Ashton athletes impress in US

Earlier this month, a group of local dancers and cheerleaders jetted off to Florida to take part in various tournaments across the pond.  

Elements Extreme, a competitive dance and cheer club based at The Cheer Lab in Ashton, took 24 athletes aged between 10 and 15 to the US, spread across three teams. 

Firstly, the club took a junior lyrical dance team to the prestigious Dance Summit Championship, placing 6th in the world despite competing with much older athletes. 

The team competed in the U15 category despite being made up of athletes aged between 10 and 14, whilst the majority of opposing teams fielded teams made up solely of 15-year-olds. 

Astonishingly, this was also the first time ever that a team from Tameside had competed in the junior lyrical dance category over in the US. 

Elsewhere, Elements Extreme’s cheer teams also excelled at the Nfinity finals, finishing in 4th with a score of 95%, eclipsing their previous club record of 92%. 

To add to this fantastic achievement, the club have already secured two places at next year’s Allstar World Championships in Orlando. 

Following the triumph, Becci Cunningham, director of The Cheer Lab and head coach of Elements Extreme told The Reporter: 

“We are so proud we achieved the opportunity to compete in such prestigious competitions.  

 “These girls have made history for our club.  

“The trip to the USA wasn’t just about securing 1st places, these athletes have created opportunities and dreams at The Cheer Lab, because now, younger members can say ‘I can’t wait to do what they did’, rather than ‘imagine if our club could compete in America’.” 

The club are always on the lookout for new athletes and are hosting try outs this July for UK and USA competition teams.  

To find out more, check out the club on Facebook or find them on Instagram: @the_cheer_lab @elementsextremecheerleaders