training at Rogerstone Welfare Ground, The Docs Cons, and Pontnewydd Workman’s Club.

Despite the upheaval in recent years, 29 dancers recently competed at the Wessex Dance Championships in Dorset and celebrated numerous wins.

According to Marie Lao, who is a former Miss Universe Newport and a director at the school, they came away from the Wessex Dance Championships with:

• 86 finals (including 36 first place);
• 14 runner-ups;
• Six overall winners.

When asked the difference between first place and overall winner she explained: “If a dancer wins their age category, they then compete against all the other age category winners to find one overall winner.”

Their youngest dancer at the event, five-year-old Maliyah Ford from Risca, earned two first places with her partner: six-year-old Marley from Pontypool.

Their oldest dancer, Angel Davies from Cwmbran, also celebrated a win in the senior grand finals.

There was also plenty to celebrate for 10-year-old Lianardo Lao from Newport who won the U12 boy championship event meaning he went on to compete among other U12s.

Lianardo went on to win overall boy dancer of the weekend in his slow dance and freestyle categories.

“We are really proud of all the dancers and all they have accomplished,” said Ms Lao.

“It’s been a difficult time to keep them dancing during and after lockdown and now all their hard work is paying off. “